Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a directive on appointing Russian Security Council permanent member Boris Gryzlov Russia's envoy to the Contact Group for settling the situation in Ukraine, the web portal of legal information reports.

The directive takes effect on the day of its signature.

Russian Foreign Ministry Special Ambassador Azamat Kulmukhametov had been appointed Russia's special representative at the Contact Group for Ukraine at the end of April 2015. Presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov had said at the time that Kulmukhametov would work in the Contact Group instead of Russia's Ambassador to Ukraine Mikhail Zurabov.

The Contact Group had held its last meeting in 2015 earlier this week and plans to gather next time in January 2016.