Andrei Belousov, Russian defence minister

Andrei Belousov, the economist chosen by Russian President Vladimir Putin as the country's defense minister after the long-standing minister Sergei Shoigu was removed. The Kremlin on Sunday said it needed the defense ministry to stay "innovative".

The defense ministry must be absolutely open to innovation, to the introduction of all advanced ideas, to the creation of conditions for economic competitiveness, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in a briefing on the appointments. Belousov has been one of Putin's most influential economic advisers over the last decade.