Vyacheslav Gladkov and Alexander Bogomaz are no longer the front-line governors of the Belgorod and Bryansk regions. We tell you what led to their resignation, and what could await the politicians now

Vladimir Putin accepted the resignation of the head of the Belgorod region Vyacheslav Gladkov and the governor of Bryansk Alexander Bogomaz “at his request.” The first held his position for more than five years, and the second for more than 11 years. Gladkov was replaced by a participant in the war with Ukraine, General Alexander Shuvaev, and Bogomaz’s successor was the former deputy governor of the Chelyabinsk region and former prime minister of the annexed LPR, Igor Kovalchuk. Meduza’s interlocutors close to the Kremlin attribute the departure of the Belgorod governor to fatigue, and the departure of the head of the Bryansk region to the fact that he held his position for a long time. Andrei Burtsev, Meduza’s special correspondent, tells how the careers of two rulers of the border region ended, where a large-scale war has been going on for the fifth year, and why it was not easy to find new leaders.

Rumors about the resignation of Gladkov and Bogomaz appeared a month and a half ago

First about their possible departure books Vedomosti newspaper, April 6. The publication’s interlocutors close to the presidential administration (AP) said that Gladkov may leave his post due to health problems (not specified), as well as due to low ratings of the federal government in the region (it is impossible to verify this – these data are not published in the public domain).

In addition, in the summer of 2025, Gladkov’s deputy, Rustam Zaynulin He started criminal during the construction of defensive structures. Almost a year after his arrest – on April 21, 2026 – Zainolin was dismissed from the regional administration “due to loss of confidence.” Three of Bogomaz’s deputies – Alexander Petrochenko, Nikolai Simonenko and Sergei Tymoshenko – were also accused of corruption and receiving bribes.

However, the news about the possible resignation of the Belgorod governor from his post was followed not by his resignation, but by leave: on April 15, Vyacheslav Gladkov announced that he would have two weeks of rest, and then, when it was time for him to return, he asked for another two weeks.

“Slava was really exhausted and wanted to leave” from the front-line district administration, an acquaintance of Gladkov tells Meduza: “With such a job, you sleep for two or three hours, and your nerves go to hell.” He explains:

Meduza’s interlocutor explains that the complaints against Gladkov were not from the head of the Kremlin’s political bloc, Sergei Kiriyenko, and his accompanying delegation, but rather from “government officials and security officials.”

The Kremlin was happy with Gladkov. But now top management doesn’t understand what they are offering him

In June 2023, Meduza wrote that Vyacheslav Gladkov, a close acquaintance of Kiriyenko’s aide and head of the social surveillance department Alexander Kharychev, dreamed of becoming a “model governor.” In 2020, he headed the then prosperous Belgorod region. Gladkov could hold receptions for area residents late into the night and manage his social networks. For example, he published on the telegram channel “Real Gladkov” reports on management meetings and answered questions from residents. Now almost 470 thousand people are subscribed to the former governor’s channel – almost a third of the population of the Belgorod region.

Two years after Gladkov’s arrival, Russia began a major war. Since 2022, the Belgorod region has been subjected to constant shelling by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and in 2023, Ukrainian army formations even entered the border settlements in the region. At the end of the same year, Belgorod was subjected to heavy bombing: as a result of the attack, 25 people were killed and more than 100 were injured.

“He must explain everything,” noted one of Gladkov’s acquaintances in a conversation with Meduza.

Meduza’s interlocutor close to the AP says that the country’s top leadership at that time paid “extra attention” to the Belgorod region and Gladkov personally. “In 2023-2024, the governor performed well, then his promotion was discussed. They said he would not even finish his term. Or he would work on the problem, but then he would be promoted immediately,” he claims.

According to this source, they wanted to offer Gladkov the position of head of the Domestic Policy Department, a section of the administration that coordinates the Kremlin’s relations with political parties and public organizations in the regions, and also supervises elections and the implementation of government programs locally.

“Someone with gubernatorial experience would be a good fit for this role,” says a source close to the AP.

Now the internal policy department is headed by Andrei Yarin, close to the security forces, who in 2024 could become the governor of the Sverdlovsk region or the plenipotentiary representative in the Ural region. But Denis Basler and Artem Goga were appointed to these positions respectively, while Gladkov remained in the Belgorod region.

