Putin's cousin Anna Tsiwilewa named deputy defense minister

Anna Tsiwilewa has been appointed Deputy Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation. According to the independent portal Meduza, Tsiwilewa is a cousin of Russian President Vladimir Putin and owns one of the largest coal companies in Russia. This information was revealed in the "Iron Masks" investigation. Previously, she led the state fund supporting participants of the "special military operation".

On Monday afternoon, Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed four deputy defense ministers. According to the decree, the dismissed officials are Nikolai Pankov, Ruslan Tsalikov, Tatiana Shevtsova, and Pavel Popov. The president also authorized the Ministry of Defense to have 12 deputy ministers, including two first deputies.

Among the new appointments is Anna Tsiwilewa, Vladimir Putin's cousin, who previously headed the state fund supporting participants of the "special military operation."

The investigation into the links between Putin and Tsiwilewa was conducted in Russia in January 2022 by "Agents.Media". Tsiwilewa was the central figure in the "Iron Masks" scandal. Journalists described how Putin's family "acquired 2.6 million serfs and a business worth billions of dollars".

"Vladimir Putin rules Russia like a feudal state, distributing resources to relatives and friends. The scheme uncovered by 'Agency' looks incredible: the country's president gave his family a huge business, and then a whole region with 2.6 million residents," the publication stated.

According to the investigation's authors, Anna's maiden name is Putin. She was born in Ivanovo, and her father is a cousin of the Russian president. In the 1990s, she worked as a psychiatrist at a local hospital. After Putin became president, she moved to Moscow and began supplying medical equipment. In 2007, she married Sergey Tsiwilev.

In 2012, the couple became shareholders in the Kolmar coal company. "Agency" notes that neither spouse had prior experience in the coal industry and could not have amassed such a company (whose total value at that time was about 400 million dollars).

In the past, Kolmar faced "enormous financial difficulties," but the state started to assist the company in recent years. After coming under the control of the Tsiwilevs, the firm received about 146 million dollars in direct support from the budget and a preferential loan of about 53 million dollars and tax preferences.

In 2018, Sergey Tsiwilev became the governor of the Kemerovo region. Sources from "Agency" report that Anna Tsiwilewa was directly involved in discussions on regional issues and "stands behind many of her husband's important actions."