He had been in office since 2012. But after more than two years of conflict in Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed his emblematic Defense Minister, Sergei Shoigu, on the evening of Sunday, May 12, during a major surprise reshuffle. , a few days after his inauguration for a fifth term at the head of the Kremlin.
This reshuffle comes at a time when the Russian army is advancing in the Ukrainian region of Kharkiv, a few days after launching a ground assault there, and is increasing its pressure in the Donbass, around Chassiv Iar.
Sergei Shoigu is replaced by Andreï Belooussov, an economist by training, and becomes secretary of the Security Council, a position held until then and since 2008 by Nikolaï Patrushev, who was dismissed from his functions, according to a decree published by the Kremlin. The future role of Nikolai Patrushev, previously head of the FSB during Vladimir Putin’s first two terms in the Kremlin, will be communicated to him “in the coming days”, said Dmitri Peskov.
Sergei Shoigu, 68, has been Minister of Defense in Russia since 2012 and personified the stability of the various governments under Vladimir Putin, just like the head of diplomacy, Sergei Lavrov, in office for 20 years, who retains his post as minister. Foreign Affairs.
“Shoigu will continue to work in this area, which he knows well, which he knows very well from the inside, with his colleagues and his partners in his former workplace,” the presidential spokesperson quickly clarified. Russian, Dmitri Peskov, cited by Russian agencies.
The heads of foreign and internal intelligence maintained
The Kremlin spokesperson also indicated that Valéri Guerassimov, chief of staff, would keep his mission as commander on the ground, without Andreï Beloussov encroaching on his functions.
The head of foreign intelligence (SVR), Sergei Naryshkin, will retain his prerogatives, as will the head of the powerful Russian security services (FSB), Alexander Bortnikov.
Representatives of the State Duma and the Federation Council, the two chambers of the Russian Parliament, must ratify these unexpected changes on Monday and Tuesday, a formality as they are dominated by United Russia, Vladimir Putin’s party, in absence of any tolerated opposition.
Shoigu swept away by two years of Ukrainian conflict
The British Minister of Defense, Grant Shapps, accused, on the social network Ukraine, indirectly calling him “Putin’s puppet”.
Despite a series of humiliating setbacks for Russian troops in Ukraine in 2022, after the initial offensive on February 24 of that year, Vladimir Putin maintained his confidence in Sergei Shoigu. This was particularly the case at the end of the aborted revolt in June 2023 by fighters from Wagner’s paramilitary group, led by Yevgeni Prigojine, who had shaken power and directly targeted the minister: “This bastard will be arrested”, had Prigozhin said before sending his men towards Moscow. During the 24 hours of the crisis, Sergei Shoigu remained nowhere to be found, provoking ridicule from many fighters on the front.
According to criticism from part of the war-mongering wing of the army, he was responsible for the difficulties of the Russian army, in particular by hiding from Vladimir Putin the extent of the losses on the ground and the ineptitude of commanders.
Need for “innovation”
Andreï Beloussov, replacing Choïgu, has training as an economist and no military background. At 65, he was first vice-president of the last government since 2020 and one of Vladimir Putin’s main economic advisors in recent years, having even briefly served as Minister of Economic Development between May 2012 and June 2013.
Spokesman Dmitri Peskov justified Vladimir Putin’s decision by a need coming directly from the front, after more than two years of fighting in Ukraine and without a clear outcome to the conflict.
“Today, on the battlefield, the one who wins is the one who is most open to innovation,” he said. According to Vladimir Putin, quoted by Peskov, “the Ministry of Defense must be absolutely open to innovation, to the introduction of all advanced ideas, to the creation of conditions for economic competitiveness.”
In recent months, the Russian president has encouraged the country’s defense industry to innovate and produce in larger quantities to continue the offensive in Ukraine, which is costly in terms of equipment and men. Because if Ukraine relies on equipment donated by the Europeans and the United States, Russia can only count militarily on its Iranian and North Korean partners mainly. Chinese demand largely helps keep the Russian economy afloat.