Russian President Vladimir V. Putin replaced his defense minister on Sunday, reshuffling his national security team for the first time since the invasion of Ukraine.
Putin kept minister Sergei K. Shoigu in his inner circle, appointing him to run the National Security Council.
Andrei R. Belousov, an economist who served as First Deputy Prime Minister in the previous government and previously served as Minister of Economic Development, was nominated as the new Minister of Defense.
It is unclear how much power Shoigu will retain over the war effort.
The Kremlin also said that Nikolai P. Patrushev, Putin’s former KGB colleague who has served as president of Russia’s Security Council for 16 years, will be moved to another position and will be announced in the coming days.
It’s a rare shakeup for Putin, despite Russia’s military defeats early in the war and an embarrassing mutiny last summer by mercenary chief Yevgeny V. Prigozhin , but Putin values loyalty and firmly supports Shoigu.
But last month, Russian authorities arrested one of Shoigu’s top deputies on corruption charges, signaling that Shoigu’s status may be changing.
The change comes less than a week after Putin took office as Russia’s president for the fifth time. As part of the government transition, the Russian leader’s entire cabinet was dismissed. Many, but not all, of his ministers were reappointed to their posts.
general Valery V. Gerasimov, The Kremlin said Russia’s chief of general staff and Russia’s most senior military officer would remain in place.
