President Vladimir Putin has sacked the governor of the Vologda region which has been viewed by analysts as a pre-election reshuffle by the Kremlin.
The Kremlin announced that Putin had accepted the “voluntary resignation” of Governor Oleg Kuvshinnikov on Tuesday.
In Kuvshinnikov’s place, Putin selected Georgy Filimonov who is reportedly a close friend of Putin’s daughter, Katerina Tikhonova.
Russia’s next regional elections are scheduled to take place in September 2024.
Reacting to the announcement, London-based Russian analyst Alex Kokcharov branded it “neo-feudalism in action”.
It comes another Russia expert said Putin could be closing his inner circle fearing “consequences” from the war in Ukraine.
Former advisor to Ukraine’s Parliament Mykola Volkivskyi told Daily Express US: “Speaking about his entourage, it is clear that most of them understand how big a mistake he made by launching a full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022.
“And so, fearing the possible consequences from his ‘old friends’, Putin is limiting his circle of contacts and isolating himself.
“The events of this summer have shown that Putin is no longer untouchable.”
