Vladimir Putin replaces top general in defence shake-up

Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday replaced Russia's top general with a veteran commander from the second Chechnya war, as part of a new shake-up in the armed forces after the sacking of the Defence Minister.

Army chief of staff Nikolai Makarov is to be replaced by General Valery Gerasimov, a commander of the North Caucasus military district in the second Chechnya war, Putin announced days after the sacking of defence minister Anatoly Serdyukov in a graft scandal.