- Other Heads of Security Ministries and Services, as well as Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, will retain their posts in the government
Russia’s Defence Minister is set to be replaced, more than two years into the war in Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed replacing his long-time ally Sergei Shoigu with civilian and former Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov, who specialises in economics.
Mr Shoigu, who has served as Defence Minister since 2012, will take up a role as Head of the National Security Council and have responsibilities for the military-industrial complex, the Kremlin said.
In his new role, Mr Shoigu will replace Nikolai Patrushev, whose new job will be announced soon, according to the Kremlin.
Meanwhile, Russian News Agency, TASS, says that other Heads of Security Ministries and Services, as well as Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, will retain their posts in the government. The President has also proposed appointing Boris Kovalchuk as the Chairman of the Accounts Chamber. This post has been vacant for one year and a half.
TASS has summed up information about the cabinet reshuffle.
Reshuffle in the Russian Defense Ministry
Sergey Shoigu, who has headed the Russian Defense Ministry since 2012, has been appointed Secretary of the Security Council. Putin has proposed appointing Andrey Belousov as Russia’s new Defence chief. Belousov earlier served as Minister of Economic Development, Russian Presidential aide for Economic issues and the first Deputy Prime Minister, who oversaw the economic bloc.
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that the decision to appoint Belousov as the Defence minister is linked to the need of “making the economy of the security bloc part of the country’s economy.” Now the budget of the Defence Ministry is nearing the level of the 1980s, “which is not critical but … extremely important.”
Chief of Russia’s General Staff Valery Gerasimov will retain his post, Peskov stressed. Belousov’s appointment “will in no way change the current coordinate system” in terms of defense issues, he noted.
Shoigu to replace Patrushev
As the Russian Security Council Secretary, Shoigu will among other issues oversee the work of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation, which recently became directly subordinated to the president.
Apart from that, Shoigu will also become the President’s deputy in the Military-Industrial Commission. Now Putin is its chair, while Dmitry Medvedev is his first deputy in this body.
Patrushev was relieved from his duties in connection with his new post, according to the Presidential decree. The Kremlin will announce further details about his new position “in the coming few days,” Peskov said.
Reappointments
Putin has proposed that the other heads of ministries and agencies of the security and foreign policy bloc should retain their posts. Thus, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Minister of Internal Affairs Vladimir Kolokoltsev, Minister of Emergency Situations Alexander Kurenkov and Justice Minister Konstantin Chuychenko will keep performing their duties.
Other officials who will retain their posts are Director of the Foreign Intelligence Service Sergey Naryshkin, the heads of Russia’s Federal Security Service and Federal Protective Service, Alexander Bortnikov and Dmitry Kochnev, as well as the head of National Guard (Rosgvardiya) Viktor Zolotov. Alexander Lints will remain head of the Main Department for the President’s Special Programmes (he is in charge of developing and implementing the State Policy in the field of mobilization issues and planning respective events).
Accounts Chamber
Putin has also proposed appointing Boris Kovalchuk as the Chairman of the Accounts Chamber. This post has been vacant since November 2022 when Alexey Kudrin tendered his resignation. The chairman of the Accounts Chamber is appointed by the Federation Council. Kovalchuk was one of three candidates suggested for the President by Russia’s upper house Speaker Valentina Matviyenko.
In 2010-2024, Kovalchuk was Chairman of the Board of Inter RAO. In March 2024, he was appointed deputy head of the control directorate in the Russian Presidential Administration.
Former MI6 intelligence officer Christopher Steele, who ran the Russia desk between 2006 and 2009, told Sky News he takes Mr Peskov’s words “with a pinch of salt.”
“It seems to me that probably the reason he’s chosen Belousov is because he’s not really any kind of player in the system or any sort of threat to Putin,” he added.
He also said Mr Patrushev’s appointment may hint at instability “right underneath him in the top leadership.”
“It was clear to most of us Russia-watchers for some time that Patrushev was lining up his son, Dmitry, who’s the current Agriculture Minister, to be Putin’s successor as President,” he said.
“And there have been some indications that there’s been some serious instability at the top in Russia in recent months…so I think that this really is a very significant move by Putin.”
Commenting on Mr Shoigu’s removal, the UK’s Defence Minister, Grant Shapps, said he leaves with a “disastrous legacy”
“Sergei Shoigu has overseen over 355,000 casualties among his own soldiers and mass civilian suffering with an illegal campaign in Ukraine.
“Russia needs a Defence Minister who would undo that disastrous legacy and end the invasion – but all they’ll get is another of Putin’s puppets.”
The Russian Parliament’s approval of the new appointments are all but guaranteed, as there is virtually no opposition.
By law, the government in Russia had to resign just before Mr Putin was sworn in as President for another six-year term on Tuesday.
Analysts have said Putin is looking to project an image of stability and satisfaction with his team’s progress, with Mikhail Mishustin remaining in post as Prime Minister on Friday.
Valery Gerasimov, the Chief of Russia’s General Staff, will remain in his position as well.
Based on reports from TASS, Sky News