May 12. Shakeup in the Russian Cabinet.

A shakeup has been announced in the Cabinet. Vladimir Putin said at the Monday Cabinet meeting, "in the process of design and optimization of the structure of federal bodies of executive power we proceeded from the need to improve the efficiency of the existing state administration mechanism and its staff potential". A total of seven Vice PM have been named to the Cabinet, including two First Vice PMs. Victor Zubkov and Igor Shuvalov have been appointed First Vice PMs, PM Vladimir Putin said at the Cabinet meeting. Sergey Sobyanin has become Vice PM and head of the government apparatus. Alexander Zhukov, Sergey Ivanov and Igor Sechin have also become Vice PMs.

As a result of the shakeup in the Russian Cabinet, Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin and head of EDTM Elvira Nabiullina have retained their positions and Kudrin has remained Vice PM.

The Industry and Energy Ministry has been split into the Industry and Trade Ministry chaired by Victor Khristenko and the Energy Ministry chaired by Sergey Shmatko, ex-head of Artomstroyexport.

In place of Leonid Reiman, head of Presidential Protocol Igor Shegolev has been appointed head of the Telecommunications Ministry.

Alexander Bortnikov has been appointed head of FSS instead of Nikolai Patrushev who will take up the vacant position of head of the RF Security Council.