Overview
- President Vladimir Putin accepted the resignations of Vyacheslav Gladkov and Alexander Bogomaz on Wednesday and named Alexander Shuyaev and Yegor Kovalchuk as acting heads of Belgorod and Bryansk.
- Shuyaev is a major general who fought in Ukraine, Syria and Georgia and joined the Kremlin’s Time of Heroes program in 2025, with a Telegram channel later accusing fighters from a brigade linked to him of shooting prisoners of war.
- Kovalchuk previously led the self-proclaimed Luhansk People’s Republic’s “government” starting in June 2024 and is a graduate of a Russian state academy program that grooms future regional leaders.
- Prosecutors are investigating suspected theft in defensive works in both regions, with at least nine arrests reported in Belgorod and at least four in Bryansk, including former vice governor Nikolay Simonenko.
- Radio Svoboda reports that Bogomaz has taken a State Duma seat, while media speculate on Gladkov’s next role, including an ambassadorship to Abkhazia, without official confirmation.