Putin appoints daughter of his deceased cousin as deputy defense minister

Russian President Vladimir Putin has fired four deputy defense ministers and replaced some of them with relatives.

Four new deputy defense ministers were appointed on Monday, including his cousin Anna Zilievskaya (52). The son of his former spy chief and prime minister, Pavel Fradkov, has also been given a new post.

Zilivyova is the wife of former Kemerovo Region Governor Sergei Zilivyov, who recently became Russian Energy Minister.

Andrei Belousov, an economist, last month replaced Putin's long-time defense minister, Sergei Shoigu, as the Kremlin seeks to strengthen its control over the country's huge military spending, analysts say.

In 2022, the United Kingdom placed Tsivilyova on a sanctions list, labelling her "Putin's great-cousin". She was described by the European Union as a "close relative" of Putin, as she is the daughter of his late cousin.

Photo: Screenshot YouTube/ Реалии

Ziviljowa headed a large coal company and a state-backed fund to support the families of soldiers fighting in Ukraine. She will be responsible for social welfare and soldiers' benefits in the Ministry of Defense, according to Welt.de.

Photo: Screenshot YouTube/ Реалии

Mikhail Fradkov (pictured), who headed Russia's foreign intelligence service for nearly a decade and was one of Putin's prime ministers in the 2000s, is the father of Pavel Fradkov, a senior official in Putin's presidential administration.

Fradkov will be responsible for managing real estate, land and construction projects related to the military.

In addition, Oleg Savelyev and Leonid Gornin (pictured) will be replaced. Gornin, who previously served as First Deputy Minister of Finance, will now serve as First Deputy Minister of Defense under the new Minister of Defense Andrei Belousov.

The new appointments represent the most significant reshuffle of the Russian Defense Ministry since Russia deployed its troops to Ukraine in February 2022.

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