Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu reappeared in television footage on Saturday after a two-week absence that sparked speculation about the reasons for his departure.
On Friday, the adviser to the Ukrainian Interior Ministry, Anton Gerichenko, said that Shoigu He hasn’t appeared for several days because he had a heart attack.“The information was shared in a Facebook post, in which Gerashchenko mentioned that the head of the Kremlin’s defense portfolio I “felt bad” after hearing Russian President Vladimir Putin’s words about the “total failure of the invasion of Ukraine”.
Earlier on Saturday, the Russian Defense Ministry released a video showing Shoigu – an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin – presiding over a meeting on Russia’s arms budget. There are no dates accompanying the pictures broadcast by state television, but Shoigu refers to the Finance Ministry meeting that Russian news agencies say took place on Friday.
According to AFP, the minister said in the photos that the arms orders are going as planned “despite the difficulties” with international sanctions imposed on Russia, due to the military action in Ukraine.
Shoigu last appeared in public on March 11. Some reports in the Russian media indicated health problems.
Rumors that Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov tried to confront her: “The defense minister has a lot to care about at the moment. There is a special military operation going on. This is not the time for media activities.”he added.
The 66-year-old Russian defense minister appears regularly on state television and has been filmed on expeditions to Siberia with Putin.
“Hardcore alcohol maven. Hipster-friendly analyst. Introvert. Devoted social media advocate.”
