The last sighting goes back toMarch 11. For almost two weeks, Russia’s Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has not appeared at any public event. No media appearances, no photos stolen on the sidelines of a conference, and no official statements. Not exactly usual behavior for those who are said to be one of the protagonists of the invasion of Ukraine alongside Vladimir Putin. Shoigu’s absence was noted by journalists from various dissident newspapers, starting with Mediazona and Agentstvo. L’March 11 Shoigu had a phone conversation with Turkey’s Defense Ministry, Hulusi Akar. According to a Kremlin statement, the March 18th Shoigu also reportedly attended another official appointment, a Security Council meeting. However, there are no photos or images that testify to this meeting.
There is no official news of his absence, the only leaked indiscretion concerns health issues. This was revealed by an Agentstvonews source, who spoke of possible heart problems. If the disease were a cloak to hide dissent, as some suggest, Sergei Shoigu would be just the latest in a line of important figures who have begun to break away from Putin’s line since the invasion of Ukraine. Only in last 24 hours as of today, March 24, the governor of the Russian central bank, Elvira Nabiullina, and the Russian climate envoy, Anatoly Chubais, resigned. Russia’s climate ambassador said his withdrawal was explicitly linked to the war and had also left the country. Nabiullina’s resignation, however, was rejected by Moscow.
Who is the general with the nuclear codes?
Great 1955, a Ukrainian mother and a line that has always been on Putin’s side. Sergei Shoigu is the general doing it 2014 he led the Russian army in conquering Crimea without a fight. Its strategic importance for the Kremlin is also related to the nuclear scenario: Sergei Shoigu is one of the three people who have the codes to activate a nuclear attack. Besides him, Vladimir Putin himself and the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov can do this.
