Putin unveils security reshuffle

Kathrin Hille in Moscow

Vladimir Putin has forged ahead with his restructure of Russia’s security apparatus, unveiling a reshuffle of law enforcement officials as he tightens his grip on the country.

The reshuffle, which comes less than a month after the creation of a national guard under the Russian president’s direct command, is seen as a move to strengthen discipline in the “power structures” that underpin Mr Putin’s rule.

The firing of eight high-ranking law enforcement officials and the appointment or promotion of 12 others comes amid heightened concern in the Kremlin over growing public dissatisfaction and the risk of unrest in the face of a grinding economic downturn.

Although few Russian observers expect large-scale insurrection, the delayed payment of wages and social subsidies have triggered protests in a smattering of Russian regions over the past year.

The president has responded by tweaking his political machinery ahead of parliamentary elections in September and a presidential election scheduled for 2018 when Mr Putin himself will face voters.

On Saturday, Mr Putin signed a decree confirming the appointment of former finance minister Alexei Kudrin as deputy head of his economic council. Although widely expected, the appointment confirms that Mr Kudrin, one of Mr Putin’s longest-running confidants, is gaining influence after years on the sidelines as Mr Putin moves to boost his reformist credentials for a post-2018 economic reform agenda.

No reason was given for the law enforcement overhaul which was announced in a decree on the presidential legal website on Saturday.

Yuri Nyrkov and Vasily Piskarev, two deputy heads of the federal investigative committee, lost their jobs, while Igor Krasnov, a prominent investigator in charge of the investigation into the murder of opposition politician Boris Nemtsov, was promoted to deputy head of the committee.

Other senior officials who were sacked include Dmitry Neklyudov, deputy interior minister of Crimea, the region Russia annexed from Ukraine two years ago. Law enforcement officials responsible for transport in two federal districts and the heads of the federal penitentiary service in Moscow and the Sverdlovsk region were also dismissed.

Some of the sackings were seen to address public concerns over the conduct of certain individuals. Copwatch.ru, a group of observers which documents alleged police wrongdoing such as torture and corruption, praised the replacement of the Moscow and Sverdlovsk prison service chiefs, citing past scandals. “There is hope for positive change,” the group said.

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