Events in Kursk region show Kremlin's growing focus on regime stability - ISW
Photo: Russian dictator Vladimir Putin (getty images)
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin is working to place loyal individuals in key positions within the security apparatus, regardless of their professional qualifications in the areas they are entrusted to oversee, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW)
The Kremlin's response to Ukraine's incursion into the Kursk region has underscored that the regime's internal priority remains its stability, especially over the past year.
For instance, Putin appointed presidential aide Alexei Dyumin to oversee the ongoing counterterrorism operation against Ukrainian forces in the Kursk region. This suggests that Putin does not fully trust the Russian General Staff and the Russian Ministry of Defense and prefers to rely on individuals he trusts.
The ISW report references Russian media outlet Important Stories, which cited a source claiming that Dyumin is currently in conflict with members of the Russian Presidential Administration.
The outlet's sources also indicated that the head of the Federal Security Service (FSB), Alexander Bortnikov, will "leave his post this year." Potential replacements include Vladislav Menshchikov, the head of the FSB's counterintelligence service, or Sergei Korolev, Bortnikov's first deputy.
The report by Important Stories highlights the growing focus within the Kremlin on regime stability. "The Kremlin's general shift towards siloviki such as Dyumin, whom Putin personally trusts, and security officials with strong and well-documented reputations in counterterrorism and counterintelligence, suggests that the Kremlin is increasingly looking towards such individuals as regime safeguards," the ISW report states.
Notably, in May, Putin decided to replace Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. He proposed selecting Andrei Belousov, the First Deputy Prime Minister of Russia, as Shoigu's successor.
On May 29, Putin appointed Alexei Dyumin, who once served as his bodyguard, as Secretary of the State Council of Russia. Shoigu was replaced, with the recommendation of Andrei Belousov for the position of the First Deputy Prime Minister of Russia.
