Former Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov has died. His death was announced by the VTB United League, where he served as honorary president, and by the Russian Military Historical Society, where the 73-year-old Ivanov chaired the board of trustees.
Ivanov served with Vladimir Putin in the KGB. In 1998, he became Putin’s deputy when Putin was director of the FSB.
From 2001 to 2007, Ivanov was Russia’s defense minister. During Putin’s second presidential term, he and Dmitry Medvedev were appointed deputy prime ministers at the same time.
After that, both men were described in press reports as possible Putin “successors.”
In 2011–2016, Ivanov headed the presidential administration. After that, he spent ten years as Putin’s special representative for environmental and transport issues.
In February 2026, Putin removed him from that position, which the source describes as effectively nominal.