Russian Defense Minister Visits War Zone in Ukraine

Jun 28, 2023

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu visited the war zone in Ukraine to inspect a command post and captured Western military hardware, the army said Friday.

Footage published by the Defense Ministry showed Shoigu boarding a helicopter, meeting with officers and inspecting a Swedish armored combat vehicle captured by Russian forces.

The footage also showed Shoigu in uniform listening to a report presented by Lieutenant General Andrei Mordvichev, the head of Russia's Central Military District and Center Grouping of Forces in Ukraine.

According to Russia’s Defense Ministry, Shoigu received an update on the situation on the frontline and "thanked commanders and soldiers... for successful offensive operations" in Lyman in eastern Ukraine.

The date and specific location of Shoigu’s visit were not specified.

Shoigu last visited the front at the end of June after a botched mutiny by Wagner group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin and his mercenaries.

AFP contributed reporting.