Russian defense minister possibly sidelined: UK intel

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu may have been “side-lined within the Russian leadership” more than six months into Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, according to the U.K. Ministry of Defence. 

“Russian officers and soldiers with first-hand experience of the war probably routinely ridicule Shoigu for his ineffectual and out-of-touch leadership as Russian progress has stalled,” the ministry said in an update.

The move is likely “due to the problems Russia is facing” in the war with Ukraine, British officials noted. 

Shoigu, who has a background in construction and at the Ministry of Emergency Situations, “has likely long struggled to overcome his reputation as lacking substantive military experience.”

He went missing from the public eye for nearly two weeks at the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and some speculated that Russian President Vladimir Putin had punished him for his start-of-war strategy.

The U.K. Ministry of Defence cited “recent independent Russian media reports” as its source for the new intelligence.

The update comes after Putin ordered a 13 percent troop increase to address losses, and as tensions rise at Europe’s largest nuclear power plant.

Russia has controlled the area where the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant is located since early in the war, though Ukrainians still operate the plant, and the two countries have blamed each other for recent nearby strikes.

A mission of experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency “is now on its way” to Zaporizhzhya amid growing fears of a potential nuclear accident.