Andrey Belousov, with no military background, likely to be Russia's new defence minister. Who is he?

Russian President Vladimir Putin has removedSergei Shoigu as thecountry'sdefence minister in a cabinet reshuffle. On Sunday (May 12), President Putin proposedAndrey Belousov to be the new defence minister.Belousov’scandidacy will need to be approved byRussia’supper house of parliament, the Federation Council, a report by the news agency Associated Press said.

President Putin introduced proposals for other Cabinet positionsas wellbutShoigu is the only minister on that list who isbeing replaced.

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Addressing a press conference,Kremlin spokespersonDmitry Peskov said that the decision to appointBelousov as the defence ministerwas linkedto the need to"making the economy of the security bloc part of thecountry’seconomy."

Who is AndreyBelousov?

Born in 1959,Andrey Belousov is an economistby professionand has previously served in different positions.Belousov, 65,graduated from the Faculty of Economics of the Moscow State University in 1981 with distinction. He defended his dissertation on"An imitative approach to modelling interrelated processes for the formation and use of working capital."

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In 2000,Belousovwas appointed a non-staff adviser to the Russian prime minister and joined the economy ministry as deputy minister six years later. Between2008 and 2012, he was director of the Department for Economics and Finance in the government apparatus, the same years Putin served as PM.

Belousov briefly took on PM duties in 2020

In late May 2012, hewas madeeconomics minister.From 2013 until 2020,Belousovserved as adviser to Putin.

From 2020, he worked as first deputy prime minister. When Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin got Covid in 2020,Belousovbriefly took on the primeminister'sduties while Mishustin got better.

The appointment of the 65-year-old has shocked many as he has no military background, but Belousovhas been one ofPutin’smost influential economic advisors over the last decade.

(With inputs from agencies)