FALCON POWERS – The Kremlin announced on Sunday that Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed the appointment of Sergei Shoigu as Secretary of the Russian Security Council, replacing Nikolai Patrushev, and also to assume responsibilities for the military-industrial complex.
According to the Kremlin, Putin has also proposed the appointment of a new Defense Minister to replace Shoigu. He has nominated civilian Andrei Belousov, former Deputy Prime Minister and specialist in economics, for this position after more than two years since the war in Ukraine.
The amendments, which are expected to be approved by lawmakers, are considered the most significant changes Putin has made to the military leadership since the deployment of tens of thousands of forces to Ukraine in February 2022. These are major changes:
- This change theoretically elevates Shoigu to a higher position than his role in the Ministry of Defense.
- According to the Kremlin, Valery Gerasimov, Chief of the General Staff and the person who practically has a greater role in directing the war, will remain in his position, as well as veteran Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
- The nomination of Belousov, a known civilian official with a background in economic decision-making and no combat experience, came as a major surprise.
- Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, informed journalists that the change is logical because Russia is approaching a situation similar to that of the Soviet Union in the mid-1980s when military and law enforcement authorities received 7.4% of government spending.
- Peskov added that this means ensuring that this spending aligns with the public interests of the country. Therefore, Putin now wants to appoint a civilian with an economic background as the Minister of Defense, emphasizing that “the person most open to innovations will triumph on the battlefield.”
It is also likely that this change is seen as an attempt by Putin to subject defense spending to further scrutiny to ensure efficient use of funds.
