Putin replaces governors of two battered regions bordering Ukraine

Vladimir Putin has replaced the governors of two Russian regions along Ukraine’s border.

According to the Kremlin’s press service, both Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov of the Belgorod region and Governor Alexander Bogomaz of the Bryansk region voluntarily submitted their resignations on Wednesday.

Putin has tapped Alexander Shuvaev to become acting head of the Belgorod region and Yegor Kovalchuk to take over in the Bryansk region. He met with both men at the Kremlin ahead of their appointments.

Shuvaev is a Russian army major general who fought in the Russo-Georgian War, Russia’s Syria intervention, and the ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Last summer he took part in the Kremlin’s “Time of Heroes” programme, which fast-tracks military veterans into civilian government roles. He was appointed deputy governor of the Irkutsk region in January.

Novaya Gazeta Europe had previously reported that Shuvaev was set to be appointed head of the Belgorod region. His selection was reportedly delayed; sources close to the process told Novaya Europe that he may have gotten drunk ahead of a preliminary meeting with Putin, leaving his military backers with serious doubts.

Yegor Kovalchuk is a graduate of Russia’s School of Governors, a Kremlin-run executive training programme run through the Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA). He previously served as deputy governor of the Chelyabinsk region and as mayor of the city of Miass. In July 2024, Moscow installed him as head of the self-proclaimed “Luhansk People’s Republic” in occupied Ukraine.

Outgoing Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov posted a farewell video to his Telegram channel on Thursday morning, thanking Putin for his “constant attention, help, and support,” and expressing gratitude both to residents who backed him and to those who criticised him. He closed by wishing the region victory in the war, saying, “Belgorod region, more than anyone, has earned it”.

Gladkov had held the post since 2021. Vedomosti was first to report on his likely departure, on 6 April, citing sources close to the Putin administration who pointed to undisclosed health issues and low federal approval ratings in the region.

Meanwhile, the day after Bogomaz's resignation, Russia's Central Election Commission registered him as a State Duma deputy, filling a vacant seat left by the early departure of deputy Ayrat Farrakhov. Bogomaz had previously been entitled to a Duma seat after the 2021 elections, having led the United Russia regional list, but waived it to remain as governor.