By Ekaterina Janashia | 2026-06-18

Two governors are out. Two military commanders are in.

As Russia's war in Ukraine grinds into its fifth year, the Kremlin has stripped two of its bloodiest border regions of civilian leadership, handing them instead to men trained to fight, not to govern.

President Vladimir Putin accepted the simultaneous resignations of Belgorod region Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov and Bryansk region Governor Alexander Bogomaz. Officials described both departures as voluntary, standard rotations made "at their own request."

Independent Russian analysts see something else: a calculated, structural shift toward military rule along the Ukrainian border, according to reports from RBC, Meduza and Radio Svoboda.

Three forces drove the shakeup, analysts said. Administrative fatigue wore down both governors. Public trust collapsed in both regions. And the Kremlin decided regional defense now matters more than economic development.

A popularity problem

Gladkov's departure stands out because he was popular, not despised.

Since taking office in 2021, Gladkov built a visible, hands-on public image. He used social media to post real-time updates on cross-border artillery strikes, drone incursions and civilian evacuations, becoming one of Russia's most recognizable wartime governors.

That visibility ultimately worked against him, said political scientist Alexander Kynev. Gladkov's popularity and his own political ambitions put him on a collision course with the Kremlin's demand for centralized control, Kynev said.

"Gladkov, who is supported by the population, could have been ruined by his own ambitions," Kynev said.

Modern Russian governance follows an unwritten rule, according to Kynev: Regional executives must never overshadow federal leadership, especially during a crisis.

Health problems added to the political risk. Reports from Vedomosti and RBC said the psychological and physical strain of running a frontline combat zone had taken a serious toll on Gladkov. He spent nearly a month on forced medical leave before his dismissal.

Belgorod, meanwhile, kept suffering infrastructure failures. A recent blackout cut water and electricity to 35,000 residents.

The Kremlin concluded that a fatigued, physically compromised governor could no longer hold together a region facing constant collapse.

Bryansk's trust collapse

Bogomaz's exit followed a different path: years of administrative decay rather than a single crisis.

Bogomaz had run Bryansk since 2014, micromanaging the region without the organic public sympathy Gladkov enjoyed. Public dissatisfaction reached a critical tipping point in late 2025, as residents grew angry over the administration's slow response to border security breaches and failing civil defense systems.

Corruption scandals deepened the unrest, rocking leadership teams in both Bryansk and Belgorod. Investigative audits found regional officials had systematically misappropriated federal funds intended for defense fortifications and basic public utilities.

By removing both governors at once, the Kremlin deflected local outrage. The clean sweep handed the public high-level scapegoats for failures that ran deeper than any single official, covering for systemic military and economic problems.

Generals take charge

The profiles of the new acting governors offer the clearest proof of the Kremlin's changing strategy.

Putin bypassed standard civilian career bureaucrats entirely. In their place, he installed men steeped in military combat and crisis management.

In Belgorod, the state appointed Maj. Gen. Alexander Shuvaev, a highly decorated veteran who holds the Hero of Russia title for his combat leadership in Ukraine. Shuvaev most recently served as deputy governor of the Irkutsk region, where he managed relations with federal law enforcement.

In Bryansk, the Kremlin installed Egor Kovalchuk. He arrives directly from the front lines of the conflict, having served as head of government in the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic since June 2024.

Political analysts describe the appointments as overt militarization of local governance. The Kremlin no longer expects these governors to focus on traditional priorities like agricultural yields or business investment. Instead, Belgorod and Bryansk now operate under a form of administrative martial law, run by men whose core expertise lies in executing defense mandates, managing military logistics and suppressing domestic dissent.

To prevent public panic ahead of September's regional elections, the Kremlin carefully arranged "soft landings" for both outgoing officials. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov reassured state media that the system would find new roles for the two men.

True to Peskov's word, the central government quickly transferred a vacant State Duma legislative seat to Bogomaz, moving him safely into the parliament building in Moscow. Diplomatic sources say Gladkov will likely land a low-visibility post within the Ministry of Economic Development, or be dispatched as an envoy to Abkhazia.