#Putin said he had appointed #Belousov, who was dressed in a civilian suit, due to rising defence and security spending which he said would amount to 8.7% of gross domestic product or a little more. That is still below the Soviet level of 13% in the mid-1980s.
"the message sent by Belousov’s appointment is crystal clear: The war is here to stay."
"Replacing Shoigu with Belousov is unlikely to lead to any significant reduction in war-related graft and corruption—and Putin probably knows that. Rather, Belousov’s task will likely be to ensure a more even and sustainable distribution of the proceeds of said graft and corruption"