Rossiyana Markovskaya
© rossiyana_ / Instagram
Out with the epaulettes and in with the dresses - the Russian Ministry of Defense has opted for a radical image overhaul, by appointing a 26-year-old former journalist as a spokesperson. Rossiyana Markovskaya , who is unusually named after her homeland, has already blown up the internet with her social media pics.

Markovskaya was appointed personal spokesperson for Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu on Friday. She's a former correspondent and news anchor on national TV networks, and Rossiyana has already earned a nickname "Defense cutie" ( "Oboronyasha" in Russian).

Rossiyana Markovskaya
© Rossiyana Markovskaya / Facebook


People rushed to Rossiyana's Facebook page and Instagram to check out the young official, with comments varying from the offensive to those praising the minister's choice. One Twitter account even suggested Rossiyana has taken over from Natalia Poklonskaya, a former Crimean prosecutor, who captivated the internet, becoming famous even outside Russia.