Putin appoints former Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev as presidential aide

Vladimir Putin appointed former FSB Director and former Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev as a presidential aide on Tuesday as part of his ongoing post-inaugural personnel shake-up. He appointed Tula Governor Alexey Dyumin, a longtime ally to the president and one of his former bodyguards, to the same position.

The new aides will serve alongside former Education Minister Andrey Fursenko and former Culture Minister Vladimir Medinsky, whom the president reappointed.

Additionally, Putin promoted economic aide Maxim Oreshkin to the post of deputy chief of staff. Anton Vaino will remain his chief of staff.

Patrushev’s new post has been the subject of speculation since he was replaced as Security Council secretary by former Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu in a surprise reshuffle on Sunday.