Vladimir Putin Sacks Military Official and Appoints 'Cousin' to Senior Position After Key Loss in Ukraine Battle
Russia has incurred some heavy losses recently in its war with Ukraine. Continuing with the losses, Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, has appointed his family member Anna Tsivileva as state secretary, Newsweek reported.
Tsivileva is already the deputy minister of defense and will reportedly take on both roles under Putin's leadership.
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Tsivileva is the daughter of Yevgeny Mikhailovich Putin, Vladimir Putin's cousin, according to the U.K. government, Newsweek reported. In her administrative roles, Tsivileva will be responsible for providing social and housing services for military personnel.
Tsivileva will also oversee the state fund "Defenders of the Fatherland" whose objective is to give the required support to military personnel, Newsweek reported.
Tisivileva's appointments have been met with criticism, and many accusing the Russian President of nepotism, Newsweek reported.
Tsivileva's appointment was not the only change made by Vladimir Putin following Ukraine's recent attacks, Newsweek reported. The President replaced Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu with Andrei Belousov, a technocrat with a background in economics. In addition, he fired the former state secretary and deputy minister of defense Nikolai Pankov, who had served in the post since 2001.
The attacks that allegedly caused all these changes were launched by Ukraine on August 6, BBC reported. The Ukrainian soldiers charged in Kursk, a Russian territory, and managed to seize hundreds of square kilometers of the city. The Ukrainian authorities hope this win will boost the morale of their countrymen.
Ukrainian troops have stated that entering Kursk was an easy feat for them, BBC reported. "The element of surprise worked," an anonymous soldier from Ukraine said. "We entered easily with little resistance. On August 6, the first groups crossed at night in several directions," he said.
Vladimir Putin on hearing about Kursk promised a "worthy response" to the enemies for this seizure, BBC reported.
This is Ukraine's biggest charge on Russia since the war started between both countries in 2022, Newsweek reported.