Vladimir Putin has shuffled the cards: Sergei Shoigu has been appointed Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, Chief of Staff Valery Gerasimov will continue his activities; Andrei Belousov moves to the Ministry of Defense, an economist therefore, who finds himself managing the sharply increased volume of state defense orders and the budget of the Ministry of Defense, which in general has almost tripled compared to three years ago.
And again, according to rumors, Belousov’s appointment may be linked to the fact that new people will be needed in the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation to optimize the expenditure of the military department in peacetime after the end of the Northern Military District.
Serjei Shoigu will continue military-technical cooperation with countries already friends of Russia such as: Myanmar, Belarus, North Korea and some African countries. Furthermore, Putin was perhaps tired of the corruption scandals in the Ministry of Defense: the latest in prison was a Shoigu loyalist, deputy minister Timur Ivanov, accused of accepting a bribe, one billion and 125 million rubles, currently suspended from office and awaiting trial.
It is interesting to note that the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation has been removed from the subordination of the Ministry of Defense, as follows from the decree and Shoigu will supervise its work. Shoigu, Dmitrj Peskov clarified, “in the role of secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, will at the same time be Putin’s deputy in the Military-Industrial Commission of the Russian Federation”. In short, reforms are planned in Russian defense. The effects of these political choices will be analyzed in the “Papers AGC” newsletter number 98 coming out tomorrow.
Mikhail Mishustin remains in his place as Prime Minister and has proposed appointing Denis Manturov as his first deputy. Among the new features is Anton Alikhanov, minister for trade.
Reassignment for Sergei Lavrov, Minister of Foreign Affairs; Konstantin Chuychenko, head of the Ministry of Justice; Vladimir Kolokoltsev, head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Alexander Kurenkov as head of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, Alexander Bortnikov remains Director of the FSB; Sergei Naryshkin remains head of the SVR, Viktor Zolotov remains head of the Russian National Guard, Dmitry Kochnev as head of the FSO.
Golikova will remain deputy prime minister in the new government; Belousov will step down as first deputy prime minister; his candidacy is not among those presented by Mishustin to the State Duma.
The State Duma had 6 hours to discuss candidates for the post of deputy prime minister in a plenary session, Volodin said.
Candidates for the new cabinet were examined in 18 State Duma committees, Zhukov said. He noted that the candidates for the posts of deputy prime minister and minister have demonstrated full competence. Putin has fired Patrushev from the position of secretary of the Russian Security Council, the Kremlin reports, which then announces his unspecified new position.
In Europe, the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, confirmed that the ambassadors of 27 EU countries have reached an agreement on the expropriation of proceeds from frozen Russian assets for the purchase of weapons for Kiev. And this will also have significant consequences starting from foreign investments in Europe which will begin to run out.
And now a look at the front line updated at 16:00 on May 13th.
While the politician was listing his ministers, Russia began its offensive in Kharkiv from four different fronts. Alexander Pavlyuk, commander of the ground forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces claims that: “The advantage of Russian troops in artillery reached 20 to 1 in the battles for Ocheretyne.
According to Ukrainian sources, the situation in the Ukrainian Armed Forces is quite alarming. Therefore, the 3, 25, 67 and 115 brigades are in the process of disbanding. They are disbanded for leaving positions and refusing to advance to positions. The detailed program is as follows: the 3rd assault brigade “Azov” was near Avdiivka. Then they refused to advance towards Ocheretyne, and then they did not advance towards Časiv Jar.
In the Kharkiv direction, the Russian army continues offensive operations. As night fell, battles involving armored vehicles became known already in Vovchans’k, units of the Russian Armed Forces are operating near Starytsya and Zeleny and report battles near the village of Lyptsi. Many FABs with UMPC are used by Russians against Ukrainian positions. Military personnel captured main intelligence directorate of the Kiev region of the Kraken unit. According to the Russian social sphere, the fact that: “the Main Intelligence Directorate were brought into battle may indicate an attempt by the command of the Ukrainian armed forces to stop the Russian advance at any cost. There is heavy fighting going on in the area.” At the end of the data collection we learn that the Russians have begun to surround Vovčans’k on one side. The city was razed to the ground by bombing.
In response to the advance of Russian troops, the Ukrainians are striking the Belgorod region. Yesterday an attack by the Ukrainian armed forces destroyed the entrance to a residential building in Belgorod, most likely a French AASM HAMMER aerial bomb was used; 15 civilians were killed. Ukrainian armed forces strike with MLRS, artillery and drones. Novaya Tavolzhanka and Cheremoshnoye were bombed at night.
In the direction of Chasiv Jar, the Russian armed forces are breaking through the enemy defenses on the flanks: in Bohdanivka and Ivanivske (Krasny), the Russian control zone is expanding on the southern protrusion of the front along the T0504 road.
In the direction of Pokrovs’k, west of Avdiivka, fighting in the Arkhanhel’s’ke area, the Russian armed forces according to Russian social sources: “are leveling the front line in the Soloviove-Novopokrovs’ke and Novopokrovskoye-Umans’ke sections. front ledge in the Netailove-Pervomais’ke-Nevel’s’ke area is closing.”
Heading south from Donetsk, the Ukrainians admitted the loss of the Krasnohorivka firefighting facility, the advance of the Russian Armed Forces was approximately one kilometer on a 3km front.
Heavy fighting continues in the direction of Vremivka near Staromaiors’ke and Urozhaine.
On the Zaporozhzhie front, battles for Rabotino and north-west of Verbove. Ukrainians are burning armored vehicles with FPV drones, despite the presence of electronic warfare equipment in some advanced units of Russian paratroopers.
In the direction of Kherson, shootings are taking place in the area of the island. Ukrainian Armed Forces launched a HIMARS attack on Skadovsk, civilians were injured.
In the morning, Crimea reported an attempt by Ukraine to use air-launched missiles on the peninsula.
Graziella Giangiulio
