[ロンドン ６日 ロイター] – More than seven months after the start of the Russian military invasion of Ukraine, no noticeable results have been achieved, and on the 6th, a high-ranking official from Kherson Oblast in eastern Ukraine sent by Russia is a longtime ally of President Putin. He criticized Defense Minister Shoigu. There has been growing criticism within the regime for allowing Ukrainian forces to advance in the east in recent days.
In a four-minute video message, Deputy Minister Kirill Stremousov, who has been sent to Russia’s unilaterally “annexed” Kherson region in eastern Ukraine, said Russian “military officials and ministers” do not understand the problems occurring on the front lines. “Many people say that if I were the Defense Minister who allowed this situation, I would have taken my own life as an officer,” he said, criticizing Shoigu.
While criticizing “incompetent military leaders”, Stremousov praised soldiers who are risking their lives. “The Ministry of Defense is not just made up of ministers, generals, corrupt looters and other assholes of all kinds. All the heroes who give their lives to defend Russia are part of it,” he said. said.
As the Ukrainian army accelerates its reversal offensive in the east and south, and the Russian army is forced to retreat, the head of the Chechen Republic in southern Russia, who supports Mr. Putin, recently announced that he would impose martial law on the border area and deploy low-yield nuclear weapons. We should take hardline measures to use.” Putin’s ally, Evgeny Prigozhin, founder of the Russian private military company Wagner, said that “bastard” military commanders “should be sent barefoot to the front with automatic rifles.”
It is unclear at this time if the series of criticisms was coordinated. But as the invasion of Ukraine entered a critical phase, Putin faced a dilemma: admit his military’s mistakes at the expense of his longtime ally Shoigu, or let Shoigu stay in office and admit his own mistakes. confronting.
Shoigu was appointed defense minister in 2012. The defense ministry did not immediately respond to a Archyde.com request for comment.