Putin Ally and Ex-Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov Dies at 73

Former Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov, who was one of President Vladimir Putin's closest associates and had long been considered a potential successor in the Kremlin, has died at the age of 73.

News of his death was first reported by by a basketball organization, the VTB United League, of which he was honorary president, and was subsequently confirmed by the Kremlin.

Ivanov played a significant role in building Russia's post-Soviet security apparatus and, as defense minister, oversaw the armed forces during the second Chechen war.

A native of Leningrad, he, like Putin, served in the KGB and, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, held several high-ranking positions in the security services. In 2001, he became the first civilian defense minister of modern Russia.

He later served as first deputy prime minister and chief of the presidential administration. In 2016, he was reassigned to the less prominent position of special envoy for transportation and the environment. Putin expressed his sincere condolences to the family of the deceased.

(Reuters, MJA)