Shoigu may be the next to fall under the "wrath" Putin.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu was under threat of a serious blow after the arrest of Russian Deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivanov.
, suspected of corruption
The Financial Times writes about this
The publication writes that Shoigu has so far survived in his role, despite setbacks in the first weeks of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
“Amid this struggle, Shoigu's team initially appeared to be on the rise, fueled by recent Russian offensives in Ukraine and the death of warlord Yevgeny Prigozhin, who was his most vocal critic and rival Shoigu. But the arrest of Ivanov, the highest-ranking official detained since 2010, “is a shift in Shoigu’s fate, especially given the very noticeable way in which the deputy minister was brought to court ,” the publication writes. < /p>
Previously, Shoigu also “withstood” fierce criticism from the former Wagner PPK executive, Yevgeny Prigozhin, who last year attempted a rebellion against Shoigu and other military leaders.
“But Putin, who famously fears that any faction within his elite will gain too much power, appears to have concluded that the Kremlin needs to find a new way to balance Shoigu's power center and the Defense Ministry now that Prigozhin will no longer play this role”, writes WSJ.
At the same time, Ivanov's extravagant lifestyle made him an easy target, despite the fact that Putin doesn't particularly care about corruption.
” As the war drags on, this cabal's desire for power and money comes under increasing pressure. And sometimes someone is chosen to “take the blame for what is happening,” – the publication added.
Meanwhile Shoigu threatens new strikes on the territory of Ukraine. Moscow wants to “increase the intensity” of attacks.
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