The major restructuring of Russia’s defense apparatus continues. Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin has now ousted a high-ranking general following the dismissal of his previous defense minister, Sergei Shoigu, and state security minister, Nikolai Patrushev.
The head of the cadre administration at the ministry, Lieutenant General Yuri Kuznetsov, is accused of bribery, state news agency TASS reported on Tuesday. The charges relate to his previous work as head of the Office for the Protection of State Secrets.
It is said that Kuznetsov received money from a company for favors. Police searched the officer’s office and home. Funds worth 100 million rubles (about one million euros), including in foreign currency, have been seized, a spokeswoman for the investigative committee said. Gold coins, luxury watches and other jewelry were also found.
Second arrest within a few weeks
It was only at the end of April that a high-ranking general, Timur Ivanov, came into the crosshairs of the investigators. The deputy defense minister responsible for construction projects was also arrested over a bribery scandal. Ivanov was considered a close confidant of Minister Shoigu. President Vladimir Putin replaced Shoigu as defense minister as part of a government reshuffle. However, the 68-year-old was given an honorable exit when he was appointed secretary of the National Security Council.
Patrushev now responsible for shipbuilding
However, from the perspective of Western commentators, the previous secretary was demoted. Patrushev now works as an advisor to Putin. The 72-year-old should be responsible for shipbuilding, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday. This is an important industry for Russia, both military and civilian. However, the area of responsibility sounds as if Patrushev would no longer be involved in strategic decisions, the dpa wrote. In Putin’s entourage, the 72-year-old is considered a pioneer of Russia’s aspirations to become a superpower and one of the ideologues of the war of aggression against Ukraine.
More castling in the Kremlin
At the same time, Putin left the head of his presidential administration, Anton Vajno, in office, as well as Alexei Gromov and Sergei Kiriyenko as his first deputies. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov is also expected to continue, state news agency TASS reported. Former Minister of Economic Development Maxim Oreshkin was appointed one of the deputies in the presidential office. Putin also brought his former bodyguard Alexei Djumov, most recently governor of the Tula region, back to the Kremlin as an adviser. Observers believe that Djumov is in the leadership reserve for future high positions in Russia.
Source: Krone
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