Summary
- Vladimir Putin has fired his longtime friend, Sergei Shoigu, as defense minister.
- Shoigu, a close ally of Putin, will be replaced by Andrey Belousov, an economist with no military or security experience.
- Shoigu will now lead the Russian security council, replacing former FSB chief Nikolai Patrushev.
- Putin has made several other key appointments in his largest cabinet shake-up in years.
