Kathrine Frich
For years, speculation has surrounded who might eventually take over from Vladimir Putin at the helm of Russia.
Among the names frequently mentioned was Sergei Ivanov, a veteran official long seen as part of the president’s inner circle.
Sudden removal
Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree excluding Ivanov from the Russian Security Council, according to the independent outlet Meduza.
The decision follows another change earlier this month, when Ivanov was dismissed from his post as the president’s special representative for environmental protection, ecology and transport. The Kremlin said he had requested to step down.
The Security Council plays a central role in shaping Russia’s national security and defence policy, making Ivanov’s removal a notable development within the country’s leadership.
Longtime associate
Ivanov has been regarded for decades as one of Putin’s closest associates.
The two reportedly met during their university years and later completed postgraduate training in counterintelligence before joining the Foreign Intelligence Service.
Both began their careers in the Leningrad branch of the KGB. From 2001 to 2007, Ivanov served as defence minister, becoming the first civilian to lead the ministry and the first drawn from the civilian intelligence services.
He was appointed First Deputy Prime Minister in 2011 and subsequently headed the Presidential Administration from 2011 to 2016, positions that placed him at the centre of Kremlin power.
Succession talk
Ahead of the 2008 presidential election, Ivanov was widely viewed as one of two main candidates to succeed Putin.
In the end, Dmitry Medvedev was nominated and later became president, while Ivanov publicly supported him.
In 2010, then-Prime Minister Putin named Ivanov deputy chairman of a government commission investigating the crash of the Polish Tu-154 aircraft, which killed 96 people, including Polish President Lech Kaczyński.
Ivanov’s formal removal from the Security Council marks the latest shift within Russia’s senior ranks, amid continued attention on the structure and future of the country’s leadership.
Sources: Meduza, O2.
