The American magazine spoke about the absence of Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu at a meeting with the President of Russia and the resulting speculation about his future.
The screen of Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu was noticeably missing during a meeting of the Russian Security Council via video link, at which President Vladimir Putin announced the introduction of martial law in 4 regions of Ukraine, the annexation of which Moscow officially announced.
The Kremlin said Shoigu was present, but some were quick to point out that he could not have seen him on screen with others present during Putin’s speech, according to US magazine Newsweek.
Before the Kremlin’s clarification, Max Seddon, head of the British Financial Times bureau in Moscow, tweeted: “Kremlin specialists will note that ‘General Valery’ Gerasimov and ‘Chief of the National Guard Viktor’ Zolotov, who are not permanent members of the Security Council, are present, but Siogo , a permanent member, is not there.”
It comes at a time of growing speculation about Shoigu’s future, especially as the man is increasingly being criticized for his handling of the war in Ukraine.
Putin used Wednesday’s meeting to announce the signing of a decree clarifying martial law that would apply to the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions.
During the meeting, Putin said that the decree “will immediately be sent for approval to the Federation Council, and the State Duma (parliament) will be informed of the decision,” TASS reports.
Shoigu’s absence from the screen at the meeting comes as he is under fire amid a series of successful Ukrainian counterattacks to retake territory captured by Russian forces in the early stages of the war.
Kirill Strimosov, a Kremlin-appointed leader in Kherson, said on October 6 that “incompetent military leaders” were responsible for the retreat of Russian troops in the region.
Strimosov claimed that many said that Shoigu, the longest-serving minister in the Russian government, should have shot himself because of the protracted war.
“Many say that the Minister of Defense, who allowed such a situation as an officer, can shoot himself, but, as you know, the word (officer) is difficult for many,” Strimosov added during a video posted on his channel. in Telegram.
Earlier, British intelligence assessed that Putin constantly mocked Shoigu, and observers said that he became a scapegoat for Russian military failures.
It was Putin who decided to appoint Shoigu to the post of defense minister in 2012, despite his lack of military or combat experience. The man’s most important task was to oversee Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014.
