General Alexander Fomin, a key figure in Russia’s defense establishment and a participant in peace negotiations with Ukraine, is expected to resign from his post as Deputy Defense Minister, according to two sources close to the ministry.
Fomin to Leave Defense Ministry After Eight Years in Office
The sources said that a presidential decree approving the personnel change has already been prepared. Alexander Fomin, 66, has served as Deputy Defense Minister since 2017 and was part of the Russian delegation that held negotiations with Ukraine in Istanbul in both 2022 and 2025, led by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky.
Career in Military and Technical Cooperation
Fomin has had a long career in military and defense industry management. In the 1990s, he held various positions in Rosvooruzhenie, later working in Rosoboronexport in the early 2000s. From 2004, he served as Deputy Director of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation (FSMTC), eventually heading the agency from 2012 to 2017 before moving to the Defense Ministry.
“Within the Defense Ministry, Fomin oversaw international military and technical cooperation,” a source familiar with the situation told RBC.
According to official data, he supervised the Main Directorate for International Military Cooperation and the Directorate for Treaty Compliance, which also includes Russia’s National Center for Nuclear Threat Reduction.
Vasily Osmakov to Take Over as Deputy Defense Minister
According to sources, Vasily Osmakov, currently the First Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade, will replace Fomin as Deputy Defense Minister. His exact responsibilities within the Defense Ministry are still being finalized. Meanwhile, Kirill Lysogorsky is expected to become the new First Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade under Anton Alikhanov.
Who Is Vasily Osmakov?
Osmakov, 42, graduated from Moscow State University with a degree in Oriental and African Studies, specializing as an Arabic-language translator. He began his career in the Ministry of Industry and Energy in 2004 and later served as an aide to the Industry Minister between 2008 and 2012. In 2016, he was appointed Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade and promoted to First Deputy Minister in 2021.
Sources describe Osmakov as a “technocrat with extensive experience in strategic planning and international industrial cooperation.”
Background: Negotiations and Defense Policy
Fomin’s departure marks another change among the key figures involved in Russia’s diplomatic and defense policy. His participation in both rounds of Russia-Ukraine talks in Istanbul highlighted his role as one of Moscow’s senior negotiators on security and political matters.
