Russia’s Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has not appeared in public since March 11. Now the Kremlin has commented on rumors about the whereabouts of Putin’s confidante.
The Kremlin has denied speculation that
Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu is said to be absent in the middle of the Ukraine war. “The defense minister has a lot to do at the moment,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in Moscow on Thursday. It’s not the time for media appearances. “That’s perfectly understandable.”
Russian media have expressed their astonishment that Shoigu has not attended any public meetings since March 11. Before that, he is said to have made phone calls or visited and awarded wounded soldiers.
“Please contact the Department of Defense”
As the Polish news portal Nexta reports, Shoigu was last mentioned in a Russian TV report on March 18. It shows the Minister of Defense awarding Russian soldiers – but a corresponding image is identical to the video recordings of his March 11 appearance.
There was also speculation about the minister’s possible heart problems. The media should not believe these reports, said Peskow. He advised journalists: “Please contact the Ministry of Defense.” The chief of the Russian General Staff, Valery Gerasimov, is said not to have appeared in public for days.
Shoigu is said to have been in the Kremlin on Thursday
Russia’s war against neighboring Ukraine has been going on for a month. Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov reports daily on deployments of Russian troops in Ukraine. President Vladimir Putin also speaks regularly.
He met with members of the National Security Council on Thursday. According to Peskov, Shoigu reported “on the progress of the military special operation” – that’s how the war in Ukraine is called in Russia.
Shoigu is considered a confidant of Putin. The defense minister was also involved in the annexation of Crimea in 2014 and has repeatedly stated publicly that the Ukrainian peninsula belongs to Russia. Shoigu is on the EU sanctions list.
