One of Putin's oldest associates, Sergei Ivanov, has died

The former head of the Russian presidential administration, Sergei Ivanov, has died at the age of 73, according to the VTB United League, of which he was honorary president.

Ivanov is a career intelligence officer who has known Putin since the 1970s from his work in the Leningrad KGB. In 2001, after the Kursk disaster, he became Russia's first civilian defense minister, and before the 2008 reshuffle, he was considered one of Putin's likely successors - until his chances were undermined by an unfortunate public statement about the case of Private Sychev, a victim of hazing: "For us, hazing begins in kindergarten."

From 2011 to 2016, Ivanov headed the presidential administration, and then gave up the post to Anton Vaino - according to Vedomosti, voluntarily, under the influence of the death of his eldest son.

From 2016 until February 4, 2026, Ivanov served as special presidential representative for the environment. At his own request, he left this position, and on February 16, by Putin’s decree, he was removed from the Security Council, of which he had remained a permanent member since 1999.