Russia Monitor is a review of the most important events related to Russian internal and external security, as well as its foreign policies.
Date: 15 February 2023 Author: Grzegorz Kuczyński
Staff Reshuffles in Russia’s Security Council
It was long ago when Russia’s Security Council saw major staff changes. They may undermine the reputation of Nikolay Patrushev, its chairman. Recent appointees include people from outside the inner circle of the former FSB chief. In addition, a new person linked to Vladimir Putin took a job at the Council. Perhaps the institution saw some personnel changes ahead of the forthcoming Federal Assembly address. Or possibly Putin is seeking to chasten some hawkish officials within the Council.
The Russian leader announced a series of staff changes within the country’s Security Council. In early February, Russian President Vladimir Putin appointed Rashid Nurgaliyev as First Deputy Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation. Nurgaliyev served as Russia’s interior minister in 2004–2012. He spoke against the mounting influence of the FSB within power structures. Aleksey Shevtsov was appointed Deputy Secretary of the Security Council by another decree. While Nurgaliyev hails from power structures, Shevtsov is a political scientist and an economist. A graduate of the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, his research interests include Russian-Belarusian relations. He also worked for VEB, one of Russia’s biggest banks. Earlier Putin dismissed Russian Deputy Secretary of the Security Council Yuri Averyanov. The Russian president has thus signed a decree that includes his departure from office and stipulates that Averyanov, 73, will now go on to “perform other functions also as an official” of the Russian government. Azeryanov was appointed deputy secretary to the chairman of the Security Council and former president of the country, Dmitry Medvedev, but will now go on to perform the functions of a parliamentary advisor to Andrey Turchak in charge of the Working Group to Coordinate Interaction between the Authorities and Organisations on Mobilisation Training and Social and Legal Protection of the Citizens of the Russian Federation Involved in the Special Military Operation and Their Families. Interestingly enough, Mikhail Kovalchuk, whose brother Yuri is known as the Russian leader’s personal banker, was appointed chairman of a Security Council committee. His new job at the Security Council could somewhat cripple the position of Nikolay Patrushev while promoting Putin himself. Mikhail Kovalchuk has tremendous influence on Putin and how he sees the world.
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