According to a report from TASS, Russian President Vladimir Putin is making a change in leadership by replacing Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. The news, shared on the official Telegram channel of the Federation Council, the upper house of parliament in Moscow, indicates that Andrey Belousov, a former deputy prime minister in previous Russian governments, is being proposed for the position. Meanwhile, Sergey Lavrov is set to continue serving as the foreign minister.

Shoigu, who has held the role of Defense Minister since 2012, is being replaced just over two years after the commencement of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. During this period, Russia also faced challenges from a rebellion led by Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner group. Shoigu was personally blamed by Prigozhin for shortcomings in logistics and achieving Russia's objectives in the conflict, but he remained in his position despite the criticism.

However, Putin's decision to replace Shoigu does not entail retirement. Instead, Shoigu is expected to assume the role of Secretary of the Security Council of Russia. This shift marks the end of Nikolai Patrushev's 16-year tenure as one of Putin's closest advisers and the former head of the FSB.

Andrey Belousov, Putin's proposed replacement for Shoigu, has a background in economics. Born on March 17, 1959, in Moscow, Belousov graduated with honors in economics from Moscow State University in 1981. He began his career in Russia's management sector in 2000 as an adviser to the Prime Minister. Over the years, he held various positions, including Deputy Minister of Economic Development and Trade and director of the financial and economic department in the office of then-Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. In May 2012, he was appointed Minister of Economic Development in the cabinet of Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. Later, he served as an adviser to the president on economic matters before being appointed as the first deputy prime minister. He briefly acted as the prime minister in 2020 during Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin's illness with COVID-19.