Topic: Russia

[Libertas]

Wow, big shake ups in military/security roles...

Russian state media is confirming a huge breaking development that President Putin has removed his longtime Defense Minister and personal friend Sergei Shoigu as defense chief, who has overseen the Ukraine war since its beginning in Feb. 2022. He will now serve as head of the nation's security council.

"Sergei Shoigu is likely to lose the post of Minister of Defense of Russia to acting First Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov," English-language RT is reporting. "His candidacy was proposed by President Vladimir Putin, the Federation Council announced on Sunday."

Putin has also reportedly dismissed Secretary of the Security Council Nikolai Patrushev, according to Interfax.

This appears in order to shuffle Shoigu into that position. Putin has now appointed Shoigu as new Secretary of the Russian Security Council. Likely Patrushev is also being moved to another position too.

The proposed candidate for new defense chief, Belousov, has a background in Russia's central bank and economics and finance...

Below is some background on Belousov and his last two decades of government experience, though specific military decision-making or army experience on a strategic level appears to be absent, interestingly:

2000?2006: General Director, Centre for Macroeconomic Analysis and Short-Term Forecasting.

2000?2006: External adviser to the Prime Minister of the Russian Federation.

2006?2008: Deputy Minister of Economic Development and Trade, Deputy Minister of Economic Development.

2008?2012: Director, Government Department of Economy and Finance.

2012?2013: Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation.

2013?2020: Presidential Aide.

21 January 2020: First Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, appointed by executive order of the President of Russia.

Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov addressed this lack of military experience as follows in a late Sunday press briefing:

Explaining Shoigu's replacement with a non-military official, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said it was "natural" for Putin to decide that a civilian official to head the Defense Ministry.

"The Defense Ministry must be absolutely open to innovation, to introduce advanced ideas and to create conditions for economic competitiveness — that’s why the president chose the candidacy of Andrei Removich Belousov," Peskov told reporters.

According to more details of Putin's big reshuffling via RT:

Senators are scheduled to engage in consultations regarding the nominees put forth by the president during committee sessions on May 13 and during a Federation Council meeting on May 14, as announced by the upper house of the Russian parliament.

No further alterations have been made to the roster of candidates Putin has submitted for cabinet positions. His nominations include Vladimir Kolokoltsev for the position of interior minister, Alexander Kurenkov for minister of emergency situations, Sergey Lavrov for foreign minister, and Konstantin Chuichenko for justice minister.

Denis Manturov, who served as deputy prime minister and head of the Ministry of Industry and Trade during Putin’s last term in office, has been nominated for the position of first deputy prime minister.
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/putin-unveils-dramatic-reshuffling-closest-advisors-shoigu-out-defense-minister

Looks like to me the hothead Patrushev is being solidly demoted and Shoigu gets a face-saving post.  And a novice at Defense to me indicates he'll be doing whatever Putin wants him to do.

[patentlymn]

India set to oversee Chabahar Port operations under new decade-long Iran agreement: media

👉 Chabahar Port holds strategic importance for India:

?? It serves as a crucial link to connect with Afghanistan, Central Asia, and the broader Eurasian region;

?? Plans are underway to integrate Chabahar Port with the International North South Transport Corridor (INSTC), facilitating trade between India, Russia, and other countries via Iran;

?? This will enable India to bypass Pakistan and establish direct access to Afghanistan and, ultimately, Central Asia.

?? The main advantage of this corridor is the reduction of delivery times by two to three times;

?? The development of the port is viewed as a significant geopolitical step towards enhancing cooperation with Iran.

[Libertas]

Nobody will be trading with the Mahdi Death Cult...not when they're a smoldering heap of ash and ruin...

[Libertas]

Back on the high-level shake up...

I don't even think the idiots spewing this gibberish about desperation even believe their own BS...and on the cost side of things they are only half right and the casualties side outright silly...

I see this all as an efficiency move...Shoigu stays close and saves face...new guy at Defense seems to be a good administrator who seems to get along with other officials, anything strategic he is going to rely on his general staff and all will do as Putin decides anyway...

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/us-says-putins-dramatic-cabinet-reshuffle-smacks-desperation

Dolts in this corrupt compromised FJB regime and the halls of EuroStan are blowing smoke as usual.