After several weeks of defeats on the battlefield, criticism of Moscow’s military leadership has come to light, heightening domestic unhappiness and posing a rare challenge to the Kremlin.
In recent days, a growing number of voices across state media have voiced their disappointment at the war’s stagnation, and nationalist figures have increased the pressure in the wake of victories by Kyiv’s forces in the south and east. Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, a close friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who unilaterally began the invasion, appears to have been chosen as the scapegoat.
There have been increasing criticisms of Putin’s defense ministry and his longtime ally who leads it, but no one has yet dared to blame the Russian president directly. This pressure is forcing Putin to take decisive action before it is too late to reverse the situation on the battlefield.
According to Mark Galeotti, the head of the Russia-focused consulting firm Mayak Intelligence, “Shoigu’s job right now is to be Putin’s bulletproof vest.” His primary value at the moment is precise that he deflects the criticism that would otherwise inevitably come Putin’s way.
On Thursday, a deputy head of the Russian-installed regional administration spoke about Russia’s retreat in the crucial southern region of Kherson and launched an astonishing public tirade against Moscow’s “talentless military leaders.”
In a video posted on the Telegram messaging app, Kirill Stremousov said, “Many people say that if they were the minister of defense, who allowed things to reach this state of affairs, they would shoot themselves.” Shoigu was not specifically mentioned in the video.
Vladimir Solovyev, one of Russia’s top propagandists, who has long been vehemently pro-war but has recently acknowledged Russia’s military struggles and cautioned his audience not to anticipate “good news” for some time, also erupted in rage at Shoigu on Thursday without specifically mentioning him.
He suggested that one way to address the defense ministry’s shortcomings might be “a transfer to another job.”
Shoigu, 67, was appointed defense minister in 2012 after serving as the minister of emergency situations. He was frequently sent to deal with security and natural disaster crises, which won the public’s trust.
He is one of Putin’s closest allies and is known as the Russian president’s devoted “adjutant,” despite not being a career soldier. He frequently appears in photos with the Russian president while they are out hunting and fishing in Siberia, demonstrating how close they are.
However, he has maintained a low profile ever since Putin invaded Ukraine, largely avoiding the media and sparking rumors of a rift between the two.
