Former Russian Defense Minister And Close Putin Ally Sergei Ivanov Dies At 73

Russia: The former Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov passed away on Friday. He was 73. Ivanov was one of Putin's closest people. He came from the KGB like Putin did. He was part of a powerful group called the Siloviki. These are KGB veterans who run Russia's security and politics. At one time, people thought Ivanov would be Putin's next. He was considered a strong candidate to lead Russia. But that did not happen.

What Putin had said?

The Kremlin released a short statement on Friday. Putin expressed his sympathy to Ivanov's family and friends. Interestingly, a basketball league announced Ivanov's death first. He was the honorary president of VTB United League. The basketball group broke the news before the Kremlin did.

What his career looked like?

Ivanov was born in Leningrad, like Putin. He studied languages. Then he joined the KGB. He worked under Putin early on. After the Soviet Union fell, he moved up in intelligence agencies. He became deputy director of FSB under Putin. In 2001, Putin made him Defense Minister. He was the first civilian to hold that post in modern Russian history. In 2005, he became deputy prime minister. In 2007, he was first deputy prime minister. By then, people saw him as Putin's heir. But Putin chose Dmitry Medvedev instead.

Other ministers also attended?

Sergei Lavrov is Russia's Foreign Minister. He released a statement. He called Ivanov an outstanding politician. He said Ivanov made invaluable contributions to modern 
Russia's development. Lavrov wrote: "He made important contributions to strengthening our national security and defense capability. He strengthened our position in the world. He modernized our military-industrial complex."

Why he mattered?

Ivanov was not just any official. He was close to power. He shaped Russian security policy. He was part of the inner circle. His death removes a major figure from Russian politics. Whether it changes anything remains to be seen.