Putin Appoints Former Security Guard As Secretary Of State Council

• 29.05.2024, 10:14

He informally supported Prigozhin in the conflict with the Russian Defence Ministry.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree appointing his aide Alexei Dyumin as Secretary of the State Council.

"To appoint A. Dyumin, Assistant to the President of the Russian Federation, as Secretary of the State Council of the Russian Federation," the Kremlin press service said in the statement.

The post was previously held by presidential aide Igor Levitin. In the new administration, which Putin approved on May 14 after entering his fifth presidential term, Levitin was appointed advisor and at the same time special presidential representative for international cooperation in the field of transport.

In turn, Putin appointed Dyumin, who had been head of Tula Region since 2016, as his assistant. He was tasked in his new position with overseeing the defence-industrial complex, as well as dealing with sports and the State Council.

Until 2016, Dyumin worked in the presidential security service directorate, commanded the special operations forces of the Russian Armed Forces and served as deputy chief of the General Staff's Main Directorate. Dyumin informally supported the founder of PMC "Wagner" Yevgeny Prigozhin in his conflict with the Russian Defence Ministry and during the military mutiny in June 2023 negotiated with the head of the mercenaries.