Putin Continues Defense Ministry Reshuffle

Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu

Russian President Vladimir Putin has dismissed two deputy defense ministers.

The move comes a week after the dismissal of Defense Minister Anatoly Serdykov in connection with a corruption scandal.

Putin fired Dmitry Chushkin and Yelena Kozlova, who oversaw finances under Serdyukov.

They were replaced with two associates of the new defense minister, Sergei Shoigu.

Ruslan Tsalikov worked with Shoigu when he led the Emergencies Ministry.

Yuri Borisov had served as the first deputy chairman of a defense industry board.

Serdyukov was dismissed after being implicated in a $100 million corruption scandal in which a Defense Ministry-controlled firm was accused of selling properties to insider companies at suspiciously low prices.

Based on reporting by Reuters, ITAR-TASS, and Interfax