Russian defence minister resurfaces after being out of view

Russia’s powerful defence minister resurfaced on Thursday after dropping out of public view for days during Russia’s war in Ukraine.

A close ally of President Vladimir Putin, Sergei Shoigu, was spotted on a split screen of top officials as Putin met his Security Council remotely.

The 66-year-old minister had not been seen for 12 days, reports said, prompting speculation about his whereabouts.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov played down that speculation on Thursday, saying that Shoigu had a lot on his plate and it was understandable he was not devoting a lot of time to media appearances.

“The defence minister has a lot on his mind right now. A special military operation is underway. Now is not really the time for media activity,” Peskov said.

Reuters