Its chairman Russia Vladimir Putin He replaced the governor of the Russian Army’s land forces, Oleg Skaliukov, according to a Presidential Decree released by the Kremlin, before negotiations with the Ukrainian delegation in Constantinople began.

Oleg Skaliukov assumes deputy secretary of the Security Council, an important counseling body that meets Putin regularly and “exempted from his current duties,” the decree said.

Former Defense Minister Sergei Soigu is secretary of the Council. After being replaced by the ministry by economist Andrei Belusov, many generals and other senior armed force executives were arrested on charges of corruption, which was considered “clearing”. The Kremlin, however, denies that it is engaged in a “clearing campaign” and assures that it was a regular corruption -related operation, as many scandals were recorded in the defense sector for many years.

Last week, Saliukov supervised the big military parade for the May 9th celebrations of Nazi Germany in the Red Moscow Square. Saiukov has been head of the land forces since 2014. In his days the military intervention in Syria and the invasion of Ukraine took place.