Shoigu makes first appearance on TV since Wagner PMC mutiny

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
26 Jun 2023 10:45
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In the video, Shoigu is seen listening to a report on the military situation, looking at maps and taking a helicopter ride to inspect Russian military positions.

Screengrab of the video which was posted by the Russian MoD featuring Sergei Shoigu. (Russian MoD)

A video released by the Russian Ministry of Defense on Monday showed Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu inspecting Russian troops, marking his first appearance since the feud with Wagner PMC ended.

In the video, Shoigu is seen attending to a meeting in a command post in the special military operation zone where he attended a meeting with the leader of one of the units.

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) June 26, 2023

During that particular meeting, Shoigu issued appreciative remarks on the "great efficiency in the detection and destruction" of Ukraine's weapons systems and troops, as per a press release issued by the Ministry.

Shoigu is also seen listening to a report on the military situation, looking at maps, and taking a helicopter ride to inspect Russian military positions.

Over the weekend, Russia went through what is possibly the most critical moment of its timeline since the war in Ukraine began, narrowly averting a full-scale civil war after the head of Wagner PMC, Yevgeny Prigozhin, accused the Russian Ministry of Defense of striking a Wagner military camp and vowed revenge.

On Saturday, Prigozhin agreed to de-escalate the situation after he accepted a proposal from Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko to move in exile to neighboring Belarus.

"Understanding all responsibility that Russian blood from one of the sides could be spilled, we are turning our columns back and moving to the opposite direction to field camps in accordance with plans," he announced in an audio statement released on his Telegram channel.

On Saturday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the case against Prigozhin would be closed and he would leave for Belarus under guarantees given by Putin.

As for members of the Wagner PMC who partook in Saturday's events, they would not be prosecuted given their contributions to Russia's special military operations in Ukraine, Perskov added.

Rostov Governor Vasily Golubev announced on Sunday that the Wagner group began its exit from Rostov on Sunday evening, with multiple videos published on social media showing Wagner PMC members leaving their positions and driving their vehicles on their way out of the city.