Putin Fires Two More Defense Chiefs

More leadership reshuffling

Russian President Vladimir Putin fired two defence ministry deputies on Thursday, broadening a reshuffle after the sacking of the defence minister last week over a fraud investigation.

Putin dismissed deputy minister Yelena Kozlova, who oversaw finances, and Dmitry Chushkin, who was in charge of communications technologies, naming two associates of the new Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu as their replacements.

The move strengthens the grip of Putin and Shoigu at the ministry, which channels billions of tax dollars every year through Russia's huge defence industry, the world's second largest arms exporter.