Putin turns to a technocrat to crank up Russia's war machine

State spending on the Defense Ministry and Russia’s security sector is approaching 6.7% of gross domestic product, nearing levels reached by the Soviet Union at the height of the Cold War in the 1980s, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday, according to the Interfax news service.

While spending levels aren’t yet “critical,” Putin chose Belousov because of the need for “economic competitiveness” at the Defense Ministry, Peskov said, Interfax reported.

“Belousov’s appointment is a sign that the Russian economy is being transformed into a war economy,” said Andrei Kolesnikov, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Moscow.

The shuffle is the most far-reaching shakeup since 2020, when Putin named Mikhail Mishustin to replace Dmitry Medvedev as prime minister. Months later, Putin overhauled the Constitution to allow him two more mandates, which means he could rule to 2036, when he’ll be 83.

Mishustin was reappointed last week to continue as prime minister. Medvedev has been deputy head of the security council since 2020.

Kremlin watchers will be keenly monitoring the fate of Patrushev, 72, who’d been the hawkish head of the security council since 2008 and played a key role in the invasion of Ukraine. The former KGB agent succeeded Putin as Federal Security Service chief when the latter was named Russia’s prime minister in 1999 and Patrushev continued in that post to 2008.

His son, Dmitry Patrushev, was promoted to deputy prime minister overseeing Russia’s agriculture industry in the government shuffle that has followed Putin’s inauguration last week for a fifth term as president.

Putin named Sergei Lavrov, 74, to continue as foreign minister, extending his tenure in the post that he’s held for 20 years.

The president also proposed retaining Alexander Bortnikov as head of the FSB security service and Sergei Naryshkin as director of Russia’s foreign intelligence service. Viktor Zolotov would also continue as head of Russia’s national guard in the list of appointments sent to the Federation Council, Russia’s upper house of parliament, for confirmation.

Members of the council will meet on Monday to discuss the president’s nominations.