DRussian President Vladimir Putin has promoted his cousin to a top position in the Ministry of Defense. Putin issued orders on Monday reappointing four deputy defense ministers. Among the new incumbents are his cousin’s daughter, Anna Tsivilyova, and his former spy chief and prime minister, Pavel Fratkov.
Last month, the Russian president replaced his longtime defense minister, Sergei Shoigu, with economist Andrey Pelusov. At present four assistant posts are filled. Analysts say the Kremlin wants to consolidate its control over massive military spending.
Great Britain put Zvilyova on its sanctions list in 2022 and called her “Putin’s big cousin”. The European Union described them as “close relatives” of Putin. He ran a large coal company and a government-backed fund to support the families of soldiers fighting in Ukraine. In the Ministry of Defence, he will be responsible for social welfare and benefits for soldiers.
Fratkov is a senior official in Putin’s presidential administration and the son of Mikhail Fratkov, who headed Russia’s foreign intelligence service for nearly a decade and was one of Putin’s prime ministers in the 2000s.
The new appointments are part of a major overhaul of the Russian Defense Ministry since Russia sent its troops to Ukraine in February 2022.
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