Ukraine war: Putin's defense minister surprisingly reappears - "Has a lot to do at the moment"

Created: 03/27/2022, 02:00 p.m

Russia's Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu (archive image from early March 2022) © Alexei Nikolsky

His two-week absence from the public had sparked speculation.

Now there are new recordings of Sergei Shoigu.

MOSCOW - For the first time, after two weeks of absence of the Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu in public, pictures of him have been circulated.

The Russian Defense Ministry on Saturday (March 26) released a video showing Shoigu chairing a meeting on Russia's defense budget.

The photo is undated, but according to Russian news agencies, the defense minister alludes to a meeting with the finance minister that took place on Friday.

Schoigu's long disappearance from the public had recently sparked speculation.

In the Defense Ministry video, he says that orders and supplies of armaments in the Ukraine conflict went according to plan "despite the difficulties we are facing today".

Shoigu was apparently referring to the extensive sanctions imposed by the West because of Russia's military action in Ukraine.

Ukraine war news: Putin continues to talk about "special military operation"

On Thursday, the Kremlin informed about a conversation between Shoigu and President Vladimir Putin on the "procedure of the special military operation" in Ukraine.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said of allegations that the defense minister was no longer appearing in public due to health problems: "The defense minister has a lot to do at the moment."

The 66-year-old defense minister is usually a regular on state television programs.

According to media reports, however, he had not held any public appointments since March 11.