Russian Minister of Defense Sergei Shoigu has been promoted to the position of Secretary of the Security Council by President Vladimir Putin. This move comes after Shoigu was not fired despite his lack of a professional soldier background. Instead, he has been tasked with overseeing the entire security apparatus, replacing Nikolai Patrushev whose new tasks are currently undefined.
Throughout his career, Shoigu has been placed in key positions by Putin where his credit was needed to oversee operations. The new defense minister, Belousov, is also described as very conservative and a supporter of strong state leadership. He was the only economist to support the plan to occupy Crimea and praised for his financial expertise.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov stated that Belousov’s appointment will bring new opportunities for “progressive ideas” in light of increased state security spending. It is speculated that Patrushev became too influential to Putin and his son may be raising Putin’s successor. The exact motives behind Putin’s decisions are not yet clear, but more information may come to light with Patrushev’s new assignment. Ultimately, Putin has replaced one creditor in the Ministry of Defense with another, as Belousov shares Putin’s ideology and will now oversee the defense apparatus in Russia.