After a 12day absence that sparked speculation about his fate, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu reappeared in images broadcast on television. But that’s not enough to dispel all doubts as the Ukrainian government speaks of a recent heart attack. The mystery then remains of Russia’s chief of staff, Valery Gerasimov, who has also disappeared from public view and has not yet returned to be seen.
Health problems, criminal expulsion in view of the unsuccessful course of the war in Ukraine, or even an attempt by Moscow to confuse the enemies while feverishly searching for a signal that would indicate cracks in Putin’s circle? Each hypothesis seems legitimate in the analysis of those who, following the example of the Sovietera Kremlinologists, seek to predict Russia’s moves by penetrating its opaque system of power. An exercise that still does not bring the desired results, just as it did then.
Shoigu appeared in military uniform in images released by the Ministry of Defense as he chaired a meeting devoted to the arms budget. No date is given in the video, but what suggests it is a recording of the past few hours is the fact that the minister refers to a meeting he had at the Treasury Department on Friday. According to Shoigu, orders and deliveries are going according to plan “despite the current difficulties” caused by Western sanctions against Russia because of its military deployment in Ukraine. “The priorities are longrange precisionguided weapons, aircraft hardware and maintaining combat readiness of strategic nuclear forces,” the minister said.
On Thursday, the Kremlin announced Shoigu’s participation in a meeting between President Vladimir Putin and members of the National Security Council, dismissing any allegations of the 66yearold minister’s alleged punishments or health problems. “Shoigu spokesman Dmitry Peskov said has a lot to do at the moment, a special military operation is underway, and for him it is not the time for media activities”.
The situation is different in a Facebook post by Ukraine’s Deputy Interior Minister Anton Gerashchenko, according to which Shoigu suffered a heart attack in midMarch. Agentstvo, an independent Russian news site, also previously cited an anonymous source reporting the minister’s heart problems.
However, there hasn’t been any news yet Valery Gerasimov, disappeared from radar since March 12. A very unusual situation for a chief of staff in the middle of a war where one would expect him to show his face to update the Russians on the progress of operations. On March 24, the Pentagon said that Gerasimov and Shoigu had stopped responding to American contact attempts after the last interview, which took place on February 18, almost a week before the invasion.
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