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After the Wagner troops left Russia, President Vladimir Putin (70) supported his Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu (68) on Sunday. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, 55, said he was unaware that President Putin’s attitude towards Shoigu had changed.
On Monday, the Russian Ministry of Defense released a new video. This shows Shoigu in a helicopter. The defense minister was given a picture of the situation at the front in Ukraine, a statement said. However, it is unclear where the recordings came from.
Propaganda channels feed rumours
This fuels speculation about a possible dismissal of Schoigu. Replacing the military leadership is a vital demand from Prigozhin, who has fired repeatedly at Shoigu and his allies in recent weeks.
Russian propaganda channels are also heating up rumors of a possible ouster of Shoigu. Several Russian military correspondents report that Shoigu was somehow arrested. “Shoigu is currently in isolation under the supervision of personal security, which consists of employees of the domestic secret service FSB,” writes the Russian information channel “VChK-OGPU”. The information cannot be independently verified.
According to Telegram reports, Shoigu will be replaced by the governor of the Tula region, Alexey Dyumin (50). He is considered a close confidant of Vladimir Putin and was, among other things, the head of the Russian special forces. In late 2015, he took over as Assistant Secretary of Defense for several months before being named governor.
Prigozhin confidant
According to Swiss military expert Marcus Keupp, Dyumin’s appointment would be a success for Prigozhin. This is considered an ally of the Wagner boss.
“It’s no coincidence,” Keupp wrote on Twitter. Prigozhin now determines “who has access to the resources of the Ministry of Defense”. That was also an essential demand of the Wagner boss, who had complained repeatedly in recent months about the lack of ammunition deliveries.
Schoigu did not appear in public once during the attempted coup on Friday and Saturday. He was previously accused by Prigozhin of bombing Wagner mercenary positions and killing mercenaries. To date, Shoigu himself has not commented on the allegations. The Defense Ministry itself rejected the allegations in a statement. (zis)
Source: Blick
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
