Kremlin replaces people’s governor with war general

Hello! This week we look at Vladimir Putin’s decision to fire the head of the frontline Belgorod region, who might have been a victim of his own popularity.

Belgorod leader out: When popularity becomes a problem

Rotating Russia’s regional governors has long been a routine process. But the “resignation” of Vyacheslav Gladkov, the head of the frontline Belgorod region who has faced greater wartime problems than most, is a signal about the state of Russian politics today. He was not just a run-of-the-mill regional apparatchik, but a genuinely popular figure who was unafraid to criticize Kremlin decisions. In his place, the authorities appointed a general with a dubious reputation from the war in Ukraine — the most high-profile bureaucratic appointment in a drive to push more and more ex-soldiers into politics.