President Vladimir Putin has ordered the dismissal of five generals and one police colonel, a move described in an excerpt from the head of state’s decree, as reported by RBC. The changes mark a notable reshuffle within Russia’s interior forces and are being interpreted as part of a broader staff rotation that often accompanies leadership updates at the regional and national levels.
Among those affected is Vasily Kukushkin, a Major General of Police who headed the Vladimir Region’s Department. At 64, he reached a typical retirement age milestone. His career includes a prior post as the head of the Ryazan law enforcement agency, illustrating a long arc through Russia’s policing leadership tracks.
Earlier in his career, Kukushkin led the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Republic of Ingushetia from 2003 to 2004. He later assumed leadership duties within the Kostroma region’s police structure and also led forces in the Republic of Karelia, reflecting a pattern of moving through several regional directorates before arriving at his most recent role.
Additionally, the deputy head of the Main Directorate for the Altai Territory’s Ministry of Internal Affairs, Major General Alexander Laas, resigned. He also is 64 years old. His service spans from 1979, during which he held multiple roles in the militia and district police before reaching his current rank and responsibilities.
The decree references Federal Law No. 342, which sets the age limit for service in the interior ministry for generals at 65. This framework is cited to contextualize the timing of personnel changes and retirements within the senior ranks of Russia’s internal security apparatus.
In another development, the head of the Yaroslavl region department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Major General Andrey Lipilin, was dismissed. Lipilin’s career includes time in the Magadan and Omsk regions, and in 2002 he became the head of the Internal Affairs Directorate for the Ramensky district, part of the Moscow Region’s system. By 2011 he had moved into a post near Moscow as vice-president of the head office, illustrating the mobility common in Russian law enforcement leadership as officials rotate through key regional and federal positions.
Also dismissed was Police Major General Alexander Udovenko, who led the operational department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation. His prior role included heading the ministry’s presence in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, demonstrating the breadth of regional experience often seen among high-ranking officials who are reassigned or retired as part of formal rotations.
Major General Yury Instrankin, the Deputy Head of the Logistics and Medical Support Department, was among those let go. His background includes service as deputy head of the Main Directorate of Criminal Investigation, underscoring a career that spanned both operational and administrative ranks within the ministry’s policing structure.
In the final tally, Colonel Emil Musin was dismissed after a long tenure at the Forensic Center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Musin also contributed as the editor of the textbook “Forensic Economic Analysis in Criminal Procedure.” The law specifies an age ceiling of 60 for colonels serving in interior roles, which aligns with the decision to rotate personnel in higher echelons of the service.
RBC’s source described the resignations as normal staff rotation, a phrasing that reflects routine administrative practice rather than a destabilizing purge. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov linked the decree to broader personnel changes, framing the moves as part of ongoing organizational adjustments within Russia’s security services.
The presidential press secretary discussed the concept of rotation in an interview with RIA Novosti, emphasizing that personnel changes are a regular feature of high-level administration and security governance. This perspective aligns with precedent, including earlier legislative steps such as the 2021 law enabling the extension of service life for colonel generals and admirals to age 70, which also informs how leadership pacing is managed across the service.