Generals, heaters, celebrity chefs – These men whisper in Vladimir Putin’s ear – News


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Who are the figures behind and next to the Russian President? And how much power do they really have? An overview.

At first glance, it is clear who is in charge in the Kremlin: in Vladimir Putin’s Russia, the so-called “vertical of power” applies. All the threads come together with the President.

And yet they exist: the central figures in the system. The war in Ukraine has reduced the influence of some and raised prominence for others. Russia expert Ulrich Schmid classifies.

The military

Sergei Shoigu (66), the fallen: Before the war began, the Minister of Defense was considered uncontroversial. But then came the disastrous performance of Russian forces in Ukraine. In the spring, President Putin’s personal friend suddenly disappeared from public view for several weeks. It was later announced that health problems had been the reason for his absence. “Shoigu is under pressure,” says Ulrich Schmid, Professor of Russian Culture and Society at the HSG. Putin’s loyal companion is increasingly being portrayed as a scapegoat.

The powerful men in the Kremlin

Sergei Surovikin (56), the brutal: He is Moscow’s new man in Ukraine. Last week the Kremlin appointed the military commander of the Russian armed forces. Surovikin is considered extremely brutal. He made a name for himself during Moscow’s deployment in Syria, when he commanded the widespread bombing of the city of Aleppo. For Schmid it is no surprise that immediately after Surovikin took office there were widespread rocket attacks in Ukraine. “This is an expression of a new, more aggressive warfare that parts of the Kremlin want.”

The warmongers

Ramzan Kadyrov (46), the bloodhound: After Vladimir Putin, the Chechen warlord is probably the best-known face on the Russian side in the Ukraine war. His martial appearances have earned him the nickname “Putin’s bloodhound”. In 2007, at the age of just 30, he became president of the republic that had fought a decades-long, bloody civil war with Moscow. How much influence he really has in the Kremlin is disputed. «Kadyrov and Putin have a pact. The latter gives the former a free hand in his brutal regime in Chechnya, while Kadyrov guarantees Putin that there will be no new separatist movements in Chechnya.”

Yevgeny Prigozhin (61), the chef: It is an unusual career that this man has had: from “Putin’s cook” in St. Petersburg, who also supplies the troops of the Russian army, to head of the internationally feared mercenary group Wagner and important adviser to the Russian President.

With the Ukraine war, the unscrupulous methods of the private security company have moved further into the limelight. Videos show Prigozhin recruiting new fighters in prisons. Along with Ramzan Kadyrov, he is considered a hardliner in the Ukraine war. He regularly campaigns for tougher action by Russia in Ukraine. “These figures have now stepped out of the background and are now loudly claiming to be involved in the warfare,” says Russia expert Ulrich Schmid.

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