First Appearing In The Public After The Wagner Group's Insurgency, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu Inspects Russian Troops In Ukraine

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu (left). (Wikimedia Commons/Mil.ru/Ministry of Defense)

JAKARTA - Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu for the first time made public appearance on Monday, following a brief insurgency of Wagner Group mercenaries last weekend.

Footage on state television shows Minister Shoigu aboard a helicopter, inspecting troops at a Russian troop command post in Ukraine, as reported by The National News June 26.

Russian Defense Ministry TV channel Zvezda said Minister Shoigu listened to reports from the Commander of the Western Military District Colonel General Yevgeny Nikiforov about the current situation on the front lines of Ukraine.

There is no sound in the video. It is also unclear when and where exactly the visit was made.

Zvezda said Minister Shoigu during his visit had heard of the formation of a new reserve force for the Western Military District.

He also appreciated the so-called "high efficiency" of the Russian army in "detecting and destroying enemy military equipment and the accumulation of personnel in tactical areas".

Defense Minister Shoigu has assigned them to continue active reconnaissance to reveal enemy plans to thwart the movement of Ukrainian troops far behind the front lines.

Zvezda added that Minister Shoigu had also paid special attention to what he called "complete support organization for troops involved in Special Military Operations, creating conditions for safe housing for personnel".

The footage seemed to show Minister Shoigu remaining in control of the Russian military, after the uprising carried out by the Wagner Group last weekend.

Prigozhin accused Russia's military leadership of being incompetent, failing to complete Wagner fighters in conquering Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine. Defense Minister Shoigu and General Chief of Staff General Valeri Gerasimov have been the targets of his criticism since a few days ago.