President Vladimir Putin dismissed Alexander Brechalov as head of the Udmurt Republic, according to independent media reports that said the official stepped down “of his own free will.”
Olga Abramova, who previously served as Udmurtia’s minister of agriculture and food, deputy prime minister, and until autumn 2024 as acting head of the regional government, has been appointed acting head of the republic. She later worked as an adviser at Russia’s Ministry of Agriculture.
Brechalov had led Udmurtia since 2017. Shortly before his dismissal, he was registered as a candidate for the State Duma from the ruling United Russia party, heading a regional group. The reasons for his departure have not been disclosed, and Brechalov has not commented on the situation.
In recent days, Udmurtia was hit by Ukrainian drone strikes. Brechalov reported “the most massive attack” by unmanned aerial vehicles on unspecified facilities. It later emerged that the strikes targeted a base of the Federal Agency for State Reserves (Rosrezerv), with satellite images showing only limited damage.