'Putin's Successor' Russian Defense Minister Missing for 2 Weeks... Speculation of Downfall Arises

Putin's Longtime Friend and Potential Successor... Speculations on Health Issues and Fall from Power

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu (right) and Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov (equivalent to Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff) are attending a meeting chaired by President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on the 27th (local time). Amid ongoing Western sanctions against Russia over the invasion of Ukraine, President Putin ordered the strengthening of the alert status of nuclear weapons units at this meeting. Photo by Yonhap News/AFP

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] As Russia's plan to capture the capital Kyiv within a short period after invading Ukraine faces difficulties, there are growing speculations about the possible dismissal of Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu, who is also considered the successor to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

According to the New York Times (NYT) and The Times on the 23rd (local time), Minister Shoigu has not made any public appearances since his meeting with Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar and his visit to a Moscow military hospital on the 11th.

The Times described Shoigu's prolonged absence from the media as highly unusual. Earlier, Russian state media reported Shoigu's visit to the military hospital on the 18th, but the footage shown was previously recorded material.

Amid growing suspicions, the Russian Ministry of Defense has not provided any comments regarding the minister's schedule.

NYT cited Russian military expert Andrey Soldatov as saying, "Shoigu has recently been dismissed from his position." Additionally, Russian military analyst Pavel Luzin mentioned the dismissal rumors, stating, "The Russian military did not fight properly in the war, and the Defense Minister should be held responsible."

Minister Shoigu is a longtime friend of President Putin and has been mentioned as his successor. He was recognized within the military organization for his contributions to Russia's forced annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in 2014. He also served as the head of the GRU, Russia's military intelligence agency.

Russian influential media Agency reported, citing a close aide of Minister Shoigu, that "he suffers from heart disease and currently appears to be in poor health."

The Times added that another close aide of President Putin, Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov, has also disappeared from public appearances since the 11th.

NYT evaluated that the long absence of the military leadership has raised accountability issues within the Russian military, and the position of key figures like Minister Shoigu, who are central to this war, has become unstable.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.