Putin nominates Belousov as Defense Minister in cabinet reshuffle
Vladimir Putin has proposed Andrey Belousov as Minister of Defense, aiming to replace Sergei Shoigu. This announcement was made through the official Telegram channel of the Russian Federation Council.
3:41 PM EDT, May 12, 2024
The Federation Council's official channel reported, "The Federation Council has received the list of candidates proposed by Russian President Vladimir Putin for the positions of heads of a number of federal ministries and agencies."
For Minister of National Defense, Putin has nominated Andrey Belousov to take over from the current defense department head, Sergei Shoigu.
The Kremlin shared that Putin is keen on ensuring the Ministry of Defense embraces innovation and fresh ideas, what influenced his choice of Belousov for the position.
Before this nomination, Belousov served as the first vice-premier in Mikhail Mishustin's previous government, even temporarily taking on the role of Prime Minister. Before these roles, he was Putin's longstanding economic adviser.
Sergei Shoigu is set to become the Secretary of the Security Council, taking over from Nikolai Patrushev, as announced by Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman.
In his new capacity, Shoigu will function as Putin's deputy in the Russian Military-Industrial Commission, Peskov added.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs position remains unchanged, with Sergei Lavrov retaining his role.
Vladimir Kolokoltsev will continue as the Minister of Internal Affairs, Aleksander Kurenkov will be the Minister of Civil Defense and Emergency Situations, and Konstantin Chuychenko has been appointed Minister of Justice. Sergei Naryshkin will lead the Foreign Intelligence Service, while Aleksander Bortnikov will head the Federal Security Service. Boris Kovalchuk has been announced as the Chairman of the Accounts Chamber.
These proposed government changes follow Vladimir Putin's recent inauguration as President. On May 10th, Putin named Mikhail Mishustin Prime Minister.
The Federation Council is set to review these ministerial nominations during sessions on May 13th and 14th.
It's important to note that many reports from Russian media or government representatives can be elements of propaganda, playing a role in the information war conducted by the Russian Federation.
