Network connection problems have made for a jumbled start to a new month . . . a couple decrees from President Medvedev today.
Current Defense Ministry Apparatus Chief, Deputy Defense Minister Mikhail Mokretsov is relieved of this duty and becomes simply Deputy Defense Minister.
This is a promotion since the Apparatus Chief has typically been kind of a quasi-deputy minister post. Sometimes the Defense Minister’s head gatekeeper and paper-pusher has just been regarded as being in “the status of a deputy minister.”
Mokretsov’s portfolio, however, isn’t clear. Vladimir Popovkin’s armaments job, Vera Chistova’s finance duties, and Grigoriy Naginskiy’s construction post are all available. And each could use an economist like Mokretsov.
The other decree.
Appoint:
- General-Major Grigoriy Rostislavovich Tyurin, Commander, 35th Independent Motorized Rifle Brigade, relieved as Commander, 205th Independent Motorized Rifle Brigade.
- General-Major Andrey Sergeyevich Ivanayev, Commander, 205th Independent Motorized Rifle Brigade, relieved as Commander, 5th Independent Motorized Rifle Brigade.
- General-Major Artur Ionosovich Shemaytis, Commander, 74th Independent Motorized Rifle Brigade, relieved of duty as Commander, 34th Independent Motorized Rifle Brigade (Mountain).
Relieve:
- Colonel Oleg Gennadyevich Maltsev, Chief, Automotive Service, Southern MD.
- Colonel Aleksandr Semenovich Sanchik, Commander, 136th Guards Independent Motorized Rifle Brigade.
Russian Defense Policy 