Former head of the Russian Defense Ministry Sergei Ivanov has died

Former head of the Russian Ministry of Defense Sergei Ivanov, one of the most influential Russian officials of recent decades, has died at the age of 73, Meduza reports.

Over the years, he held the positions of Deputy Prime Minister and First Deputy Prime Minister of the government, Minister of Defense, Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, and head of the Presidential Administration.

From 2016 until February 2026, Ivanov served as special presidential representative on environmental issues, ecology and transport. Until recently, he also remained a member of the Security Council of the Russian Federation.

In 2007, Ivanov was considered one of the most likely candidates for the post of Vladimir Putin’s successor, but lost the bureaucratic battle to Dmitry Medvedev.