Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed a surprise new defense minister, proposing civilian Andrei Belousov, a former deputy prime minister with an economics background, for the position more than two years into the Ukraine conflict, according to the Kremlin.
Putin wants Sergei Shoigu, Russia’s defense minister since 2012 and a long-time supporter, to become secretary of Russia’s powerful Security Council, succeeding Nikolai Patrushev, and to oversee the military-industrial complex, the Kremlin revealed on Sunday.
“Sergei Shoigu was relieved of his post as Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation by presidential decree and was also appointed by decree of the President of the Russian Federation as Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.
The appointment of Andrei Belousov, a civilian official known for his economic decision-making rather than battlefield knowledge, is the biggest surprise
The reforms, which are expected to be approved by MPs, are the most significant changes Putin has made to the military command since sending tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine in February 2022 for what he described as a special military operation.
The shake-up gives Shoigu a job that is technically regarded as senior to his defense ministry role, ensuring continuity and saving Shoigu’s face. Valery Gerasimov, the chief of Russia’s General Staff and someone with a more hands-on role when it comes to directing the war, will remain in post.
Sergei Lavrov, the country’s veteran foreign minister, will also stay in his job, the Kremlin said.
The appointment of Belousov, a civilian official known for his economic decision-making rather than battlefield knowledge, is the biggest surprise.
Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin’s spokesman, told reporters that the change made sense because Russia was approaching a situation like the Soviet Union in the mid-1980s, when the military and law enforcement authorities accounted for 7.4% of state spending.