Former Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov dies at 73

Sergei Ivanov, who held several high-ranking positions in the Russian power structure, died on June 26, 2026, at the age of 73. His death was announced by the Russian basketball league VTB United League, where he served as honorary president.

Ivanov began his career in the KGB, working alongside Vladimir Putin in Leningrad in the mid-1970s. He later served in the Foreign Intelligence Service and in 1998 became deputy director of the FSB under Putin. In March 2001, Putin appointed him as defense minister, making him the first civilian to hold that post. He served until February 2007, after which he became a deputy prime minister.

As defense minister, Ivanov conducted a "cleansing" of the military, removing several scandal-tainted generals, including General Leonid Ivashov, Admiral Vladimir Komoedov, and Airborne Forces commander Georgy Shpak. In 2008, when Putin chose a temporary successor for the presidency, he favored Dmitry Medvedev over Ivanov, despite Ivanov being considered a strong candidate.

After losing the succession struggle, Ivanov was compensated with a five-year term as head of the presidential administration. In 2016, he became Putin's special representative for environmental protection, ecology, and transport, a role with limited influence. In February 2026, he resigned from that post at his own request, and shortly afterward Putin removed him from the Security Council.

Ivanov's personal life included tragedy: one of his sons drowned in the UAE in 2014, and the other, formerly president of Alrosa, lost his positions by 2023. In recent years, Ivanov was seriously ill; his death came after Putin had relieved him of his last official duties.