Russian state television broadcast footage of Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu inspecting Russian forces in Ukraine on Monday, in what is the first public appearance since the Wagner paramilitary group’s rebellion was called off.
According to images broadcast by the Rossiya 24 television channel, Shoigu, the target of harsh criticism by the leader of the Wagner group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, went to a command post of the Russian forces in Ukraine and “met with the leaders” of one of the units.
During the visit, the officer “found high efficiency in the identification and destruction of military equipment and enemy positioning points in the tactical areas of the area of responsibility” of the unit, declared, in a statement published on the Telegram platform, the Russian. Ministry of Defense, which also posted a video.
“Shoigu paid special attention to organizing comprehensive support for the troops involved in the special military operation and creating conditions for the safe deployment of personnel,” the ministry continued.
The government department also noted that the minister heard a presentation by the group’s commander, Colonel General Yevgeny Nikiforov, “on the current situation, the nature of the enemy’s actions and the performance of the combat missions of the Russian troops in the main tactical directions”. , as well as in the newly formed reserve regiments.
Although the exact date of Shoigu’s visit is unknown, he has not appeared in public since Friday, when he briefed Russian President Vladimir Putin at a security council meeting on developments in the war.
During the rebellion organized by the leader of the Wagner group, the minister was silent.
Yevgeny Prigozhin justified the armed uprising with the lack of leadership of Shoigu and the chief of the General Staff Valeri Gerasimov in Ukraine, accusing them of being to blame for the death of some “100,000 Russian soldiers”.
Prigozhin suspended rebellion movements in Russia against the military command this Saturday, less than 24 hours after he occupied Rostov, a key city in the south of the country for the war in Ukraine.
Before the suspension, Russian President Vladimir Putin called the group’s action a rebellion, saying it was a “deadly threat” to the Russian state and treason.
Prigozhin had earlier accused the Russian army of attacking his mercenary camps, causing “a large number of casualties”, accusations denied by the Russian Defense Ministry.
Prigozhin’s accusations expose the deep tensions within Moscow’s forces over the offensive in Ukraine.
At the end of the day, Prigozhin announced that he had negotiated an agreement with the President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko.
Source: TSF
