Six months ago, Andrei Belousov replaced the “unsinkable” Sergei Shoigu as Russia’s Minister of Defense. A professional economist and former First Deputy Prime Minister, Belousov had no direct ties to the armed forces. His appointment to replace Shoigu, a “parade general” and “political heavyweight” from the Yeltsin era, came as a surprise — but it raised high hopes among Shoigu’s critics in Russia’s pro-war community. However, six months into the new minister’s tenure, many of these expectations have not been met. The Insider took a closer look at Belousov’s track record at the Ministry of Defense (MoD), highlighting the top ten key developments and events linked to his name.
“Rambovich”
It would be an overstatement to claim that, prior to his appointment as Defense Minister in May 2024, Andrei Belousov had no connection to Russia’s war in Ukraine. In early February 2022, the independent Russian publication The Bell reported that Vice Premier Belousov had chaired meetings following stress tests (“drills”) for systemically important companies in the Russian economy — a clear sign that the country’s leadership was anticipating the possibility of new sanctions resulting from the “escalation in Ukraine.” The Dossier Center investigative outlet, citing Belousov’s personal correspondence and sources, claimed that he “had been involved in various military issues” related to logistics since 2013, and that he was also in charge of overseeing the activities of the late Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin.
“Special Military Operation”
“Special Military Operation” is the official term used in Russia to describe the full-scale war against Ukraine, which began on Feb. 24, 2022.
The abbreviation is placed in quotation marks as it is a euphemism used by the Russian state and Kremlin propaganda to refer to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Meat-grinder assaults
“Meat-grinder assaults” (or “meat assaults”) — also known as “human wave attacks” — refer to the practice of sending infantry to storm enemy positions without proper preparation or support from artillery, drones, or armored vehicles, often resulting in heavy losses among the attacking forces.
Despite the unexpected nature of Vladimir Putin’s personnel swap at the top of the MoD, Belousov quickly found enthusiastic supporters within the pro-war community. The new minister was compared to storied Russian military commander Alexander Suvorov (based on his perceived physical resemblance), to the Russian Imperial statesman and reformer Pyotr Stolypin (for his managerial approach), and — due to his patronymic, “Removich” — even to John Rambo, the protagonist of the 1980s action franchise starring Sylvester Stallone.
Self-styled “military correspondent” Alexander Sladkov claimed that Belousov had earned a popular “callsign” online — “Rambovich” (whatever that might mean). Television propaganda quickly followed suit: for a time, the appointment of a “civilian economist” to the Defense Ministry became a central topic in Kremlin-controlled broadcasts.
The purge of the MoD
One of the main hopes pinned on Belousov in his new post was his potential to fight corruption, a failing closely associated with Sergei Shoigu’s team at the MoD. The purge of the Ministry began even before Shoigu’s dismissal, with the arrest of his deputy Timur Ivanov in April 2024. As of late November 2024, the number of individuals from Shoigu’s former team facing criminal charges has approached twenty.
These include former deputy defense ministers Pavel Popov and Dmitry Bulgakov, head of the Defense Ministry’s Main Personnel Directorate Yuri Kuznetsov, and Lieutenant General Vadim Shamarin, deputy chief of Russia’s General Staff.
However, right from the start, Belousov’s own appointees seemed equally controversial. Oleg Saveliev became Deputy Defense Minister and the MoD’s Chief of Staff, even though an investigation by The Insider found that the former Accounts Chamber auditor hides his de facto wife from his income declaration — and with her, their expensive property holdings.
Anna Tsivileva, a distant cousin of Vladimir Putin, was appointed Deputy Minister and State Secretary — effectively the ministry’s top administrative official. Tsivilyova owns stakes in major companies involved in coal mining and tourism. From April 2023 until her move to the MoD, she led the state-run “Defenders of the Fatherland” fund, created by Vladimir Putin to assist participants in the so-called “Special Military Operation.” The fund has faced repeated criticism from veterans of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and their families.
“Special Military Operation”
“Special Military Operation” is the official term used in Russia to describe the full-scale war against Ukraine, which began on Feb. 24, 2022.
The abbreviation is placed in quotation marks as it is a euphemism used by the Russian state and Kremlin propaganda to refer to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Meat-grinder assaults
“Meat-grinder assaults” (or “meat assaults”) — also known as “human wave attacks” — refer to the practice of sending infantry to storm enemy positions without proper preparation or support from artillery, drones, or armored vehicles, often resulting in heavy losses among the attacking forces.
As for the minister himself, the aforementioned investigation by the Dossier Center published emails — allegedly from Belousov’s personal archive — regarding the urgent sale of a villa in Italy in 2018 and the transfer of €600,000 to his account in a Malta-based bank. At the time, this amounted to slightly less than his entire declared income from 2012 to 2017.
In 2020, the publication Metla (lit. “Broom”) noted that Belousov’s son Pavel owned the company Claire & Clarté, which specializes in consulting and digitalization in the engineering sector. The firm secured contracts with Russia’s Ministry of Industry and Trade, as well as with state corporations Rostec, Rosatom, and Roscosmos. Pavel Belousov’s father curiously served on the supervisory boards of Rosatom and Roscosmos at the time the contracts were awarded.
“Special Military Operation”
“Special Military Operation” is the official term used in Russia to describe the full-scale war against Ukraine, which began on Feb. 24, 2022.
