Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu resurfaced on Thursday after 13 days out of the public eye in what some independent Russian media outlets are calling “strange” footage of a Kremlin Security Council meeting.
State-owned news channel Rossiya 24 aired seconds of a virtual meeting on Thursday, purportedly attended by Shoigu, but it did not say when the meeting took place. It’s the first time in 13 days that Shoigu has appeared on camera, but some independent Russian media outlets are not convinced that the footage is what it claims to be, suggesting the video is either old footage or was digitally manipulated. Before the video aired, the Kremlin’s top spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed speculation surrounding Shoigu’s recent low profile.
“The defense minister has a lot on his plate at the moment,” Peskov said on Thursday when asked about Shoigu’s absence. “The special military operation is going on. Naturally, now is not exactly the time for media activity. This is quite understandable.”
One independent Russian media outlet, Agenstvo, reported that heart problems have been keeping Shoigu out of the public eye, citing sources close to the minister. Agenstvo noted that Shoigu appeared on television nearly every day since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine until March 11.
SUFFERING HEAVY LOSSES AND LOSING GROUND, RUSSIAN FORCES DIG IN ON DEFENSE IN UKRAINE
The independent Moscow Times raised doubts about the authenticity of the footage aired by Rossiya 24.
In Thursday’s video, Russian President Vladimir Putin is allegedly conducting a meeting with his Security Council, which includes Shoigu. The Moscow Times, however, noted that if you compare Thursday’s video to Shoigu’s March 11 Security Council meeting appearance, the defense minister “has the same background. … He is dressed the same,” and “Shoigu’s red tie moved in the same direction.”
MediaZone, another independent Russian outlet, said it believes Shoigu was edited into the meeting using old footage.
The outlet said the “entire editing of the video” was “strange.” MediaZone highlighted frames of the footage that showed a black screen instead of Shoigu during the meeting, and it also noted Shoigu’s similar background in the March 11 video.
After long rumors that Putin decided to remove Shoigu forever, they decided to show him on TV as participant of the government meeting. However, viewers noticed oddities during the broadcast. Pay attention to the top left corner. pic.twitter.com/xZD1wFCbJU
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) March 24, 2022
Kevin Rothrock, the managing editor of independent Russian news outlet Meduza in English, said on Twitter that while he “didn’t vouch” for the theory that Shoigu’s appearance on Thursday wasn’t genuine, “it is a fact that the Kremlin in the past has presented footage that wasn’t recorded when it appeared to be.”
I don’t vouch for this theory, but it is a fact that the Kremlin in the past has presented footage that wasn’t recorded when it appeared to be.
— Kevin Rothrock (@KevinRothrock) March 24, 2022
The Pentagon revealed on Wednesday that it has also not been able to contact Shoigu or other top Kremlin military officials.
In a statement, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said that repeated attempts by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley to consult by phone with Shoigu and Russian Gen. Valery Gerasimov have been rebuffed.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
The Pentagon is seeking to establish a “deconfliction line” between the United States and Moscow aimed at averting miscalculations or misunderstandings as the war in Ukraine drags on.
