Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, has appointed a new defense minister to succeed Gen. Sergey Shoigu, 68, a dependable friend who has served in that capacity since 2012.
Andrei Belousov, a former deputy prime minister and minister of economic development, is expected to succeed Gen. Shoigu as defense minister.
In contrast to his predecessor, Mr. Belousov, 65, is a civilian rather than a military veteran, although he is reportedly knowledgeable in military economics.
“The president has decided that a civilian should head up the defense ministry,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on May 13.
“On today’s battlefield, the winners are those who are more open to innovation,” he said.
According to Mr. Peskov, the defense ministry must be “totally open” to new technologies and novel means of ensuring economic competitiveness.
“For this reason,” he said, “the president has selected Mr. Belousov for the post.”
Ruslan Pukhov, director of the Moscow-based Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies, said Mr. Belousov is known for applying cutting-edge innovations to state institutions.
“His innovative approach was the main reason behind his recent appointment,” Mr. Pukhov was quoted as saying by Russia’s TASS news agency.
“Implementation of new technologies in the military sphere will be one of his main tasks going forward,” he said.
After serving as Mr. Putin's economic adviser for seven years, Mr. Belousov was minister of economic development from 2012 to 2013.
He was appointed deputy prime minister in 2020.
It is well known that Mr. Belousov and Mr. Putin have similar ideologies and that the two men want to see a powerful Russian state and military.
Additionally, he has been a key player in managing Russia's drone program, which has grown significantly in recent years due to the ongoing crisis in Ukraine.
During his initial public speech after being selected for the position, Mr. Belousov emphasized the importance of enhancing the living circumstances for Russian soldiers in the ranks.
civilian medical institutions to hospitals, which are often overcrowded,” he told parliament on May 13.
“This issue needs to be resolved,” he said.
Mr. Belousov also expressed dissatisfaction over the burdensome red tape that impedes the disbursement of payments to military members, as reported by regional media sources.
He also made reference to long-standing issues with housing and healthcare for veterans of the armed forces.
The statements seemed to be intended as a way to demonstrate to military troops that he understood their worries and would try to improve their circumstances if assigned.
The likelihood of Mr. Belousov's selection also indicates Moscow's intention to focus Russia's economy—which has so far escaped sanctions imposed by the West—on the war effort.
Russian officials have demonstrated proficiency in preserving economic stability in the face of the most stringent sanctions system ever placed on a major country.
“War of attrition is won by economics,” Alexandra Prokopenko, a former Russian central bank adviser, said in a social-media post.
“Belousov is in favor of stimulating demand from the budget, which means military spending will not decrease, but increase,” she added.
His appointment is also expected to increase scrutiny of defense expenditures following Timur Ivanov's indictment last month, a deputy defense minister, for allegedly accepting millions of dollars in illegal bribes.
