Andrei Belousov | Putin’s war manager Premium

Vladimir Putin's fifth term inauguration sparks political moves in Russia, with Andrei Belousov appointed Defence Minister.

Vladimir Putin’s inauguration as Russian President for a fifth time has spawned a slew of political moves in the country. Andrei Belousov was made Defence Minister, replacing Sergei Shoigu, who was sent away to head the National Security Council — a position held by Mr. Putin’s key ally Nikolai Patrushev, who will oversee shipbuilding going forward.

Russia’s official position regarding the Cabinet reshuffle is that with the war in Ukraine under way for two years now, military spending resembles Soviet-era levels of the mid-1980s. This calls for a better integration of the defence Budget into the overall economy, which will be achieved by having a civilian economist, such as Mr. Belousov, at the helm.

However, from the outset, things seemed to be going in favour of Mr. Shoigu, for the Ukraine war had finally gathered momentum. After remaining largely stagnant since December 2022, the Russian Army began advancing on the battlefront, capturing close to 800 sq. km this year.

What then would have prompted Mr. Shoigu’s transfer? Parse through the history and the full picture emerges. Like Mr. Belousov, Mr. Shoigu, too, hails from a civilian background. A civil engineer by profession, the 68-year-old started at the Emergency and Disaster Relief Department in the 1990s. Having proved his mettle there, Mr. Shoigu took over as Defence Minister in 2012. He orchestrated the annexation of the Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and masterminded Russia’s military campaign in Syria to help Bashar al-Assad’s regime.

His stature had grown by then and Mr. Shoigu became part of Mr. Putin’s inner circle, even accompanying him on fishing trips. Speculation was rife that he would be considered a possible successor to Mr. Putin.

The first signs of trouble for Mr. Shoigu were visible with Russia’s ‘special military operation’ in Ukraine that was launched on February 24, 2022. What was expected to be a quick campaign has dragged on for more than two years.

The period also witnessed economic sanctions by the West and a mutiny at home by Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin against Mr. Shoigu and military chief Valery Gerasimov. The final nail came in April with the arrests of Mr. Shoigu’s deputy Timur Ivanov on corruption charges and another senior official from the Defence Ministry.