(MENAFN) Russian President Vladimir Putin has appointed Colonel General Andrey Bulyga as deputy secretary of the National Security Council, according to a presidential decree issued on Saturday.

Bulyga, who had served as deputy defense minister since March 2024, was simultaneously relieved of that position as part of the reshuffle. Before his tenure in the Defense Ministry, he held the post of deputy commander for logistics in Russia’s Western Military District.

In his new role, Bulyga will work under Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoigu, who previously served as Russia’s long-time defense minister before being reassigned earlier this year.

The decree also announced that Colonel General Aleksandr Sanchik has been appointed as Russia’s new deputy defense minister. Sanchik is a decorated officer with extensive combat experience, having commanded both the ‘East’ and ‘South’ joint groups of forces in the ongoing Ukraine conflict.

Throughout his career, Sanchik has participated in several key Russian military operations, including the 2015 counterterrorism campaign in Syria, the 2008 war with Georgia, and various anti-extremist operations in the North Caucasus.

Currently, the ‘South’ joint group of forces plays a central role in Russia’s campaign in the Donetsk People’s Republic, where it recently encircled the Ukrainian-held city of Krasnoarmeysk, a key stronghold in eastern Ukraine.

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