Russian dictator Vladimir Putin's dismissal of Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and appointment of Andrei Belousov indicates that he is taking significant steps to mobilise the Russian economy and defence industry to support the protracted war in Ukraine and possibly prepare for a future confrontation with NATO.
This opinion was expressed by experts from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
Experts note that Bilousov's almost ten-year tenure as Minister of Economy in the Russian federal government and his recent involvement in managing various domestic innovative projects in the field of defence industry and drones have prepared him well to lead the staff of the Russian Ministry of Defence, which is in a difficult situation.
Analysts add that Shoigu's replacement of Patrushev as Security Council Secretary is in line with Putin's overall policy of quietly displacing senior security officials by giving them peripheral roles in Russia's security sphere rather than simply firing them.
Apart from the dismissal of Patrushev, Putin has largely reappointed the heads of Russia's main security services, indicating that he is retaining a core of loyal security officials.
Earlier, Apostrophe reported that Russian troops captured four border villages in Kharkiv Region.