Russian President Vladimir Putin on May 20 appointed Oleg Savelyev, the former minister on Crimean affairs, to the post of deputy defense minister less than 10 days after he replaced longtime ally Sergei Shoigu as defense chief. Former First Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov succeeded Shoigu. Both Savelyev and Belousov are politicians known as specializing in economic matters. The 58-year-old Savelyev also served as deputy minister for economic development and as the auditor at the Audit Chamber, a parliamentary group that serves as a financial watchdog.
