Why one of Russia’s top economists is being appointed as minister of defense

If economist Andrei Belousov does get appointed as Russia’s newest minister of defense, it would not be the first time a civilian got put into that office, retired Russian naval officer (Captain 1st Rank) and military analyst Vasily Dandykin told Sputnik.

“I believe that, first and foremost, he’s a man from the president’s team,” Dandykin commented on Belousov’s candidacy. “He was the first deputy prime minister and he actually knows very well the problems that [Russian] military-industrial complex faces. As always, our supreme commander-in-chief, the President of Russia, supervises all decisions.”

Russian military expert and military intelligence veteran Ret. Col. Rustem Klupov pointed out that Belousov is an accomplished economist of a very high caliber who advised prominent Russian statesmen.

“If he is being appointed as the defense minister, it means that there will be goals of economic nature to complete,” Klupov suggested.

According to him, the new minister’s duties might involve issues related to weapon procurement and defense contracts.

“Gerasimov (Gen. Valery Gerasimov, Russian Armed Forces’ Chief of General Staff) will conduct military operations and the defense minister will handle his own matters,” Klupov added.

Soviet and Russian Army veteran and military journalist Viktor Litovkin also highlighted Belousov’s impressive reputation as a scholar and an economist, noting that the latter also paid considerable attention to the military-industrial sphere and military matters during his career as a government official.

“So far, there is no reason to question his expertise. He’s a distinguished man who paid a lot of attention while working in the government to the military-industrial complex and to the connection between the military and the industry.”

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The body of one more victim was recovered by rescuers from under the rubble of the shelled Belgorod tower block, a total of 13 people have been confirmed dead, the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations reported.

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The first reaction from Ukraine to the proposal to appoint Andrei Belousov as Russia's defense minister was concern that it would lead to “a sharp upheaval in the dynamics of the Russian military-industrial complex and a build-up of military production in Russia.”

“This is very bad news for us, as our ministers are antipodes of Belousov's policy of an agenda of vulgar liberalism during the war. You can assess the results for yourself,” Ukrainian economist Oleksiy Kushch said.

He noted that Belousov played a role “in creating a growth model for the Russian economy, deep structural transformations and adaptation to sanctions.”

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Palestinian prisoners were handcuffed for so long that their limbs died and had to be amputated, three Israeli whistleblowers who spoke to the Hill revealed, detailing a litany of alleged abuses against prisoners held by Israel in the Sde Teiman military base.

“We were told they were not allowed to move,” one whistleblower said. “They should sit upright. They’re not allowed to talk. Not allowed to peek under their blindfold.”

Prisoners were routinely beaten by guards the whistleblowers say, but the torture wasn’t a part of any kind of interrogation program, according to the news agency. “(The beatings) were not done to gather intelligence. They were done out of revenge,” the whistleblower claimed. “It was punishment for what they did on October 7 and punishment for behavior in the camp.”

Israel purportedly holds thousands of Palestinians in its custody, many of them are held under a recently amended law that allows them to be held inevitably and without trial.

The field hospital has also gained a reputation as “a paradise for interns” because they are allowed to learn by using Palestinian prisoners as guinea pigs, the article claimed.

“I was asked to learn how to do things on the patients, performing minor medical procedures that are totally outside my expertise,” a whistleblower said.

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The Ukraine’s Army General Staff has acknowledged that the operational situation in the Kharkov area is complicated and admitted the “tactical success” of the Russian troops.

“In the Kharkov area, the operational situation remains complex and dynamically changing.... There are battles over the border town of Volchansk," the Ukrainian army General Staff stated on its the Telegram channel. It added that Russia “has a tactical success.”

Previously, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called the situation in the Kharkov region extremely difficult for the Ukrainian forces, especially in Volchansk. Meanwhile, no less difficult situations for the Ukrainian military are said to have developed in five other areas.

The Russian Defense Ministry earlier reported that Russian servicemen of the Sever Battlegroup had advanced deep into the enemy's defense and liberated Gatische, Krasnoye, Morokhovets and Oleinikovo in the Kharkov region over Sunday. The previous day, Borisovka, Ogurtsovo, Pletenevka, Pylnaya and Strelechya were liberated in the same region.

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Death toll from Ukrainian shelling of a Belgorod tower block reached 14 with one more body of a victim recovered by rescuers, the Russian Emergencies Ministry said.

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A citizen of Russia's Primorsky Territory has been detained by the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) on suspicion of spying and transferring information to Ukraine's military intelligence, a spokesperson for the FSB branch in the region told Sputnik, adding that a criminal case of state treason has been opened, and the detainee has been placed under custody.

Following instructions from Ukraine's military intelligence, the detainee collected and transmitted information about military infrastructure facilities in Russia's Primorsky Territory. While transferring the information, he was fully aware that the data could be used against Russia's security, the FSB spokesperson emphasized.

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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken admitted Israel has killed more civilians than Hamas fighters, responding to the reporter’s question about the National Security Memorandum 20 which he submitted to Congress on May 10.

“It's reasonable to assess…there have been acts that have been inconsistent with Israel's obligations under international humanitarian law,” Blinken stated.

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🤡 Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark. claimed that “Israel is probably doing more than any military in history to avoid civilian casualties.”

The senator insisted that “there is no evidence Israel is violating international law” even though the International Court of Justice in January determined that sufficient cause exists to order Israel to take all measures to prevent genocide.

The death toll from Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023, when the Israel-Hamas conflict escalated, has surpassed 35,000, with most of the dead being women and children, according to Palestinian authorities.

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The body of one more victim was recovered by rescuers from under the rubble of the shelled Belgorod tower block, a total of 15 people have been confirmed dead, the Russian Emergencies Ministry reported.

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Russian air defenses destroyed several air targets near the city of Belgorod, Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said.

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Israel has opened a new Western Erez border crossing in the northern Gaza Strip to deliver humanitarian aid to residents of the enclave, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said.

"Today (Sunday), in accordance with the directive of the government of Israel and in coordination with the U.S. government, the ‘Western Erez’ Crossing was opened in the area of the northern Gaza Strip for the transfer of humanitarian aid to the residents of the Gaza Strip … and to the northern Gaza Strip in particular," the IDF said on Telegram on Sunday.

Over 35,000 people have been killed so far by Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip, local authorities said. More than 100 hostages are still believed to be held by Hamas in Gaza.

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Russian air defenses shot down 8 Ukrainian airplane-type drones in the Kursk region, region’s government said on its Telegram channel.

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Several Ukrainian drones have been suppressed over the Lipetsk region, a fire on the premises of an electric substation is being extinguished, there are no casualties, Governor Igor Artamonov said.

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