Russian President Dmitry Medvedev named four new regional leaders on Monday in a move that seems to be aimed at rejuvenating regional authorities, a Kremlin source said.

Medvedev has spoken of the need to introduce a new generation of leaders across the country's provinces. New governors have been appointed in about a fifth of Russia's regions over the past year and a half.

More than a quarter of Russia's 83 regional leaders have held their posts since the last century.

The president on Monday nominated four candidates to replace the current heads of the southern Russian Republic of Dagestan, Siberia's Krasnoyarsk Territory and Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area, and the Jewish Autonomous Region in Far East.

One of the candidates, lawmaker Natalya Komarova, will become Russia's second female regional leader after St. Petersburg Governor Valentina Matviyenko if her appointment is approved by the Khanty-Mansi regional legislature.

"The nomination of these candidates means that the president has moved to reshuffle governors," the Kremlin source said.

Since 2004, the heads of Russia's regions have been nominated by the president and approved by the regional legislature. Prior to this, elections were held to determine regional governors.

MOSCOW, February 8 (RIA Novosti)