In Moscow's Shadows 245: Belousov And The War Machine

In Moscow's Shadows 245: Belousov And The War Machine

From In Moscow's Shadows by Mark Galeotti

April 26, 2026 · 44 min · Episode 245

About this episode

The episode discusses the appointment of Andrei Belousov as a key figure in Russia's defense strategy amidst the ongoing war.

Putin didn’t pick a battlefield hero to run Russia’s Defence Ministry. He picked Andrei Belousov, an economist with a planner’s instincts and a technocrat’s patience. Thats what the Kremlin thinks it needs most right now: a 'Quartermaster-in-Chief,' who wouldn't tangle with Chief of the General Staff Gerasimov, but instead focus in procurement that works, production at scale, drones that reach units fast, and a defence industrial complex that can keep up with an ugly, grinding war economy.&nb...

People in this episode

Host: Mark Galeotti

Topics covered

  • Russian military
  • defense procurement
  • war economy
  • political leadership
  • technocracy

Keywords

  • Andrei Belousov
  • Putin
  • defense ministry
  • Gerasimov
  • war economy
  • procurement
  • military strategy

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Russia’s Defence Ministry, Kremlin

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