Claim: On 26 May 2009, Vladimir Shamanov (a former Russian politician) became the new commander of the VDV, thus Dmitry Medvedev appointed him to neutralize discontent over the cuts and reorganisations as a result of the 2008 reform programme.
Evidence: Vladimir Anatolyevich Shamanov (Russian: Владимир Анатольевич Шаманов, born 15 February 1957) is a retired Colonel General of the Russian Armed Forces, who was Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Airborne Troops (VDV) from May 2009 to October 2016 and a former Russian politician. Dmitry Medvedev appointed Shamanov to neutralize discontent over the cuts and reorganisations as a result of the 2008 reform programme. On 4 October 2016 Shamanov retired from the Russian Armed Forces and became head of the State Duma Defence Committee.