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Sergei Karpukhin / AFP - Getty Images file
Moscow Region Governor Sergei Shoigu (back) passes former Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov in October at the Kremlin. Russian President Vladimir Putin fired Serdyukov on Tuesday over a corruption scandal in the most dramatic change to the government since Putin returned for a third term.
Russian President Vladimir Putin publicly dismissed his defense minister Tuesday after a multi-million-dollar corruption scandal and appointed a longtime ally to oversee military reforms.
Putin announced on television that he had fired Anatoly Serdyukov, who had become a liability due to an investigation into the sale of ministry assets at suspiciously low prices.
Serdyukov's replacement in a job which had been long eyed by rivals, former emergencies minister Sergei Shoigu, is untainted by corruption and popular among Russians. Shoigu has also proved immensely loyal and shown few signs of political ambitions in nearly two decades in senior posts.
Putin's announcement -- made at a meeting with Shoigu -- appeared designed to show he will crack down on high-level corruption in his new, six-year presidential term.
"Taking into consideration the situation around the Defense Ministry, in order to create conditions for an objective investigation into all matters, I have decided to free Defense Minister Serdyukov of his post," Putin said, sitting across the table from Shoigu at a state residence outside Moscow.
'Grandiose plans' for army
The defense minister wields immense power in Russia, channeling billions of dollars every year through the country's powerful defense industry, the second largest arms exporter in the world. Putin has promised to spend 23 trillion roubles ($726.3 billion) on the military by the end of the decade.
Putin said at the televised meeting that the new minister must continue "grandiose plans for the reform of the army.”
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Russian investigators raided the offices of Defense Ministry firm Oboronservis last month and opened an investigation into the company on suspicion that it had sold assets to commercial firms at a loss of nearly $100 million.
The investigation also raised questions about Serdyukov's relationship with a former top female military bureaucrat, whose apartment was found to contain dozens of expensive paintings, rare antiques and more than 100 valuable rings.
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A Russian tabloid newspaper with connections with the country's security personnel reported that Serdyukov was in the apartment as well when the raid began.
A one-time furniture salesman, Serdyukov owed much of his career to the influence of his father-in-law Viktor Zubkov, a former prime minister and trusted associate of Putin.
Enemies in the Kremlin
Serdyukov's control over Russia's arms budget had earned him enemies among ambitious Kremlin figures, including Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin who oversees the country's defense industry, government sources say.
His military reforms, which reorganized troops, cut the number of officers by more than 100,000 and exposed high-level corruption, also made him disliked in the ranks.
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However, his alleged role in helping to dismantle the assets of jailed former oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky while he still worked in the tax office had led many analysts to believe Serdyukov was untouchable and would weather the scandal.
Shoigu, 57, an army general, was emergencies minister from 1994 until this year, when he became governor of the Moscow region.
Although the Russian authorities were criticized in 2010 over forest fires that caused Moscow to suffer for weeks under smoke and toxic fumes, his loyalty to Putin and a background untainted by corruption have stood him in good stead.
"Shoigu is unknown in our country as a great strategist or as a powerful military officer, but that is not needed in the post of the minister of defense," said Alexei Arbatov, a military analyst at the Russian Academy of Sciences.
"If the defense minister is largely an administrative post, then Shoigu has very great merits ... As an administrator he is already regarded very highly and moreover, he is popular in Russia and in social opinion," he said.
When he was serving as emergencies minister he was the most highly regarded minister by Moscow-based pollster VTsIOM.
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Leave a Comment:
Does this mean I'm not getting myT-80 I bought on Ebay?
So THATS where it came from... dude they delivered it here by mistake. course ya gotta send me the shipping costs i put out if you want it back.
Afternoon Scooter
Yeah and all I got in the mail was the big screen TV, ya mean I coulda ordered a BTR - 90?
I think America needs to start looking into our Arms contracts and purchases too I bet there are all kinds of discrepancies, you know padding politician pockets ..
No!!! Darn, there goes my deal for that Sukhoi-30 form Amazon...lol
I'm wondering how long it will take Willard if he is (God forbid) President to start selling off our assets to Bain Capital then China or will he cut out the middle man and just sell to China directly? I would think he would hide his dealing by forming a third company as he is doing now. What will the headlines read: Billions of Dollars End Up in Overseas Bank Accounts the President is conducting his own investigation? Trust me, I can't tell you what I did I don't want to give the other side more mud to sling!
Confussed-1578043 - You are confused.
Romney isn't going to "sell off our assets". What an utterly stupid statement.
However, Obama is selling off the country's national defense - allowing Islamic extremists to come to power in Egypt and Libya and attack the sovereign American soil of our consulate in Benghazi (in addition to willfully allowing our ambassador be killed).
Obama is selling off our economic future by burying us under debt that we will never get out of and devaluing our currency...and all so simpletons like you think he is being "compassionate".
Obama insults our American heritage, our history and culture. He insults our flag and refuses to salute it (on purpose as a symbolic gesture). He insults our country by subscribing to the ramblings of a racist, communist, America-hating "black liberation theology" church for 20 years where the "reverend" screams "GOD DAMN AMERICA!!!"
And you're worried about Romney's intentions rfor America???? WAKE UP!!!!
