Russia gives reasons for the absence of Defense Minister for 12 days
The Kremlin said Defense Minister Shoigu had not appeared in the media for the past 12 days because he had to deal with many issues related to operations in Ukraine.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu on March 24 appears on television while attending an online meeting with the President Vladimir Putin. Shoigu is said to have reported “momentum in special military operations and efforts made by the military to provide humanitarian assistance, ensure security and restore critical infrastructure.” in the liberated territory”.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu (top left corner) attends an online meeting with President Putin on March 24. Photo: Reuters.
It is the first time Defense Minister Shoigu has appeared in Russian media in the past 12 days. His long absence has led to some speculation that he may have been disciplined for the slow progress of Russian troops in Ukraine. Agentstvo, an independent news site in Russia, even quoted sources as saying Mr Shoigu had health problems.
This speculation was raised by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov during a press conference on March 24.
“As you all know, the Minister of Defense has a lot of work to do at the moment,” Peskov said, denying rumors that Shoigu was sick. “Special military operations are underway. Surely now is not the time for the defense minister to be in the media a lot. This is quite understandable.”
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu during a meeting of the Russian Defense Ministry in December 2021. Photo: RIA Novosti.
Russia on February 24 launched a special military operation to “demilitarize and de-fascist Ukraine”. After a month of hostilities, Russian troops have yet to capture the main Ukrainian cities other than Kherson, but continue to tighten the siege on Mariupol.
The leader of the Russian Chechen Republic, Ramzan Kadyrov, announced that his troops had taken control of the Mariupol town hall. Kadyrov announced that the Chechen security forces would “eliminate the Azov element”, referring to the Azov Battalion, the right-wing Ukrainian force, in Mariupol.
The office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said at least 1,035 civilians had been killed and 1,650 injured since Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine on February 24. Nearly 3.7 million people have fled to neighboring countries, out of a total of more than 10 million who have fled their homes in Ukraine.
Huyen Le (Based on Guardian)
at Blogtuan.info – Source: vnexpress.net – Read the original article here
