Sergei Shoigu, a close ally of the president, has played a key role in Russia's hugely costly war in Ukraine.

Excerpts of interest:

Mr Shoigu has close links with President Putin, often taking him on fishing trips in his native Siberia.

He was given the defence portfolio despite having no military background, which rankled with some of his top brass.

A civil engineer by profession, Mr Shoigu rose to prominence as the head of the emergencies and disaster relief ministry in the 1990s.

He often looked out of his depth as defence minister, especially after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than two years ago.

Prigozhin, who led a short-lived mutiny against Moscow, accused Mr Shoigu of being a “dirtbag” and “elderly clown” in audio messages that went viral.

Mr Shoigu’s suggested replacement, Mr Belousov, is an economist with little military experience.