Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed dismissing Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, appointing Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov in his place.
According to the Associated Press, after the proposal to resign Sergei Shoigu, Vladimir Putin signed a decree appointing him secretary of the Russian National Security Council instead of Nikolai Patrushev.
The appointment of Andrei Belousov as Minister of Defense must be approved by Russian deputies.
This reconstruction comes as Putin begins his fifth presidential term and the war in Ukraine has dragged on for more than three years.
Moreover, the move comes weeks after Russian Deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivanov, who is responsible for military construction projects, was detained and accused of accepting large bribes.
The team of the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny conducted an anti-corruption investigation and accused Ivanov – an ally of Sergei Shoigu – of leading a lavish lifestyle.
Timur Ivanov became the target of sanctions by the United States and the European Union in 2022 after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.