Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin is retaining his position in the Russian government for Russian President Vladimir Putin's new term of office, and there have been speculations but no confirmations of changes to Putin's cabinet. The Russian State Duma voted overwhelmingly in support of Mishustin’s renomination as prime minister, and Putin signed the corresponding decree reappointing Mishustin on May 10.[41] Russian outlet RBK, citing three sources familiar with personnel consultations in the Kremlin, reported that Russian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov will retain his title as Deputy Prime Minister but will relinquish his post as Minister of Industry and Trade, and RBK reported that Kaliningrad Oblast Head Anton Alikhanov will take over this position.[42] Putin publicly embarrassed Manturov in January 2023, and Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu heavily criticized Manturov on May 2, 2024, but RBK’s source stated that the new appointment is “logical and expected” as all the possible candidates for the Minister of Industry and Trade are “in one way or another, from Manturov’s team.”[43] Russian State Duma Chairperson Vyacheslav Volodin stated that the Duma will consider appointments for deputy prime ministers and ministerial positions on May 14.[44]
Russian Federation Council Chairperson Valentina Matvienko announced on May 10 that she delivered a list of candidates to Putin for the head of the Federation Council Accounts Chamber, which notably includes Presidential Control Directorate Deputy Head Boris Kovalchuk.[45] Boris Kovalchuk is the son of Putin's “personal banker” Yuri Kovalchuk, who is often credited with being Putin's close confidant and influential ideologue, including reportedly being one of three Russians to convince Putin to launch the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.[46] Yuri Kovalchuk is also a close associate of Russian Presidential Administration Deputy Head Sergey Kiriyenko, whose own influence has expanded following the start of the full-scale invasion.[47] Putin only recently appointed Boris Kovalchuk to his post in the Presidential Control Directorate on March 15, before which Boris Kovalchuk headed the Russian energy company Inter RAO for 15 years.[48] The other two candidates for Federation Council Accounts Chamber head include Accounts Chamber Acting Head Galina Izotova, who has served in this position since the former head resigned in 2022 and served as deputy head since 2019, and Anatoly Artamonov, chairperson of the Federation Council Committee on Budget and Financial Markets.[49] Boris Kovalchuk is the only one of these three candidates to lack a doctorate in economics and extensive experience in the field.[50] Boris Kovalchuk's candidacy for a Federation Council post given his lack of experience and newness to the presidential administration is notable given Yuri Kovalchuk's closeness to Putin, indicating that Kovalchuk's favor with Putin may be increasing. Putin will consider Matvienko’s list of candidates and choose one for the Federation Council to consider in the coming days.[51]
https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-may-10-2024
According to the source, Udodov and Mishustin actively use administrative resources in Azerbaijan.
The fact is that Mishustin is a friend and partner of the Prime Minister of Azerbaijan Ali Asadov. Udodov also serves all tax interests of the group of Araz Agalarov, God Nisanov and Zarakh Iliev. Helps to minimize tax payments, often reducing them by 10 times what special (largest) taxpayers owe to the country's budget. Mishustin, head of the Foreign Intelligence Service Naryshkin and these oligarchs are partners in a number of areas. As our interlocutor said, Mishustin introduced Udodov to Naryshkin, Agalarov and even the Prime Minister of Azerbaijan Asadov. “Azerbaijani friends” gave the company SHEER ONE INVESTMENT LLC to Mishustin and Udodov for the fictitious re-registration of their foreign assets in order to circumvent American and European sanctions. Mishustin and Udodov are using all resources and tools so as not to lose large businesses and real estate abroad. As www.Rucriminal.info previously reported, in order to evade sanctions, one of the main commercial assets in Germany of Mishustin and Udodov - VGCargo Gmbh - was registered in the name of the Azerbaijani company SHEER ONE INVESTMENT LLC. Udodov and Mishustin are most afraid of losing this asset, since it is one of the largest assets in the field of logistics throughout Germany.
Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin submitted proposals on the composition of the new Russian government to the State Duma on May 11.[40] Mishustin proposed that current Minister of Agriculture Dmitry Patrushev become a Deputy Prime Minister and that current Kursk Oblast Governor Roman Starovoit become the Minister of Transport.[41] Mishustin also proposed that current Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov leave his position as Minister of Industry and Trade and become First Deputy Prime Minister. Mishustin nominated current Kaliningrad Oblast Governor Anton Alikhanov to replace Manturov as Minister of Industry and Trade. Dmitry Patrushev is notably the son of Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev, and this is the second recent case of nominations to high ranking positions for children of people in Russian President Vladimir Putin's inner circle after Russian Federation Council Chairperson Valentina Matvienko nominated Boris Kovalchuk – the son of Putin's “personal banker” Yuri Kovalchuk – as a candidate for the head of the Federation Council Accounts Chamber on May 10.[42]
https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-may-11-2024