Putin names new defense, interior ministers

MOSCOW, March 28 (AFP) - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday named former Security Council chief Sergei Ivanov as his new defense minister and the pro-Kremlin Unity faction leader Boris Gryzlov as the head of the interior ministry.

The first civilian to serve as defense minister in Russian, Ivanov replaces Marshall Igor Sergeyev, who will now serve as a Putin aide. Gryzlov takes the seat of the dismissed interior minister Vladimir Rushailo.

In his first major government reshuffle since winning the presidency one year ago, Putin also named Alexander Rumyantsev as the head of Russia's atomic energy ministry. Sergei Fradkov was nominated to run Russia's tax police.