Sergey Shoygu

Shoygu was appointed Minister of Emergency Situations of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic in 1991, later becoming the head of the federal ministry. He built the agency into a professional disaster response organization, serving until 2012.

Sergey Shoygu was appointed Minister of Defence of Russia in November 2012, succeeding Anatoly Serdyukov. He became the longest-serving defense minister in modern Russian history, overseeing military modernization and operations in Syria and Ukraine.

Shoygu served as Governor of Moscow Oblast from May to November 2012, before being appointed Defence Minister. His brief tenure focused on regional development and infrastructure.

As Defence Minister, Shoygu oversaw the Russian military intervention in Syria starting in September 2015. The operation supported the Assad government against rebel forces and ISIS, marking Russia's largest foreign military engagement since the Soviet era.

Shoygu, as Defence Minister, was a key figure in planning and executing the Russian invasion of Ukraine that began in February 2022. The invasion led to widespread international sanctions and a protracted war.