Putin changes his defence minister, moves Patrushev
Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed changing his defence minister and moving him to replace the powerful secretary of the Security Council, Nikolai Patrushev, in a significant change to the Kremlin's pecking order.
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak attends a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in Moscow, Russia December 7, 2023. Sputnik/Pavel Bednyakov/Kremlin via Reuters
Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed changing his defence minister and moving him to replace the powerful secretary of the Security Council, Nikolai Patrushev, in a significant change to the Kremlin's pecking order.
Following is the list of changes:
* Prime Minister - Mikhail Mishustin
* Secretary of the Security Council - Sergei Shoigu (formerly Nikolai Patrushev)
* The Kremlin said Nikolai Patrushev will have a different job but did not say which.
"Nikolai Platonovich Patrushev has been relieved of his post as Secretary of the Security Council in connection with the transfer to another job - he continues to work, and within the next few days we will inform you where Nikolai Platonovich will continue his activities," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
* Defence Minister - Andrei Belousov (formerly Sergei Shoigu)
"The Ministry of Defense should be absolutely open to innovation, to the introduction of all advanced ideas," Peskov said. "Therefore, the president chose Belousov's candidacy."
* Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov - to remain in his job, the Kremlin said.
* FSB Director - Alexander Bortnikov
* SVR Director - Sergei Naryshkin
* Chief of Russia's national guard - Viktor Zolotov
* Federal Guards Service (FCO) - Dmitry Kochnev
* Foreign Minister - Sergei Lavrov
* Interior Minister - Vladimir Kolokoltsev
* First Deputy PM - Denis Manturov
* Deputy PM overseeing energy and the economy - Alexander Novak
* Deputy PM overseeing agriculture and ecology - Dmitry Patrushev
* Deputy PM overseeing transport - Vitaly Savelyev
* Agriculture Minister - Oksana Lut (was Dmitry Patrushev)
* Finance Minister - Anton Siluanov
* Economy Minister - Maxim Reshetnikov
* Energy Minister - Sergei Tsivilev (was Nikolai Shulginov)
* Trade and Industry Minister - Anton Alikhanov (was Denis Manturov)
Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge
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