Putin removes defence minister who led war campaign
The Kremlin has announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin has replaced his long-time ally Sergei Shoigu as defence minister. Shoigu, who has held the position since 2012, will now serve as secretary of Russia’s Security Council.
According to papers published by the upper chamber of the Russian parliament, Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov will step in to replace Shoigu as defence minister. The Kremlin stated that the defence ministry needs to maintain its “innovative” approach.
Reports indicate that Putin intends for Shoigu to take over from Nikolai Patrushev on the powerful security council, although Patrushev’s new role has not been specified.
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Shoigu, known for his close ties with Putin and their shared fishing trips in Siberia, lacks a military background, which has drawn criticism from some military leaders. Despite this, Shoigu rose to prominence as the head of the emergencies and disaster relief ministry in the 1990s.
However expert says Shoigu appeared out of his depth as defence minister, particularly following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine over two years ago.
In 2023, Shoigu became embroiled in a public feud with Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin over Russia’s conduct of the war.
Prigozhin, who led a short-lived mutiny against Moscow, accused Shoigu of being a “dirtbag” and “elderly clown” in audio messages that went viral.
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