Putin appoints new chief of general staff

MOSCOW.  November 9. KAZINFORM Russian President Vladimir Putin has sacked chief of the armed forces General Staff, Gen. Nikolai Makarov, and appointed Col. Gen. Valery Gerasimov to replace him.

Gerasimov's promotion follows Monday's appointment of Sergei Shoigu to head the Defense Ministry, replacing Anatoly Serdyukov, who was dismissed from the top job amid an investigation into nearly $100 million in fraudulent transactions involving real estate owned by Oboronservis, a company controlled by the ministry.

Shoigu proposed Gerasimov for chief of the General Staff and Putin approved the appointment on Friday, Kazinform refers to RIA Novosti.  

Gerasimov had been the commander of forces in the Central Military District, a post he took up in April 2012.

Makarov was appointed chief of the General Staff in 2008.