You've been watching FOX too much. Worst among the comments you make is the one about Obama "allowing" Islamists to come to power in Egypt and Libya (Who are the Islamists in Libya who are "in power"?). So, the United States has the ability to choose the governments for other countries? Your Bush and his neocons did a great job of that in Afghanistan and Iraq, didn't they? And where did most of the huge deficit come from? Bush's "unfunded" wars. Oh, now deficits are a huge issue for you. But Dick Cheney said they didn't matter. I guess that now a Democrat is president, they do.
Well there goes my 1,000 AKMs I ordered.
bastards will probably keep the deposit as well.
If it is from Russia with love, that would be Bastardskis!
Typical Russian strategy. Fire someone else as a scapegoat for corruption to draw attention away from your own corruption! Good going Vladimir!
Joke right?.... sale at low values?.... Maybe he should fire himself for all the billionaires he made out of his friends by selling them all the natural resources at low prices?..... he's a crook......
"Grandiose plans" Is it correct to say that someone with "grandiose" ideas
ends up in the looney bin? To teach him his insignificance! And where has Putin
been for weeks anyhow? Is actress Sharon Stone missing as well?
I guess I'm a little off topic, but in my opinion Putin is still a Communist in some other kind of a disguise - maybe a wolf, hawk, bear or whatever - definitely not a sheep's.
He's a Russian despot, not a Communist. Take away the communism and mass killings/resettlements and, from Lenin on, they were just like the tsars. Same as it ever was, with less brutality - just enough to scare just about anybody who thinks things should be different.
How ironic; because we are firing our President today.
No, we're getting rid of that turd Romney today! I'll be glad not to see his face or hear anymore about him after today!!!
And who's going to replace him? The lack of decent "for the people" president's is really diminishing now a days. Every time a new president is elected, no matter the side, the other side wants to diminish their plans or refuse to cooperate/work together. It seems only a natural disaster or an invasion from another country would ever unite us.
Pot caling the kettle black....
...
This is the result of the president's reset strategy with Russia.
The president is making it easy for the Russians to be our friend.
.
Obama / Biden in 2012.
...
sure he is....all he needs is a little "leeway until after the elections"
ever bother to ask yourself leeway for what?
Rocket J Squirrel / Bullwinkle in 2012.... ( smarter then the two we currently have)
Hey he was Bush's butt buddy...a man he could trust...lmao
Anatoly...quick turn around, your about to be sucker punched..............
Putin didn't get his share of the graft. That's the only reason he fired Serdyukov.
And away we go 'Back to the USSR'.
"...You don't know how lucky you are - back in, backin, back in the USSR" Beatles
A job opening for the recently unemployed Barrack Hussien Obummer LOL
yep great resume;
failed president
failed jr. congressman
failed community organiser
that's as far back as ANYONE gets......
but on the bright side he was Chicago trained hence he would be extremely handy in the graft dept. and he is extremely handy in the under the bus aproach of govt russia is so well known for.
f
He should fire himself and let Medvedev take over again.
What's even bigger news is that today is the day we fire the inept clown that has been squating in the WhiteHouse for the last 4yrs..
You guys are the biggest fools I even seen in my life. If Romney win you will become the biggest losers. If Obama wins Bonher loses and we the people win.
And Obam mocked Romney about being concerned about russia. Another example of Obamas ignorance. Putin is not rebuilding his military just for kicks.
power corrupts absolute power corrupts absolutely doesn't seem to matter whether it's a russian, american, gop/dem and it hasn't changed in 3000 years so tired of it I voted libertarian we need a viable 3rd party to challenge the two headed monster
Agree 100%.
Ralph Nader was right. There is no difference between the two major parties. They're in it for themselves (and their pockets); not for the country, not for its citizens.
Failing a viable 3rd party, how about term limits for Congress?
Sombody answer this, If you put an idiot in the Senate and he shows he is, why do you keep sending him back?
One word answer: Stupidity!
The news just reported that Obama was livid that only 50 of the states were voting today. LMAO
Livid with confidence of a Presidential WIN!
How many electoral votes will those other 7 states have for Obama?......
Oh please, the Russian Military Leaders are no more corrupt than the Chinese Military Leaders; just because they all have Dick Cheney over for dinner on their solid gold dinning room sets, doesn't mean Military Leaders are screwing their citizens in the port hole.
Putin just making an opening for his buddy Barack after January 20. Putin is no fool. He knows if anyone can hide corruption its Barry.
well looks like we have corruption here too...why on earth does PA allow a huge picture of Obama painted on a wall inside the polling place.....and why does MSN not allow comments on the political election stories?...by design so the election won't be influenced or what?
This article must be a mistake because everyone knows there is no corruption in Russia.
Just as everyone knows that the private sector is doing fine.
The private sector IS doing fine, just ask the President, he'll tell you......
The mind-less muslim and Putin are one in the same!
hey what a coinkydink, we're about to fire a pig communist sleezebag of our own today!!! fancy that. that's 2 for 2!
Gee, I didn't know this article was about American politics - who knew?
What bothers me is that we just can't know if Serdyukov was canned because he actually was corrupt, or because of charges trumped up by the political enemies he made. In Russia, either one is possible.
You're two for two, aduklips. EVERYONE in Russia is corrupt. No exceptions.
And, trumped-up charges? Count on it!
Putin was not angry that his Defense Minister was corrupt. Putin was angry he wasn't getting HIS SHARE of the take.