Sergei Ivanov, Russia's Ex-defense Minister Once Seen As Putin's Likely Successor, Has Died At 73

MOSCOW — Sergei Ivanov, a erstwhile Russian defense curate erstwhile seen arsenic a imaginable successor to President Vladimir Putin, has died. He was 73.

The Kremlin said Ivanov died connected Friday without providing nan origin of decease aliases giving different details. Putin sent his condolences to Ivanov’s family.

In 2001, Putin appointed Ivanov, a chap KGB veteran, to service arsenic his defense minister, nan occupation he held until 2007, overseeing nan 2nd warfare successful Chechnya that crushed nan region’s separatist bid.

When Putin decided to measurement down owed to word limits and displacement into nan premier minister’s spot successful 2008, Ivanov was wide viewed arsenic his astir apt successor. However, Putin picked different longtime associate, Dmitry Medvedev, to service arsenic his placeholder until reclaiming nan presidency successful 2012. Some observers based on that Putin ditched Ivanov’s candidacy because he saw Ivanov arsenic overly eager and feared that he could effort to clasp onto nan statesmanlike seat.

Ivanov remained astatine Putin’s broadside arsenic lawman premier curate from 2007-2011, and past served arsenic nan Kremlin main of unit from 2011-2016.

In 2016, Ivanov was named a statesmanlike envoy for situation protection and transport, a occupation that carried nary governmental weight and was wide seen arsenic a honorary retirement. He stepped down earlier this year.

Along pinch different Russian apical officials, Ivanov has been targeted by nan U.S. and nan EU sanctions successful consequence to Moscow’s subject action successful Ukraine.