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Putin Presses Overhaul of Top Military Leaders Putin Replaces Top Military Leaders
(about 7 hours later)
MOSCOW — President Vladimir V. Putin replaced the head of the Russian military’s general staff and a number of top generals on Friday, continuing a military overhaul that began with the removal of Russia’s defense minister earlier this week. MOSCOW — President Vladimir V. Putin replaced the head of the Russian military’s general staff and a number of top generals on Friday, continuing a military overhaul that began with the removal of the defense minister this week.
Col. Gen. Valery Gerasimov will replace Gen. Nikolai Makarov, who has served as chief of the general staff since 2008. The move is not wholly unexpected, since the new defense minister, Sergei K. Shoigu, has the right to install his own team in top military posts. Col. Gen. Valery Gerasimov will replace Gen. Nikolai Makarov, who has served as chief of the general staff since 2008. The move was not wholly unexpected, since the new defense minister, Sergei K. Shoigu, has the right to install his own team in top military posts.
Still, the shuffle has shed light on simmering disagreements within the military, which is about to receive an infusion of 20 trillion rubles, or around $634 billion, to be spent on new weaponry. Mr. Putin is known to dislike internal dissent and appears to have taken steps to calm a backlash against reforms implemented by the departing defense minister, Anatoly E. Serdyukov. Still, the shuffle has shed light on simmering disagreements within the military, which is about to receive an infusion of 20 trillion rubles, around $634 billion, for new weaponry. Mr. Putin is known to dislike dissent and appears to have taken steps to calm a backlash against changes put in place by the departing defense minister, Anatoly E. Serdyukov.
Though Mr. Serdyukov was dismissed amid a corruption scandal, some analysts said the real cause was a systemic problem: Mr. Serdyukov had alienated many in the uniformed military with deep staffing cuts intended to streamline and update Russia’s vast conventional forces.Though Mr. Serdyukov was dismissed amid a corruption scandal, some analysts said the real cause was a systemic problem: Mr. Serdyukov had alienated many in the uniformed military with deep staffing cuts intended to streamline and update Russia’s vast conventional forces.
During a meeting Friday morning, Mr. Putin alluded to another apparent disagreement, urging General Gerasimov to smooth over relations with the defense manufacturing sector. Defense plants have complained that top military brass too frequently update their orders for weapons and other military hardware. During a meeting on Friday morning, Mr. Putin alluded to another apparent disagreement, urging General Gerasimov to smooth over relations with the defense manufacturing sector. Defense plants have complained that the top military brass too frequently update their orders for weapons and other military hardware.
“The situation in the scientific-technical sphere is changing quickly, and new means of armed warfare are appearing,” Mr. Putin said. “We should orient ourselves toward optimal means, but still need to maintain a certain stability. I am counting on you and the ministry to establish stable, good collegial work with our leading manufacturers in the defense sector.”“The situation in the scientific-technical sphere is changing quickly, and new means of armed warfare are appearing,” Mr. Putin said. “We should orient ourselves toward optimal means, but still need to maintain a certain stability. I am counting on you and the ministry to establish stable, good collegial work with our leading manufacturers in the defense sector.”
Some analysts on Friday concluded that General Gerasimov was being instructed to accept outdated Russian-made weaponry.Some analysts on Friday concluded that General Gerasimov was being instructed to accept outdated Russian-made weaponry.
Defense manufacturing dominates large areas of Russia, in many of the places Mr. Putin counted on as a base of support ahead of the presidential election in March. Major government orders buoyed economic prospects in many of those places during Mr. Putin’s campaign, helping him to win around 64 percent of the vote nationwide. Military spending has become a tense subject this fall, however, when the government turned its attention to the budget. Defense manufacturing dominates large areas of Russia, in many of the places Mr. Putin counted on as bases of support in the presidential election in March. Major government orders buoyed economic prospects in many of those places during Mr. Putin’s campaign, helping him to win about 64 percent of the vote nationwide. Military spending has become a tense subject this fall, however, when the government turned its attention to the budget.
Aleksandr Golts, writing for the Web site Yezhednevny Zhurnal, said Mr. Serdyukov had refused to buy obsolete weaponry. Aleksandr Golts, writing for the Web site Yezhednevny Zhurnal, said that Mr. Serdyukov had refused to buy obsolete weaponry.
“The stubbornness of the ministry of defense has turned into a political problem for Putin,” he wrote. “Serdyukov’s position would make it impossible to spend trillions on feeding the obedient part of the population.” “The stubbornness of the Ministry of Defense has turned into a political problem for Putin,” Mr. Golts wrote. “Serdyukov’s position would make it impossible to spend trillions on feeding the obedient part of the population.”
Fyodor Lukyanov, editor of Russia in Global Affairs, said the 20 trillion rubles Mr. Putin pledged for military spending is unlikely to ever be allocated. Fyodor Lukyanov, editor of Russia in Global Affairs, said the $634 billion that Mr. Putin had pledged for military spending was unlikely to ever be allocated.
“Serdyukov was one of those who said, ‘If you don’t produce good and cheap weapons, we will buy it abroad,’ and that was a profound change in the psychology,” Mr. Lukyanov said.“Serdyukov was one of those who said, ‘If you don’t produce good and cheap weapons, we will buy it abroad,’ and that was a profound change in the psychology,” Mr. Lukyanov said.
Mr. Putin’s instructions on Friday, he added, show that “for the time being, the defense industry has won.” But he doubted that this deal will hold for long. Mr. Putin’s instructions on Friday, he added, show that “for the time being, the defense industry has won.” But he doubted that this deal would hold for long.
“They will try to pacify the military industry, maybe to increase their arms purchases, but they will not keep their monopoly,” Mr. Lukyanov said. “They will gradually get them to understand that the time when they could sell anything to the Russian state — it’s over.”“They will try to pacify the military industry, maybe to increase their arms purchases, but they will not keep their monopoly,” Mr. Lukyanov said. “They will gradually get them to understand that the time when they could sell anything to the Russian state — it’s over.”