Sergei Ivanov, Putin-era veteran who almost became president, dies at 73

Sergei Ivanov, a former Russian defense minister and one of Vladimir Putin's closest associates, died on June 26 at the age of 73. No cause of death was given. The VTB United League, a basketball organization where Ivanov served as honorary president, was the first to report his death. Putin was among those who expressed condolences to the family.

Ivanov's career was closely tied to the security services. He met Putin in 1976 while working for the KGB in Leningrad. Later, Putin brought him into the FSB as a deputy. In 2001, Ivanov became Russia's first civilian defense minister, but his military reforms were considered mediocre by experts.

In 2007, Ivanov was a leading candidate to succeed Putin as president. Levada Center polls showed about a third of Russians would vote for him, more than for Dmitry Medvedev. However, Putin chose Medvedev instead. After this defeat, Ivanov remained in Putin's team, holding various positions, including head of the Kremlin administration from 2011 to 2016.

In August 2016, Putin moved Ivanov to a less influential role as presidential envoy for environmental affairs and transportation. In this capacity, he became deeply involved in the protection of Far Eastern leopards, initiating the creation of the unified national park "Land of the Leopard." He also championed the "garbage reform," arguing that waste could be a source of income. Following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Ivanov was sanctioned by the EU, US, UK, and other countries.

Although his career ended in what many see as failure – not becoming president – Ivanov was one of the rare figures in Putin's circle who survived a political death and went on to work on causes he genuinely cared about.