The abbreviation is placed in quotation marks as it is a euphemism used by the Russian state and Kremlin propaganda to refer to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Meat-grinder assaults
“Meat-grinder assaults” (or “meat assaults”) — also known as “human wave attacks” — refer to the practice of sending infantry to storm enemy positions without proper preparation or support from artillery, drones, or armored vehicles, often resulting in heavy losses among the attacking forces.
Belousov’s son, Pavel, owns a company that secured contracts from the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade, as well as state corporations Rostec, Rosatom, and Roscosmos.
“You can make mistakes, but you can’t lie”
Andrei Belousov made a strong impression on Russia’s patriotic circles and war hawks with the principle he declared upon his appointment. Portraying himself as a man of integrity, he told MPs: “You can make mistakes, but you can’t lie.” This was interpreted as a signal that the practice of providing “false reports” about the actual situation on the frontlines was set to come to an end. At the time, censorship within pro-war circles significantly limited discussions about issues in the Russian military, making his statement appear as a call to break the “regime of silence.” For a while, the phrase was widely quoted on social media — but it later began to be used sarcastically, eventually being inverted into its direct opposite: “You can lie, but you can’t make mistakes.”
“Special Military Operation”
“Special Military Operation” is the official term used in Russia to describe the full-scale war against Ukraine, which began on Feb. 24, 2022.
The abbreviation is placed in quotation marks as it is a euphemism used by the Russian state and Kremlin propaganda to refer to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Meat-grinder assaults
“Meat-grinder assaults” (or “meat assaults”) — also known as “human wave attacks” — refer to the practice of sending infantry to storm enemy positions without proper preparation or support from artillery, drones, or armored vehicles, often resulting in heavy losses among the attacking forces.
The original phrase recently reappeared in a photo of a “complaint bomb” published by well-known Russian military blogger Fighterbomber. Russian pilots had used it as a means to highlight the issue of systematic non-payment of their bonuses.
The photo’s impact, however, led only to investigations aimed at the soldiers involved — and the apparent dismissal of their unit commander, who took responsibility for the act. In response, the pro-war community began sharing the inverted version of the phrase — “You can lie, but you can’t make mistakes” — alongside the photo.
Meanwhile, the issue of “false reports” persisted. This became particularly evident in October 2024, when several major pro-war channels, including Rybar, started exposing the fact that Russian state propaganda was spreading exaggerated claims of success in the Siversk salient.
Similarly, heavy losses during the Russian army’s ongoing offensive in the Kursk Region were linked to commanders claiming areas as “captured in advance” — i.e. lying about territorial gains in reports to their superiors, which then resulted in orders for actual assaults based on these false claims.
“Special Military Operation”
“Special Military Operation” is the official term used in Russia to describe the full-scale war against Ukraine, which began on Feb. 24, 2022.
The abbreviation is placed in quotation marks as it is a euphemism used by the Russian state and Kremlin propaganda to refer to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Meat-grinder assaults
“Meat-grinder assaults” (or “meat assaults”) — also known as “human wave attacks” — refer to the practice of sending infantry to storm enemy positions without proper preparation or support from artillery, drones, or armored vehicles, often resulting in heavy losses among the attacking forces.
Russian commanders in the Kursk Region claimed areas as “captured in advance” — meaning they lied about territorial gains in reports to their superiors.
From suit to uniform
At the beginning of his tenure as Defense Minister, Andrei Belousov was notably seen in public wearing a formal suit. This “civilian image” was emphasized in Kremlin media and contrasted sharply with the persona of the “cardboard marshal” Sergei Shoigu, whose uniform often drew mockery — even within Russia’s pro-war community. The figure of a man in an “office suit” inspired certain hopes among pro-war activists that technocratic efficiency would soon characterize the management of the country’s armed forces.
“Special Military Operation”
“Special Military Operation” is the official term used in Russia to describe the full-scale war against Ukraine, which began on Feb. 24, 2022.
The abbreviation is placed in quotation marks as it is a euphemism used by the Russian state and Kremlin propaganda to refer to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Meat-grinder assaults
“Meat-grinder assaults” (or “meat assaults”) — also known as “human wave attacks” — refer to the practice of sending infantry to storm enemy positions without proper preparation or support from artillery, drones, or armored vehicles, often resulting in heavy losses among the attacking forces.
When Belousov appeared in uniform at a Security Council meeting in June 2024, the state-run TASS information agency even felt compelled to clarify that he had not been promoted to general — contrary to false reports from other outlets. Instead, the new minister’s uniform, though resembling a general’s, merely reflected his civilian rank of First Class State Counselor — a civil service position roughly equivalent to the military rank of Army General.
Strikes against his own family
In the summer of 2024, reports surfaced revealing that close relatives of Russia’s new Defense Minister live in Kyiv, which is also home to the grave of his grandfather, Major General Alexander Belousov. While the minister had reportedly lost contact with his Ukrainian relatives years ago, his position has directly tied him to missile and drone strikes targeting their place of residence.
The Insider interviewed Belousov’s niece, Natalia Vertinskaya, about the situation. Her testimony — “my uncle is launching missiles at my father” — featured in the headline of the resulting report.
“Special Military Operation”
“Special Military Operation” is the official term used in Russia to describe the full-scale war against Ukraine, which began on Feb. 24, 2022.
The abbreviation is placed in quotation marks as it is a euphemism used by the Russian state and Kremlin propaganda to refer to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Meat-grinder assaults
“Meat-grinder assaults” (or “meat assaults”) — also known as “human wave attacks” — refer to the practice of sending infantry to storm enemy positions without proper preparation or support from artillery, drones, or armored vehicles, often resulting in heavy losses among the attacking forces.