Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Russian President Vladimir Putin accepted the resignation of the Governor of the Northern Region of Nenets on Thursday and promptly appointed a replacement.

There have been announcements of the resignations of four other governors this week, and the Interfax news agency cited an undisclosed source close to the Kremlin as saying that eight more governors could follow.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, said regional leaderships were undergoing a “rotation,’’ an “absolutely normal, required and anticipated process,’’ according to comments carried by state news agency TASS.

The departing governors were being replaced with “young, talented specialists, they all have work experience in organs of the federal and regional authorities,’’ Peskov said.

“In the president’s opinion, they are capable of realising potential that they have already established despite their young age, in the interests of developing their regions,’’ Peskov said.

Earlier this month Russia’s ruling party swept gubernatorial elections throughout the country.

The United Russia party, backed by Putin, also has a constitutional super-majority in parliament. (dpa/NAN)