Putin's new ministers in profile

Putin presented his new team a year after his election

President Vladimir Putin's cabinet reshuffle on Wednesday, was described by one Russian newspaper as "Putin's first revolution". Meet some of some of the main beneficiaries.

Sergei Ivanov, 48, formerly the secretary of the Security Council, was appointed Russia's first civilian defence minister, replacing Marshal Igor Sergeyev. Mr Ivanov is one of Mr Putin's closest allies and like him served in foreign intelligence. Mr Ivanov told Russian television that one of his key tasks was reform of the armed forces, but he would not indulge in "experiments". He has promised to increase soldiers' pay and improve resources.

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Boris Gryzlov, 51, the new interior minister, is another loyal Putin ally. He was a little-known electrical engineer until 15 months ago, but went on to be parliamentary head of the pro-Kremlin Unity Party. Another veteran of St Petersburg, Mr Gryzlov will be responsible for the fight against separatist guerrillas in Chechnya and against organised crime, although he has no military or police experience.

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Vladimir Rushailo, 48, the former interior minister, takes over Mr Ivanov's position as secretary of the influential Security Council. Before becoming interior minister, Mr Rushailo was a career policeman with a reputation for toughness in fighting organised crime and bureacracy.

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Lyubov Kudelina, a former deputy finance minister, was appointed deputy defence minister, the first woman to hold such a post in modern Russian history. In her previous post she was responsible for finances in the defence and law enforcement sectors. Mr Sergeyev, her new boss, told Russian television that she had been appointed because she was one of the country's top specialists in military finances.

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Mikhail Fradkov, takes over as head of the tax police, leaving his post as a civilian deputy secretary of the Security Council. He is an expert on foreign economic relations and takes over an increasingly important agency which has gained notoriety through television coverage of its agents raiding suspects' buildings.

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Alexander Rumyantsev, 56, becomes Atomic Energy Minister, replacing Yevgeny Adamov. Rumyantsev was head of the prestigious Kurchatov Institue, Russia's leading nuclear research institute, where he was director since 1994. He won a top Soviet state prize for science in 1986 and is the author of many articles and reports.

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