Russian Defense Minister, Once Surrounded by Dismissal Rumors, Reappears... Suspicions Spread

Reappeared After Two Weeks Since March 11...Health Crisis Rumors
Defense Minister, a Former Construction Engineer Official...Isolated Within the Military

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Amid the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, who had not appeared in public for the past two weeks, has reemerged. Having been plagued by various rumors such as dismissal and health issues, he demonstrated his resilience, but confusion within the Russian military leadership is expected to continue for some time.

According to AFP on the 27th (local time), the Russian Ministry of Defense released a video the day before showing Minister Shoigu presiding over a meeting related to defense budget procurement. His reappearance after disappearing from public view for two weeks since March 11 is interpreted as a measure to clarify the various suspicions, including dismissal and health problems, raised inside and outside Russia during that period.

However, suspicions of video manipulation have not easily dissipated. The British Daily Mail reported, "It is unclear when the video was recorded, and there are comments that Minister Shoigu appears tense and fatigued."

Earlier, on the previous day, Anton Gerashchenko, advisor to the Ukrainian Minister of Internal Affairs, further highlighted the health rumors about Shoigu. Through his social media, he posted, "Minister Shoigu collapsed from a heart attack after being shocked by President Vladimir Putin's severe reprimand," stating that he is in critical condition.

However, Dmitry Peskov, spokesperson for the Russian Kremlin, dismissed the health rumors, saying, "Minister Shoigu is currently dealing with very urgent matters and is too busy to appear in public," but refused to provide details about the situation.

The reason for the growing dismissal rumors is believed to be the worsening situation in Ukraine. Prior to the Ukraine war, Minister Shoigu was one of President Putin's closest aides, appearing at almost all public events and even being mentioned as a potential successor. However, he is presumed to have actively encouraged the invasion of Ukraine in this war, which, as the situation deteriorated, provoked Putin's anger.

The main reason for his poor judgment is presumed to be his thoroughly isolated position within the military. According to the British BBC, Minister Shoigu originally came from a background as a construction engineer during the Soviet era and is known to have no military service experience. In 2012, by President Putin's order, he was suddenly promoted to general, and since then, as defense minister, he has led Russian defense reforms. However, within the Russian military, he is regarded as a parachute appointee of Putin and is considered isolated.

The reason President Putin appointed him, who is not a soldier, as defense minister is known to be due to his distrust of the military and his limited support base within it. President Putin, a former member of the Federal Security Service (KGB) established to monitor military trends during the Soviet era, is known to have almost no close aides from the military. Shoigu's return to public appearances is also possibly because it is difficult to find personnel who will carry out the war according to his orders, leading to his reappointment.

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