Different Fates With Shoigu, Foreign Minister Lavrov To Head Of Intelligence Naryshkin Detained By President Putin

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov while attending the G20 Summit in Bali. (Twitter/@mfa_russia)

JAKARTA - A number of top Russian officials are held in their position in the plan to composition of President Vladimir Putin's government cabinet, which was inaugurated last week for the 5th term of office.

Unlike Sergei Shoigu whose position was shifted from the Minister of Defense, a number of ministers and high-ranking officials are said to remain in his position.

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Minister of Home Affairs Vladimir Kolokoltsev, Minister of Emergency Situation Alexander Kurenkov and Minister of Justice Konstantin Chuychenko will certainly continue to carry out their duties, quoted from TASS May 13.

Other officials who will defend their positions are the Director of the Foreign Intelligence Agency Sergey Naryshkin, the Head of the Federal Security Agency and the Russian Federal Protection Agency, Alexander Bortnikov and Dmitry Kochnev, as well as the head of the National Guard (Rosgvardiya) Viktor Zolotov. Alexander Lints will also remain the Head of the Main Department of Presidential Special Program Putin.

Earlier, President Putin reportedly appointed civilian economist Andrei Belusov to occupy the position of Minister of Defense, replacing longtime Kremlin leader Sergei Shoigu who was placed Secretary of the Russian Security Council replacing another Ally of President Putin, Nikolai Patrushev.

Shoigu has served as Minister of Defense since 2012. Meanwhile, Belusov previously served as minister of economic development, assistant to the Russian president for economic problems and the first deputy prime minister.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters the decision to appoint Belousov as defense minister was linked to the need to "make the security bloc economy part of the country's economy."

Furthermore, Peskov also ensured that the Chief of General Staff of the Russian military, General Valery Gerasimov, maintained his position, ensuring the appointment of Belusov would not change the coordinating system for Russia's defense issues.

On the same occasion, President Putin also announced the appointment of Boris Kovalchuk as Chairman of the Russian Chamber of Commerce which had been vacant for a year and a half, after Alexei Kudrin's resignation in November 2022.