Russia's long-serving Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, who held on to his post in a cabinet shake-up on Tuesday, is a close ally of President
Vladimir Putin who shares his taste for macho stunts.
![Russias defence chief: diehard loyalist in Putin shadow](http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/afp.com/cfff6769e89f6ed2f2213e812bddd35fdc0f6cf5.jpg)
Shoigu, 57, comes from the remote Siberian Tuva region close to the border with Mongolia, and is one of the few representatives of Russia's ethnic minorities in top politics.
A construction engineer by training, he took a traditional route into Soviet politics, first working in construction organisations, then becoming a Communist Party official, following in the footsteps of his father.