TMT (The Moscow Times ) Weekly - 17 May 2024 : President Vladimir Putin ousted his longtime Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, replacing him with economist and former First Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov.

 

Dear reader, Welcome to The Moscow Times’ weekly email digest, where we bring you the best of our reporting, opinion pieces, and more. Amid Russia’s surprise new offensive against northeastern Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin ousted his longtime Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, replacing him with economist and former First Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov. Shoigu, in his turn, was appointed chairman of Russia’s Security Council, which the hawkish Nikolai Patrushev previously headed. While there had been rumors for months that Putin was unhappy with Shoigu’s leadership at the Defense Ministry, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov sought to assure the public that his new role was not a demotion. Here are the week’s other top stories: Putin touted Russia’s political and economic ties with China in his first trip abroad since being re-elected in March. Russia expelled the British defense attache in Moscow in a tit-for-tat move after London accused the Russian attache of being an “undeclared military intelligence officer.” Russian authorities labeled the independent SOTA media outlet an “undesirable” organization, which puts staff and anyone who shares their reporting at risk of jail time. Ukraine accused Russia of detaining and killing civilians in a border town in the Kharkiv region, where analysts believe Moscow is trying to create a “buffer zone” between the two countries. Georgia’s parliament passed a controversial “foreign influence” law, prompting mass street protests in the capital Tbilisi.   Dear subscribers, our newsletter last week may not have reached you due to a technical issue. We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience. Did someone forward this email to you? Subscribe to receive our newsletter every Friday. Podcast: What Russia’s New Defense Minister Means for the Ukraine War This week we talked with Ruben Enikolopov, a political economist and professor at Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona, about what to expect from Andrei Belousov, the economist taking the reins of Russia’s Defense Ministry. Listen here. Reshuffle 2024: Who Is in Russia’s New Government Cabinet Here’s a guide to the people who make up Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin’s cabinet, with the latest new faces and who’s changed places. Read more. ‘We Will Go Underground’: Russia’s Drag Artists Forced Into the Shadows "You realize that the state has been given power over the bodies and feelings of other people." In an interview with MT, a former member of Moscow’s drag collectives describes life and drag under Russia’s intensifying anti-LGBTQ+ restrictions. Read more. A Favored Pastime of Russia’s Elites, Trophy Hunting Scourges Country’s Rate Species Some senior Russian officials and wealthy businessmen appear increasingly keen to target protected animals and areas across the country. Read more. An elderly woman waits with her dog to be evacuated from the Ukrainian village of Vovchansk in the Kharkiv region. Opinion Russia’s New Defense Minister Faces Thankless Economic Task By Nick Trickett There is no viable way to sustain a system that destroys future growth by throwing young lives and resources into grisly and unproductive ends. Read more. Stalinism’s Return Threatens Georgia’s Path to Europe By Davit Zedelashvili The violent crackdown against protests against the "Russian law" is the latest manifestation of Georgian Dream's authoritarian project. Read more. Before we go... The Moscow Times has been Russia's leading independent English news source since 1992. You can support us in creating a weekly email digest. Contribute to independent journalism from $2/month — it takes less than a minute.