IN an unexpected move, Vladimir Putin has sacked his long-term defence minister and appointed a tech geek with zero military experience.Putin is said to be taking a more hands-on role on the military with his appointment of a civilian as defence ministerfired his closest confidante and longest serving minister Sergei Shoigu, 68, and shifted him to a new role as Security Council Secretary.
And yet, observers say Putin's biggest military overhaul in years could signal he plans to take a more hands-on role in battle plans moving forward. The technocrat has been a forceful character in convincing Putin the digital economy and blockchain were crucial to Russia's future.IN a shock move, Putin dismissed his close confidant and long-term defence minister in favour of a former economic minister with no prior military experience.
Keir Giles, a senior fellow at Chatham House's Russia programme, told The Sun that while a lot of attention is given to Russian military shakeups it is not "unusual" for a country in the middle of war. As always within the Kremlin, he said, "it's like bulldogs fighting under a rug and we don't know who is coming out on top until bones fly out".Prior to Russia launching its full-scale military campaign on Ukraine in February 2022, Shoigu was seen as one of Putin's most trusted lieutenants.
Despite a string of military setbacks in the first year of the campaign - including the failure to capture the Ukrainian capital Kyiv and retreats from the Kharkiv and southern Kherson regions - Putin refused calls for his dismissal.