Criticism of the Military Command Once Taboo Pours Out
Putin's Closest Russian Defense Minister in a Dire Situation
[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] As the Russian army suffers consecutive defeats in the Ukraine war, criticism of Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu is intensifying significantly. Some officials have publicly made extreme remarks saying he should commit suicide, and as state-run media outlets continue to flood with articles criticizing the military's blunders, concerns are emerging that the regime itself could be threatened.
According to the Associated Press on the 6th (local time), Kirill Stremousov, Deputy Head of the Kherson Regional Administration under Russian occupation, stated in a video posted on his Telegram account that day, "If I were the defense minister who brought the situation to this state, I would have at least shot myself as an officer," adding, "But you know he is someone who can hardly understand the meaning of the word 'officer'."
Ramzan Kadyrov, head of the Chechen Republic and leader of the vanguard forces on Ukraine’s main frontlines, also expressed agreement with Deputy Head Stremousov’s opinion. Kadyrov said, "I agree with the one who raised this issue. Well done," emphasizing, "The military command should be demoted to private and sent to the front lines."
This is considered a very unusual extreme remark in Russia, where criticism of the military command is taboo. In particular, Minister Shoigu is known to be a close associate of Russian President Vladimir Putin, to the extent that they have vacationed together. As defeats continue, the military command is thrown into confusion, and sharp criticism is emerging even against top officials of the Putin regime.
While the Ministry of Defense has not issued an immediate response to Stremousov’s remarks, Putin’s inner circle is also repeatedly criticizing Minister Shoigu and the Russian Ministry of Defense. Yevgeny Prigozhin, founder of the Wagner Group?a mercenary company known as Putin’s personal guard and dubbed "Putin’s chef"?also criticized, saying, "The entire military command should be sent to the front lines barefoot, carrying machine guns."
Vladimir Solovyov, a state TV anchor known as "Putin’s mouthpiece," also indirectly criticized Minister Shoigu and the Russian Ministry of Defense, stating, "Lies must be punished at all levels, and now is the time to tell the truth." Russian state broadcasters have been continuously publishing articles pointing out the Ministry of Defense’s failure in logistics, reporting that soldiers deployed to the Ukrainian front lines are being sent without proper supplies.
Some analysts suggest that President Putin, facing a political crisis, is making Minister Shoigu a scapegoat to divert the public’s anger toward the Ministry of Defense. The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) stated in a report that day, "President Putin and his close associates will likely increase the level of criticism against Minister Shoigu to focus public anger and strengthen solidarity among factions within the regime," adding, "It is highly probable that President Putin will delay Shoigu’s dismissal as much as possible to make him bear more criticism as a scapegoat."
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