Without having them removed from his staff through his favored manner–through a window–Vladimir Putin instead decided to rid himself of the heads of his national security and defense operations in a more traditional way, a public announcement, Politico reports.
Putin announced Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu was being replaced by Andrei Belousov, an economist who has no military experience. Having led the Russian military since 2012, Shoigu will shift to a seat on Russia’s Security Council, Putin’s military and intelligence advisory board. Nikolai Patrushev, believed to be one of Putin’s most loyal and hawkish confidentes, was ousted from his job as Russia’s equivalent to the National Security Advisor.
The move comes as three things shake the Russian military complex. First, the long stalemate in Ukraine may lead new leaders to be more aggressive before American arms shipments arrive. Second, national security concerns are apparent after the March attack at the Moscow concert hall killed more than 130. And a corruption and bribery scandal is going through senior ranks of the military, leading to shake-ups.