Putin Appoints Military General and Former Ukraine Official as Governors of Border Regions

Russian President Vladimir Putin has replaced the governors of the Belgorod and Bryansk regions, two key border areas affected by the ongoing conflict with Ukraine. The Kremlin announced that Vyacheslav Gladkov of Belgorod and Alexander Bogomaz of Bryansk stepped down at their own request. Gladkov, who had led Belgorod since before the 2022 invasion, was replaced by Alexander Shuvaev, a decorated army general and native of the region. Shuvaev, who fought in Ukraine, Syria, and Georgia, was previously part of the Kremlin’s Time of Heroes program aimed at integrating veterans into government roles. In Bryansk, Putin appointed Yegor Kovalchuk, a former official in the Russian-backed administration of Luhansk, as interim governor. During a meeting at the Kremlin, Putin emphasized the strategic importance of securing these border zones. Analysts noted that Gladkov’s removal ends a tenure marked by high public visibility and social media engagement during Ukrainian strikes, though critics described him as an autocrat within the system. The appointments signal a shift toward militarized leadership in regions directly impacted by the war.