Belousov will create logistics of war of attrition in the Russian Defence Ministry – Oleh Zhdanov
14 May 2024 10:29
ЕКСКЛЮЗИВ
The newly appointed Minister of Defence of the Russian Federation, Andrei Belousov, will establish a civilian management system in the ministry and prepare his department and the entire state for a war of attrition. Military expert Oleg Zhdanov told this in an exclusive commentary to [comersant ].
According to him, one of the somewhat unexpected consequences of Putin’s recent personnel rotations was the deterioration of the position of the Kremlin’s Chekist “tower”. After all, Patrushev, who headed the National Security and Defence Council, lost his position to Shoigu, and Patrushev’s son was removed from the leadership of the entire ministry.
“Patrushev is a representative of the Chekists’ tower, the security forces, and Shoigu is a friend of Putin’s who has always held the position because it had to be held. He did not play any military role in the same defence ministry. I understand that Patrushev either got bored with Putin or became a threat to him. It wasn’t just Patrushev who was pushed down. He himself was removed from his political position, and Patrushev’s son was pushed away from the trough – he was the Minister of Agricultural Policy of Russia. You understand that a ministry means a portfolio and a budget. And now he has been removed from the ministry and appointed deputy prime minister. And, as they say, a deputy prime minister without a ministry is nothing and has no name, but with a ministry, he is a significant figure. I think there were motives. Not for nothing,”
– zhdanov believes.
In the Defence Ministry, on the other hand, Putin decided to get rid of his friends. Belousov is regarded in the Kremlin as a good manager who is able not only to solve problems but also to find and diagnose them.
“Although Shoigu is a good friend, the Kremlin has most likely come to the conclusion that, firstly, it is necessary to reduce theft in the Defence Ministry, and secondly, it is necessary to create a logistics system for a war of attrition. And that’s why Belousov is the right man for the job – he has a very good education, a lot of experience in management, he is a manager. Moreover, it is said that Belousov is a very trusted person of Putin, and that Putin most likely gave him carte blanche to shake up the entire ministry, but to create both a logistics system and a civilian management system there,”
– the expert added.
At the same time, Zhdanov is confident that Belousov is only concerned with his area of work, which has little to do with the management of hostilities against Ukraine.
“Gerasimov is in charge of the war. We forget about it, but on the battlefield, he creates huge problems for us. So no one will interfere with him,”
– zhdanov is sure.
