Putin reshuffles defense leadership amid Ukraine War setbacks.
In a major political development, Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced replacing long-serving Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu with Deputy PM Andrei Belousov as the head of the ministry. Shoigu will now take over as secretary of the powerful Security Council.
Reshuffles are rare in the Kremlin, but this reflects the economic angle Putin wants to bring to defense amid huge war spending on Ukraine. Belousov, an economist with no military experience, will try to boost the efficiency of the armed forces, the Kremlin said.
Analysts see it as prioritizing the economy’s integration with the conflict that was meant to last weeks but entered its third year. Shoigu had led defense since 2012 but faced rumors of a weakening position after recent setbacks and criticism over big losses in the ongoing invasion.
Despite being an engineer, Shoigu rose during disaster management in the 1990s but has also appeared sidelined lately after a public spat with Wagner’s chief over war conduct. Belousov, however, is known to take a hard position against perceived threats to Russia, as per reports.
While Putin continues to criticize Ukraine’s strategy, the move sidelines an ally with whom he shares close links. It remains unclear if the Security Council head will also change. Despite no obvious successor, analysts say economic civilian oversight signals military reforms are on the cards as fighting grinds on.
