Putin is ready to dismiss Shoigu - political expert Morozov

He expressed this opinion on the Espreso TV channel.

"Firstly, I must say that the arrest of a person with such a status as Deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivanov is an extraordinary event for the entire Russian political machine and military-political machine. And the consequences of this will naturally be very significant. I believe that those who are now saying that the blow to Sergei Shoigu is quite serious, and no matter how hard he tries to soften this blow, many expect that after the inauguration, when Putin announces the composition of the new government, there will be a new defense minister. This is quite possible," Morozov said.

According to the expert, personnel changes in the Russian military leadership may indicate preparations for an even greater escalation in the war with Ukraine.

"But this is only one aspect - personnel. It can be quite important, because who will be next is significant. If the attack on Shoigu is really carried out by Patrushev and his people, and they are the initiators of this, then, of course, this will mean further mobilization, escalation of the war on their part. But there is one more assumption, which is related to the fact that the Kremlin is preparing to create a so-called defense council, a super-departmental body. Such ideas have been publicly put forward - to transfer to this body everything related to military construction, army supply, that is, the entire system of public procurement, to remove it from the Defense Ministry. In this case, Chemezov would be the beneficiary, and perhaps then his man would head the Defense Ministry. So far, all these are assumptions," he added.

What preceded it

On April 23, the Russian Investigative Committee announced Ivanov's detention. 

At the same time, the Russian media outlet Meduza reported that there was an unofficial version of Ivanov's arrest - he was allegedly suspected of treason. At the same time, Ivanov's lawyer Murad Musayev told RIA Novosti that "there are no other charges than the announced bribery charge".

The next day, Ivanov was arrested until June 23, 2024. On the evening of April 24, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu issued an order to remove Timur Ivanov from his position as deputy.