Putin’s war machine reshuffle reveals his deepest fear — the rise of Kremlin rivals 

By moving defence minister Sergei Shoigu and promoting key allies, Russia’s leader is shoring up the military-industrial complex that justifies his survival

Russian president Vladimir Putin has effectively just put the whole military industrial complex under presidential control, thereby boosting his personal power by taking over the whole of the war economy and the opportunities for corruption that go with it. Picture: Mikhail Klimentyev, Sputnik, Kremlin via AP

When the Russian defence minister, Sergei Shoigu, was removed from his post and appointed head of the security council this week, there were two big questions on everyone’s mind. What would his successor, Andrei Belousov, bring to the table, and what would happen to the former head of the security council, Nikolai Patrushev — reputed to be the second most powerful man in Russia and seen by many as a potential successor to Vladimir Putin?

The second question has a straightforward answer. Patrushev, it seems, is being sidelined. On Tuesday, the Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Patrushev had been appointed to the grand position of presidential aide for shipbuilding — barring any further surprise moves, this is a considerable downgrade in role.