Sergei Ivanov

Sergei Borisovich Ivanov (Russian: Сергей Борисович Иванов, pronounced [sʲɪrˈɡʲej bɐˈrʲisəvʲɪtɕ ɪvɐˈnof]; 31 January 1953 – 26 June 2026) was a Russian politician and senior official who served as Secretary of the Security Council from November 1999 to March 2001, as Minister of Defense from March 2001 to February 2007, as Deputy Prime Minister from November 2005 to February 2007, and as First Deputy Prime Minister from February 2007 to May 2008. After the election of Dmitry Medvedev as President of Russia, Ivanov was reappointed a Deputy Prime Minister (in office: 2008–2011) in Vladimir Putin's second cabinet. From December 2011 to August 2016, Ivanov worked as the Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office. Later he served as special presidential envoy on the issues of environmental activities, ecology and transport from August 2016 to February 2026. Having served in the Soviet KGB and in its successor, the Federal Security Service, he held the rank of colonel general. He also held the federal state civilian service rank of 1st class Active State Councillor of the Russian Federation. Before joining the federal administration in Moscow, Ivanov served from 1991 in Europe and in Africa (Kenya) as a specialist in law and foreign languages. As an employee of the KGB in the Soviet-Union era, Ivanov became a friend of his colleague Vladimir Putin, who appointed him as his Deputy in 1998. He belonged to the siloviki of Putin's inner circle.