October 06, 2016 - 6:51 AM
MOSCOW - Russian President Putin has accepted the resignation of a former bodyguard whom he appointed governor of Russia's westernmost region earlier this year.
The Kremlin released a statement on Thursday saying Yevgeny Zinichev resigned because he wanted to come back to Moscow.
Zinichev, who worked in Putin's personal security detail in the 2000s, was appointed governor of Russian exclave Kaliningrad region on the Baltic coast in July.
Local media for months tried to get the 50-year old Zinichev to disclose information about his education. After Putin appointed him governor, Zinichev's office released a short biography that said he earned an unspecified degree and "held various posts in state security" from 1987 to 2015, prompting concerns about his qualifications.
Zinichev is one of two Putin bodyguards who were appointed governors this year.
News from © The Associated Press, 2016