This Thursday, May 2, 2024, the Russian government held its last official internal meeting before an expected reshuffle after the inauguration of Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, May 7. For days, Moscow has been buzzing with rumors, particularly since the Deputy Defense Minister was arrested in his office and placed in detention.
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With our correspondent in Moscow, Anissa El Jabri
Vladimir Poutine notably highlights potential changes with television images of its meetings with regional governors. One of them, this Thursday, was particularly scrutinized, as well as very detailed in the report made by the official media: the one with the governor of the Toula region, Alexandre Dioumine.
Like the current head of the national guard, Alexandre Dioumin is one of his former bodyguards, an intimate of the Russian head of state, an ultra-loyal who played a key role in the annexation of Crimea , ten years ago. His name had already been pushed by all nationalists to take up the defense in June 2023, after Wagner’s failed mutiny and the notable absence of Sergei Shoigu from the radar screens for three days.
In any case, the official media took note at length this Thursday of his lightning stint a few years ago as Deputy Minister of Defense, the position now vacant since the spectacular arrest of Timur Ivanov.
Other names from the generation below that which is in charge today are cited… Always figures from the circles of power. For example, the promotion of Vladimir Kirienko, the son of number 2 in the presidential administration, is mentioned.
Another promotion to have already taken place and a very notable trajectory: that of the formidable Apti Alaudinov, major general and commander of Chechen troops in Ukraine. He was appointed, in mid-April, deputy head of the military-political work directorate at the Ministry of Defense. The movement was generally perceived as a new stage in the orbit of the favorite of power to succeed Ramzan Kadyrov.
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