Shoigu flies to Ukraine - Russian media

ROMAN PETRENKO  – SUNDAY, 26 JUNE 2022, 10:47

Russian Army General Sergei Shoigu, the Minister of Defence of the Russian Federation, has inspected a group of Russian troops involved in the war in Ukraine.

Source: Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation, Meduza, Interfax

Details: It is not clear from the information released by the Ministry whether Shoigu inspected the military in Ukraine or whether they were all in Russia.

However, Russian media report that Shoigu was in the occupied territories of Donbas.

At the command posts, Shoigu allegedly heard reports from commanders on the current situation and the actions of the Russian Armed Forces in the main operational areas.

Shoigu also handed out decorations - "Golden Star" medals and Orders of Courage - to Russian soldiers who had "shown heroism and dedication in combat missions" in the war in Ukraine.

Journalists wrote that the presence of Colonel General Gennadiy Zhidko (pictured near Shoygu - ed.) confirms that he is the commander of the Russian troops in Ukraine.

According to journalists, Sergei Rudskoi, head of the Main Operative Directorate of the General Staff, and Yunus-Bek Yevkurov, deputy defence minister, are also in the video.

There was no sign of either Colonel General Aleksandr Lapin or Army General Sergei Surovikin, commanders of the central and southern groups.

Background: The southern grouping of Russian Federation troops is already under the command of Sergei Surovikin. He has been commander of the Russian Aerospace Forces since 2017.