MOSCOW — Sergei Ivanov, a one-time Russian defense minister who was widely regarded as President Vladimir Putin’s most probable successor, has passed away at the age of 73.
The Kremlin confirmed his death occurred on Friday, though officials did not disclose a cause or share any further information. Putin offered his condolences to Ivanov’s family following the announcement.
Back in 2001, Putin — who shares a KGB background with Ivanov — appointed him to lead Russia’s defense ministry. Ivanov held that post through 2007, during which time he oversaw the second war in Chechnya, a conflict that ultimately defeated the region’s push for independence.
As Putin prepared to vacate the presidency in 2008 due to term limits and transition into the role of prime minister, Ivanov was broadly considered the frontrunner to take over the top office. Instead, Putin tapped another long-trusted associate, Dmitry Medvedev, to hold the presidency until Putin could reclaim it in 2012. Political analysts at the time suggested Putin may have passed over Ivanov because he viewed him as too ambitious and worried he might not willingly give up the presidency.
Ivanov continued to serve in Putin’s inner circle, holding the position of deputy prime minister from 2007 to 2011, followed by a stint as Kremlin chief of staff from 2011 to 2016.
In 2016, he was appointed as a presidential envoy focused on environmental protection and transportation — a largely ceremonial role with little political influence that was widely interpreted as a comfortable exit from active politics. He stepped away from that position earlier this year.
Like several other senior Russian officials, Ivanov had been placed under sanctions by both the United States and the European Union in response to Russia’s military actions in Ukraine.
