Putin reshuffles top officials, names new space agency head

By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV
Associated Press

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin has reshuffled his top officials, naming a new head of the state space corporation and giving broad new powers to one of his top ministers. Putin on Friday removed Dmitry Rogozin as head of the state-controlled Roscosmos space agency that oversees rocket factories, launch facilities and numerous other assets. He replaced Rogozin with Yuri Borisov, a deputy prime minister who was in charge of weapons industries. Borisov’s duties were handed over to Denis Manturov, the minister of industry and trade, who was promoted to a deputy prime minister. The reshuffle follows predictions of Borisov’s removal from the job amid the reported flaws in Russian arsenals spotlighted by the military action in Ukraine.