According to the Russian presidential website on the 14th, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed an order on the appointment of members of the new government and heads of various departments that night. It is reported that the new government includes 10 deputy prime ministers and 21 ministers in addition to the prime minister.
Source: Sputnik News Agency
According to Russian law, five departments: the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Emergency Situations, and the Ministry of Justice, are under the direct authority of the President. At the same time, Putin also signed an order appointing candidates for various posts in the presidential office. Vaino remained as Chief of Staff of the President of Russia, and Peskov continued to serve as press secretary of the President.
That night, Putin met with members of the new Russian government in the Kremlin. Putin instructed members of the government to fully assemble teams of ministries and agencies as soon as possible, urging the new government to take the implementation of the plans seriously. Putin said that the new government faces many tasks, and in order to maintain Russia's long-term, sustainable and confident development, all departments must "maintain a unified queue" and act in concert.
Source: Sputnik News Agency
It is worth noting that Russia's personnel change is an important personnel adjustment after the start of Putin's new term, and it is also the first large-scale change in senior positions in the Russian government since the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. "Changing the commander" after the start of a large-scale military operation does not seem to be in line with the conventions of military doctrine. Russia's decision to remove Shoigu this time is not only closely related to the current situation of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, but also contains more far-reaching political considerations behind it.
Some scholars believe that the sudden nomination of Andrei Belousov, the first deputy prime minister in charge of economic affairs, as defense minister is Putin's hope that he can accomplish the purpose of optimizing military needs. Belousov's appointment as defense minister means that Russia intends to improve the efficiency of the use of defense financial resources, improve the supply of equipment to the Russian army in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and use more "economic warfare" means to plan the special military operation against Ukraine.
During the tenure of the former Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, conflicts with military suppliers continued to intensify, and the military complained about the long production time of weapons, problems with quality, and difficulties in repair. In response, the head of the military-industrial complex criticized the military for corruption and excessive expectations. In this case, instead of supporting one of the parties, Putin should establish contacts between the two sides in new ways that allow them to work together more productively.
Putin's appointment is a clear indication of his desire to take a more pragmatic, incorruptible and professional approach to the needs of the military.
Russian President Vladimir Putin talks with Sergei Shoigu after a military parade in Moscow on May 9. Source: People's Daily Online
Putin signed a presidential decree on May 12 appointing former Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu as secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation. The Security Council of the Russian Federation is currently the highest advisory body for Russian security decision-making, and is chaired by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The Security Council of the Russian Federation will consider issues related to Russia's military, economic and social security, information security and even ecological security. As the secretary of the Security Council is responsible for the day-to-day work of the body, Shoigu is likely to be more active in the international arena as secretary of the Security Council, as he also has significant influence on Russia's counterterrorism, arms control, and foreign cooperation in the military field.
Source: General