Vladimir Putin Names Civilian Economist to Replace Defense Minister General Sergei Shoigu

Vladimir Putin proposed a shift from his position on Sunday Sergei ShoiguRussian Defense Minister since 2012, reports Reuters. Putin replaced Shoigu with a civilian economist. Andriy Belousov (65 years old).

At the same time, he will be replaced by Sergei Shoigu Nikolai Patrushev, the current secretary of Russia’s Security Council, will also have responsibilities for the military-industrial complex, the Kremlin said. Patrushev is a former head of the FSB (Russia’s main security service, the successor to the KGB) and is considered a Kremlin hardliner.

Lomonosov is an honorary graduate of Moscow State University’s Department of Economics, according to the Russian government’s new proposal for the post of head of the Defense Ministry.

Andrey Peloso’s professional experience is not related to the military sector:

• He was the general director of the Center for Macroeconomic Analysis and Short-Term Forecasting, external adviser to the Prime Minister of the Russian Federation (2002-2006);
• Deputy Minister of Economic Development and Trade, Deputy Minister of Economic Development (2006-2008);
• Director of the Government Department of Economics and Finance (2008-2012);
• Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation (2012-2013);
• Presidential Adviser (2013-2020);
• He is the First Deputy Prime Minister of Russia from January 21, 2020 by direct order of Putin.

The announcement of Shoigu’s replacement was made on Sunday by the upper house of the Russian parliament, which also announced that Putin had nominated former deputy prime minister Andrei Peloso (65) to replace Shoigu. At the same time, Russian President Sergei Lavrov was proposed to be the Foreign Minister and Valery Gerasimov to be the Chief of the General Staff of Russia.

In March 2022, Anton Zerashchenko, adviser to the Ukrainian Interior Minister, announced that Sergei Shoigu had suffered a heart attack and was in the hospital. At the time, Řoigu had not been seen in public for several weeks.

Shoigu was a month into the invasion of Ukraine, and at a time when it was clear that Russia had completely failed to achieve a quick victory, as in Russia’s original plans, it called for a blitzkrieg that would last only a few. Days until the surrender of Kiev:

• “Shoku suffered a heart attack. Due to this, he has not been seen in public since mid-March. Shoigu suffered a heart attack after being strongly reprimanded by Putin for the utter failure of the invasion of Ukraine. He is currently undergoing rehabilitation at the Burtenko Military Medical Hospital,” Anton Gerashchenko wrote early Saturday morning.

Sergei Shoigu is 69 years old, an army general and referred to as the “Hero of Russia”, a construction engineer and a doctorate in economics who was appointed governor of the Moscow Region in 2012. Russian government.

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