The appointment of Putin's niece to a high position in the Ministry of Defense has faced criticism even from the Russian press.
According to the UK Ministry of Defense on X (formerly Twitter), the report highlights that on August 17, Russian media announced that Vladimir Putin promoted his cousin's daughter, often referred to as his niece, Anna Tsivileva, to the position of State Secretary of the Ministry of Defense.
Tsivileva was previously appointed Deputy Minister of Defense, and in June 2024, she retained that position. As State Secretary, Tsivileva holds a higher rank than a typical Deputy Minister of Defense (of which there are seven) and is responsible for the department's relations with the legislative body and other government entities.
According to British intelligence, until 2023, Tsivileva had no known background or involvement in defense matters. She trained as a psychiatrist before making money in various medical supply companies. In 2023, she became the head of the state fund "Defenders of the Fatherland," which organized fundraising for the war against Ukraine.
Tsivileva is married to Russia's Energy Minister Sergey Tsivilev.
