New Defence Minister Andrei Belousov Cheers Troops in Ukraine

Newly-appointed Russian Defence Minister Andrei Belousov has praised Moscow's forces in Ukraine for their battlefield progress. Belousov's appointment in May, replacing Sergei Shoigu, was a surprise move by President Putin aimed at enhancing defence spending efficiency and addressing a major bribery scandal within the defence ministry.

Newly-appointed Russian Defence Minister Andrei Belousov has sent telegrams to Moscow's forces in Ukraine thanking them for their battlefield progress, official army news outlet Zvezda reported on Wednesday.

Putin in May removed ally Sergei Shoigu as defence minister and replaced him with Belousov, an economist and former deputy prime minister, in a surprise move.

The change was widely seen as an attempt to get more value from defence spending and to clean up the defence ministry, which has been hit by a major bribery scandal.