Sergei Ivanov, a close associate of Putin and former Russian Defence Minister, has died
Sergei Ivanov was one of the longest-serving members of Putin’s inner circle. He worked alongside Putin whilst they were both in the KGB, and later in the FSB, the Russian government and the Presidential Administration of the Russian Federation.
Ivanov’s career ran parallel to Putin’s political career for many years. In 1998, when Putin was head of the FSB, Ivanov became deputy director of the security service.
From 2001 to 2007, he served as Russia’s Minister of Defence. Later, from 2008 to 2011, he was one of the leading members of the Russian government whilst Putin was Prime Minister.
What role did Ivanov play in the Kremlin?
In 2011, Ivanov took charge of the Presidential Administration following Putin’s return to the presidency. He led the administration until 2016, when he was replaced by Anton Vaino.
Ivanov was long considered one of Putin’s possible successors, alongside Dmitry Medvedev. Ultimately, in 2008, Putin backed Medvedev.
After stepping down as head of the Presidential Administration, Ivanov served as Putin’s special representative for environmental protection, ecology and transport. He also sat on the supervisory board of the Russian state corporation Rostec.
In February 2026, Putin removed Ivanov from the Russian Federation’s Security Council. No official reason was given for this decision.
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