Putin defence minister shake-up a sign of plans for ‘long confrontation’ with West
                        
                                                    
                                
                                
                                
                                
                                
                                    President Vladimir Putin's nomination of top economic official Andrei Belousov as defence minister is a sign of the importance the Russian leader places on the war economy in gaining the upper hand in what he expects will be a long conflict against Ukraine, analysts say.                                
                            
                        
                        
                                                    
                        
                        
    
    
        
            
            
        
        
    
                        
                            President Vladimir Putin's nomination of top economic official Andrei Belousov as defence minister is a sign of the importance the Russian leader places on the war economy in gaining the upper hand in what he expects will be a long conflict against Ukraine, analysts say.