Andrei Belousov

Andrei Belousov was named in Putin's 9 April decree ordering all Russian forces to halt combat for a 32-hour Orthodox Easter ceasefire, effective from 16:00 Moscow time on 11 April until midnight on 12 April. His inclusion signals that the Ceasefire ran through both the defence ministry and the general staff chains of command.

Belousov was appointed Defence Minister in May 2024, replacing Sergei Shoigu in a move that signalled Putin's intent to place an economist rather than a career officer at the top of the war effort. His background is in macroeconomics and industrial policy; he served as First Deputy Prime Minister before the appointment. The appointment reflected concerns at the Kremlin about the war economy's sustainability and the need for tighter coordination between military spending and industrial output.

As an economist leading a wartime ministry, Belousov sits at the intersection of two pressures bearing on Russia's 2026 position: sustaining attrition warfare at scale while managing sanctions-compressed revenues. His role in the Ceasefire order is procedural, but the timing of that order, coinciding with Hungary's election, falls within his ministry's messaging remit.