Russia’s defense minister has appeared again – but the photos are in question

The whole world drew attention to the fact that the Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu was absent from the public eye.

Then suddenly appeared in a video call with Putin on Thursday.

But only for a few seconds – and in a sequence that is said to be identical to the old photos.

Sergei ShoiguHe is 66 years old, one of Putin’s closest men and usually very public, but he last appeared until March 11. This was reported by Aftonbladet and many international media on Wednesday evening. According to information in the independent Russian newspaper Agentsevvo, he may have had heart problems.

The Minister of Defense, Thursday, surprisingly returned to the spotlight.

Via RIA Novosti news agency, the Kremlin posted an 11-second short film sequence there Russian President Vladimir Putin Take part in a group video call from his office.

In the upper left of Putin’s screen, Shoigu is seen sitting next to the Russian flag. His frame started off completely black, but after a few seconds the camera shook and Sjojgu appeared.

The other ten participants appeared in the conversation from the very first moment.

Zoom Sjojgu

The film RIA Novosti did not contain any sound, but it was seen that the Minister of Defense was moving his hands. Among other things, he corrected the tie.

Seven seconds into the clip, the camera also zoomed in on the part of the screen where Sjojgu is seen – as if indicating his presence.

According to the Kremlin, it was members of Putin’s National Security Council who took part in the video call. RIA Novosti I published an article With the headline: “Shoigu informed Putin of the progress of the special operation in Ukraine.”

The text quotes Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

– A detailed talk about the negotiation process with Ukraine. He said that an apology was expressed for the slowness on the part of the Ukrainian side.

Peskov: He has a lot

Peskov was interviewed on Thursday Also from CNNbut avoid questions about Sjojgu’s absence and potential health problems:

– The defense minister has a lot on his table now. A special military operation is underway. The Spokesman said it is natural that the current time is not exactly the right time for media activities.

According to CNN, Peskov declined to deny Agentstvo’s information that Shoigu may have heart problems:

– I can not. You should not listen to Agentstvo. Ask questions to the Department of Defense.

Identical to the old section.

Now Sjojgu’s clip is being questioned. The independent Moscow Times Notes on Telegram Thursday’s sequence is identical to Sjogo’s photos in a video call with the Security Council from only March 11, the same day the minister stopped appearing.

“The minister has the same background, he wears the same clothes, and the tie moves in the same direction. Coincidence? Conspiracy theories? Judge for yourself,” the newspaper writes and publishes the two clips next to each other.

Meanwhile, some Russian journalists claim that Sjojgu’s presence in Thursday’s video call may have been modified afterwards, The Guardian’s Moscow correspondent Andrew Roth wrote on Twitter.

The Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov has also remained invisible since March 11. He was not shown on Putin’s screen and, as is known, was not shown anywhere else on Thursday.