Then, in the political bloc, a source close to the AP told Meduza, they discussed transferring the Belgorod governor to the Duma after the September 2026 elections. In this case, he could lead the United Russia faction. But this plan cannot be agreed upon with influential groups, especially with the group of Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, whose ally Vladimir Yakushev heads the ruling party’s General Council. Now for the position of faction head, according to Vedomosti, Claims Former Chairman of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Region, former Minister of Natural Resources Dmitry Kobylkin.

“At some point, Slava accepted that he still had to work [в Белгородской области] In the new semester,” confirms Gladkov’s acquaintance.

What Vyacheslav Gladkov will do now is still unknown. The political bloc in the Kremlin has not yet found a suitable place for itself. “Vedomosti” first booksHe could become Deputy Minister of Economic Development Maxim Reshetnikov, and then anticipation He has the position of Russian ambassador to Abkhazia.

“Abkhazia is now Kiriyenko’s legacy, so this appointment makes sense. But there are problems: the Foreign Ministry does not resist its own people,” says Meduza’s close interlocutor to the AP.

This source does not rule out that the former Belgorod governor will find a place in the structures of the political bloc. He emphasizes that despite Gladkov’s criticism ban The Internet and Telegram, which have made it difficult to notify residents of the region about drone attacks, should not “make glory a second platform for the people.”

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Gladkova and Bogomaz’s successors were chosen for some time. Not all candidates wanted to work in the border region

In 2023, Meduza wrote that the security forces wanted to put the army or representatives of law enforcement agencies in charge of the border areas. Against the background of rumors about Gladkov’s possible resignation in early April 2026, sources from the Belgorod publications “Ashes” and “Novaya Gazeta Europe” reported that Gladkov’s successor could be a graduate of the program, a participant in the war with Ukraine, General Alexander Shuvaev. Since January 2026, he holds the position of Deputy Governor of the Irkutsk Region.

Shuvaev took over Gladkov’s chair, but not without difficulties. Meduza’s close interlocutor to the AP says that after several meetings with the general, the political bloc realized that in the frontline area they still wanted to “find someone with experience in civil administration, communication with people, and a team.”

“We were looking in the neighboring Voronezh region. We were offered to appoint two deputy governors of other regions. They did not go: that’s clear, there [в Белгородской области] Chew your ass, this situation is like a firing squad. “So we had to return to Shuvaev’s candidacy.”

A source from Meduza close to the Kremlin’s political bloc and a political strategist cooperating with the AP describes Alexander Shuvaev as a close associate of Vladimir Putin’s aide Alexei Dyumin – it was he, according to Meduza’s interlocutors, who proposed his candidacy to the president.

“New Europe newspaper” booksThe appointment of the general almost failed because he came to the meeting with Putin while drunk. Two of Meduza’s interlocutors close to the presidential administration did not confirm this: the meeting with the head of state takes place after the appointment and signing of the necessary documents. “Putin has nothing to do – is he interviewing potential rulers?” – one source mocks.

This interlocutor doubts that the army will be able to effectively manage a difficult region like the Belgorod region. He stressed that “what is needed here is a high-caliber manager, not a ‘preface’ without a civilian team.” “But this is now the responsibility of his lobbyists,” adds a Meduza source close to the AP.

Meduza’s interlocutor close to the AP describes former Bryansk governor Alexander Bogomaz as an ally of the former secretary of the political bloc, now Speaker of the Duma, Vyacheslav Volodin. Bogomaz came to office in the Bryansk region in 2014 and, according to the interviewer, “has already long outlived his term.” They were ready to fire him again in 2025, but could not find a suitable candidate to replace him.

“The nomination was discussed [вице-спикера Госдумы от „Новых людей“, экс-кандидата в президенты от этой партии] Vladislav Davankov – did not express any desire. Recently this post was suggested [сенатору, представителю ЛДПР] Vadim Dengin and [главе исполкома „Единой России“ Александру] sydiakin. “They both refused,” an interviewer close to the AP tells Meduza.

Now Bogomaz, according to Data Kommersant is offered a seat in the State Duma. The former deputy governor of the Chelyabinsk region and former prime minister of the annexed LPR, Igor Kovalchuk, agreed to take his place in the administration of the front-line region. A source close to the AP and a political strategist working with the Kremlin believed that Kovalchuk, with his experience in the annexed Luhansk region, was “satisfied with the proposal.” The political expert adds: