Overview

• The Kremlin confirmed that Dmitry Kozak resigned at his own request, and a presidential decree has formally relieved him of his duties as deputy head of the presidential administration.
• RBC reported that Kozak submitted his resignation over the weekend and is weighing private-sector opportunities, with Interfax saying Friday would be his last day at the Kremlin.
• Kozak, a longtime Putin associate, was reported by The New York Times and Reuters to have opposed the 2022 full-scale invasion and to have explored a settlement framework early in the war.
• Kozak had already lost key responsibilities since 2022 to First Deputy Chief of Staff Sergei Kiriyenko, who now oversees Russia’s policy toward occupied Ukrainian territories.
• The Institute for the Study of War assesses that Kozak was effectively pushed out after policy disagreements, reading his exit as a signal of the Kremlin’s commitment to continue the war; Russian reports also say he declined a regional envoy role.