Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu is being ‘side-lined’ by Vladimir Putin and is constantly mocked by his own soldiers, the British ministry of defence has revealed.
In its daily briefing, the MoD said the veteran politician who has held the defence post for 10 years is no longer the confidant and ally he previously was to the leader.
Russia’s failures in Ukraine after sustaining huge losses to personnel and equipment without making major inroads into the country have led to his ousting from Putin’s inner circle.
The head of the Russian military is no longer briefing Putin directly, with the Russian leader instead being updated by operational commanders, the report said.
The MoD said today: ‘Recent independent Russian media reports have claimed that due to the problems Russia is facing in its war against Ukraine, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu is now being side-lined within the Russian leadership, with operational commanders briefing President Putin directly on the course of the war.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member