Belgorod region Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said Thursday that he plans to take a two-week vacation, a surprise announcement that comes amid reports of his looming dismissal.
“The last time I took a vacation like this was back in 2024,” Gladkov wrote on Telegram while pledging to continue posting “updates on current events” on social media.
The Moscow Times was unable to find similar posts on Gladkov’s Telegram channel from 2024 that indicated he had taken a vacation at that time.
Gladkov said his deputy, Alexander Lorentz, will serve as acting governor while he is away.
Gladkov has not appeared in public since last week, when Russian media reported the Kremlin had allegedly decided to replace him.
According to those reports, the governor could be replaced by Major General Alexander Shuvayev, who was appointed as deputy governor of the Irkutsk region in January as part of the Kremlin’s professional training program for Ukraine war veterans.
The Vedomosti business newspaper, citing anonymous sources, reported that Gladkov could be promoted to Russia’s Deputy Minister of Economic Development.
Gladkov has not commented on any of those reports, while officials in his administration have said only that he “currently” retains his position as governor.
His five-year term in office ends in September, when regional and legislative elections are set to take place.
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