Symbol caption, Andrei Belousov is a skilled economist – and Russia’s latest minister of defenceArticle informationAuthor, Laura GozziRole, BBC News1 hour agoFor the primary time in 12 years, Russia has a brand new minister of defence.On 12 Might, the Kremlin introduced that President Vladimir Putin had nominated economist Andrei Belousov to exchange long-serving defence minister Sergei Shoigu.Even supposing there had lengthy been rumours {that a} reshuffle was once at the playing cards, few have been anticipating Mr Putin to pick out a civilian and not using a background in both the army or the protection services and products to exchange Mr Shoigu.Andrei Removich Belousov was once born on 17 March 1959 in Moscow to Rem, an economist, and Larisa, a radiochemist.He received some extent in economics from Moscow State College in 1981 and pursued a profession in academia for a lot of years. Within the overdue Nineties, he set to work as adviser to Russian top ministers whilst running in opposition to a PhD, which he received in 2006.He was once appointed minister for financial construction in 2012; the next 12 months, he turned into an aide to Mr Putin.In 2020, he was once appointed first deputy top minister of Russia. He has since won a name as a Putin loyalist, having reportedly been the one member of the president’s “financial entourage” to give a boost to Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea.He’s additionally credited with devising key financial concepts pursued via the Kremlin lately, and was once observed as one of the most key ideologues in the back of a collection of bold plans followed via Mr Putin as he started his fourth presidential time period in 2018.He was once additionally a key backer of the VAT building up from 18 to twenty% in 2019.Mr Belousov is understood to be a hardline defender of state pursuits over the ones of companies. He has lengthy advocated strict law, greater govt funding and in depth state presence within the economic system.In 2018, a letter was once leaked by which Mr Belousov urged seizing extra income from 14 massive metallurgical and chemical firms.The proposal won popular complaint. Russia’s Union of Industrialists and Marketers warned that this could result in a wave of bankruptcies, and even supposing the advice was once by no means carried out, it led to a droop within the inventory marketplace. In 2021, feedback via Mr Belousov once more ended in a cave in in stocks of metallurgical firms after he mentioned metallurgists had “extorted” the state for approximately 100bn rubles (£870m).Unpopular as those projects can have been, they matched Mr Belousov’s core trust that the economic system is pushed via state involvement.Russian economist and College of Chicago professor Konstantin Sonin informed the BBC that Mr Belousov keenly believes “innovation occurs since the govt invests in innovation, and that financial expansion occurs since the govt forces companies to invest”.Those ideals are in keeping with Mr Putin’s state-dominant and isolationist worldview, Mr Sonin added.Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov mentioned the proposed appointment of a civilian confirmed the position of defence minister referred to as for “innovation”.”The person who is extra open to inventions is the person who shall be victorious at the battlefield,” he mentioned.As defence minister, Mr Belousov should set up Russia’s army spending, which as of 2024 accounts for approximately 30% of Russia’s finances – about 36.6tn rubles (£324bn).Commenting at the nomination, Russian outlet Komsomolskaya Pravda mentioned that Mr Belousov’s financial experience and figuring out of commercial sectors, together with defence intended he’s well-suited to regulate the army’s important budgetary calls for.Mr Belousov’s nomination – which comes deep into the 3rd 12 months of Russia’s conflict in Ukraine – additionally turns out to signify that President Putin is getting ready for a protracted and costly conflict. Mr Belousov’s job shall be to verify the Russian economic system can proceed to maintain its army gadget in spite of Western sanctions.The Kremlin may also be hoping that Mr Belousov’s enjoy as an economist will assist in making army spending extra environment friendly and cut back corruption.His well-established hobby in hi-tech weaponry corresponding to drones – of which Russia wishes a near-constant provide to proceed its assaults on Ukraine – may also be helpful. In 2023, Mr Belousov introduced plans to construct 18,000 massive and medium-sized drones in 2024 and the release and construction of a brand new business – production of unmanned aviation programs.Russian media have famous that Mr Belousov – who’s married with one kid, Pavel, born in 1994 – additionally cuts an same old determine amongst its friends inside the Russian govt as he isn’t recognized to have profited from corruption, nor does he have a in particular lavish way of life.Like President Putin, Mr Belousov is with regards to the Russian Orthodox Church. He’s concept to were baptised in 2007. He’s mentioned to be a martial arts fanatic – as is President Putin – who practised karate and the Russian struggle game sambo in his formative years.Further reporting via Vitaly Shevchenko
