Russia Defence Minister Serdyukov sacked by Vladimir Putin

BBC News, 6 November 2012

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Mr Serdyukov had been defence
minister for six years

Russian President Vladimir Putin has dismissed the defence minister after his ministry was caught up in a corruption scandal.

Anatoly Serdyukov has been replaced with a former emergencies minister and loyal ally to Mr Putin, Sergei Shoigu.

Russia's top investigative agency is investigating the sale of ministry assets at prices below market value.

Mr Putin said he had removed Mr Serdyukov to create "conditions for an objective investigation".

Last month, Russian investigators raided the offices of a state-controlled military contractor and began investigating the company on suspicion that it had sold assets to commercial firms at a loss of nearly three billion roubles ($100m; £62.5m).

Oboronservice's activities include servicing military aircraft and arms and constructing military facilities.

Mr Serdyukov was a furniture store executive and head of the Russian tax service before being appointed defence minister in 2007.

The BBC's Steve Rosenberg, in Moscow, says that in the six years that Mr Serdyukov had been minister he had tried to reform Russia's outdated armed forces by cutting costs and personnel and by boosting efficiency.

But, our correspondent adds, he had made enemies along the way, and fell out with his own father-in-law, the former deputy prime minister Viktor Zubkov.

He may now face questioning as part of the fraud investigation.

Gen Gerasimov (right) was assigned to duties by President Putin

in the Kremlin

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