Putin in nepotism row after he appoints his cousin as deputy defence minister

18 June 2024 , 08:09

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Vladimir Putin has overseen a slew of appointments in his cabinet (Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Vladimir Putin risks the wrath of nepotism allegations after appointing his own cousin as deputy defence minister amid the war against Ukraine.

The Russian dictator, 71, today named Anna Tsivileva, 52, to the key post after Sergei Shoigu was dismissed last month. She is Mr Putin’s second cousin, yet this is not highlighted in state media reports.

Her husband Sergei Tsivilev, formerly a regional governor in coal region Kemerovo, was recently appointed Energy Minister in Mr Putin’s regime. It comes after an expert warned Mr Putin will try to "blackmail" Nato by using small-scale tactical nuclear weapons on the battlefield to test the alliance's resolve

Previously Ms Tsivileva - by training a psychologist, and a loyal backer of his war - has headed Defenders of the Fatherland, a group set up to “help” participants in a conflict that has killed and maimed more than 450,000 Russians.

Anna Tsivileva has become Russia's deputy defence minister (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Ms Tsivileva was appointed as one of several deputy defence ministers as Mr Putin cleaned out the remnants of cronies of ex Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, who he dismissed last month. Her boss will be Shoigu’s replacement Andrey Belousov, an economist close to the dictator who has a mission to rid the ministry of corruption

Putin accused of surrounding himself with same 'actors' at series of events

In 2022, Ms Tsivileva was sanctioned by the UK government over her links to Putin. Ms Tsivileva, recently a businesswoman, has been president of JSC Kolmar Group, a major Russian coal mining company.

She will be in charge of social and housing support for the military, and usher in a "new qualitative level”, according to the ministry. In another move among a slew of appointments, Putin named Pavel Fradkov, son of former Prime Minister and spy chief Mikhail Fradkov, as his first deputy chief of presidential affairs.

This week, President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that if Russia withdraws its soldiers, peace negotiations will take place in a matter of hours. However, he issued a warning: "Any way we can" must be used to stop the war since tyrant Vladimir Putin will not put an end to it.

Will Stewart