WATCH: Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu seen for first time after Wagner mutiny in Ukraine
By Sunita Iyer | First Published Jun 26, 2023, 3:48 PM ISTWagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin demanded Russia's Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu be removed when he launched his rebellion, but a video shows him very much still in post as he visits troops in Ukraine.
Sergei Shoigu, the Russian defence minister, paid a visit to Russian troops engaging in the military operation in Ukraine, according to RIA news agency on Monday. This was his first public appearance since the Wagner paramilitary group's weekend mutiny. Shoigu was still in charge, according to the RIA article, which cited the Russian defence ministry, although it didn't say when or when he met with the soldiers and commanders of the Western military region.
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When Prigozhin started his insurrection, he asked that Shoigu be fired, but this video demonstrates that he is still very much in charge.
The Russian Ministry of Defense has released Footage that is claimed to show current Defense Minister, Sergei Shoigu at a Forward-Command Center near the Frontline in the West; this Footage comes as Rumors continue to swirl that Shoigu is now being Investigated, and possibly… pic.twitter.com/xeuW3dFhG1
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender)Following a pact with the Kremlin mediated by Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko, mutinous soldiers commanded by Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin moved on Moscow to overthrow what they viewed as Russia's corrupt and inept military leadership, before abruptly retreating to an area of eastern Ukraine occupied by Russia.
It is still unknown whether Russian President Vladimir Putin also agreed to reorganise the top military command or make any other concessions, but the agreement includes immunity for the mutinous individuals in exchange for their return to camps.
The exiled Wagner mercenary group's leader has yet to be located. This past weekend, the Kremlin announced that he was visiting Belarus. Additionally, Wagner would become a part of the defence ministry. Prigozhin, who is often very outspoken on social media, has not yet spoken.
Meanwhile, Nato's secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg has said the aborted mutiny by Wagner troops over the weekend is “yet another demonstration of the big strategic mistake” Vladimir Putin made by invading Ukraine.
The events over the weekend are being referred to as "an internal Russian matter" by Stoltenberg, the leader of the military alliance of 31 nations, including the US and the UK.
"As Russia continues its assault, it is even more important to continue our support to Ukraine,” he told reporters in Vilnius, the Lithuanian capital.
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