With zero military experience, Andrei Belousov, a wiry, white-haired economist and Orthodox churchgoer who enjoys rock climbing, seems an odd choice to become Russia’s new defense minister at a time when Moscow is waging war against Ukraine.
But six sources, some of whom worked with Belousov, described a tough and professional government insider who once led a campaign to wring more money from big business for the state, proving he was sharp enough to navigate the system.
In times of war, Russia’s Defense Minister must oversee massive financial flows and economic and industrial planning, while leaving the day-to-day management of the battlefield to others. Belousov’s ability to get things done – having raised about 300 billion rubles ($3 billion) from a tax on corporate windfalls – is likely to have impressed President Vladimir Putin.
