The Russian presidency indicated today, Wednesday, that "President Vladimir Putin has appointed Alexei Dyumin, his former aide and bodyguard, as Secretary General of the State Council." After being re-elected for a new six-year presidential term earlier this year, Putin appointed Dyumin as an assistant specializing in defense industries, and the Kremlin then spoke of other responsibilities he would have. The Kremlin published a decree signed by Putin appointing Dyumin as Secretary General of the State Council. The State Council, created for the first time in 2000, is an advisory body to the Russian president, tasked with issues of utmost importance to the state.
Former Kremlin advisor Sergey Markov stated earlier this month that many consider Dyumin a potential successor to Putin. With Putin's new six-year presidential term started, forecasts suggest he will continue to rule for years to come. So far, there has been no reliable information on whom the Russian president may prefer to choose as his successor in the future. Dyumin's name has often been mentioned among others in Moscow regarding who will take over after Putin.
Dyumin, 51, was appointed in the Kremlin earlier this month after serving as the regional governor of Russia’s Tula region. He joined the Federal Security Service of Russia, which is responsible for guarding the Kremlin elite, in 1995 and was a personal bodyguard to Putin during both his first and second presidential terms. He also previously served as the deputy head of the Russian military intelligence.
