President Vladimir Putin on July 29 accepted the resignation of Alexander Brechalov as head of the Udmurtia republic and appointed Olga Abramova as acting governor until the next election, according to a Kremlin decree. Brechalov stepped down “at his own request” after nine years in office, and the regional government said he was moving to another job, without specifying which one (A1, A2, A4). In a Telegram post, Brechalov called his tenure “bright” and thanked residents, but gave no details on his next role (A3, A5).

At a Kremlin meeting broadcast on television, Putin told Abramova that Brechalov had done much for the republic’s economy, noting that defense manufacturing represents a “large share” of it—Udmurtia hosts Kalashnikov Concern and other arms producers (A1, A2, A9). Abramova, a Udmurtia native who served as the region’s agriculture minister and first deputy prime minister before becoming an adviser to Russia’s agriculture minister in October 2024, described the appointment as a “serious challenge” and praised the existing team (A1, A2, A9). The leadership change came just over a year before Brechalov’s term was due to expire in September 2027 (A4, A6).

Political strategist Yevgeny Minchenko had warned earlier in July that Brechalov’s “micromanagement” of the Izhevsk mayor’s office could create problems, and in June had rated his dismissal risk as “moderate” due to weak performance and arrests of local elites (A1). Still, some observers were surprised by the timing (A1, A6). Brechalov had won re-election in September 2022 with the narrowest margin among 14 incumbent governors—64.37% of the vote (A1, A11). He had also recently registered as a candidate for the State Duma from the United Russia party, heading a regional group (A7).

Abramova becomes one of three women currently leading Russian regions, alongside the governors of the Jewish Autonomous Oblast and the Nenets Autonomous Okrug (A10). The next gubernatorial election in Udmurtia is expected in September 2027, according to Interfax (A9). No exact date has been formally announced, but the acting governor is to serve until the elected head takes office (A2, A9).