Vladimir Putin speaks during a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov. Photo / CNN
Vladimir Putin speaks during a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov. Photo / CNN
Russian President Vladimir Putin publicly scolded one of his top officials during a video meeting for not delivering military aircraft fast enough.
During the conference, the world leader raged at Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov, also the minister for trade and industry, for failing to procure military and civilian planes for the country.
In the video, the dictator accused Manturov of “fooling around” after the politician flew on holiday to NATO country Turkey over New Year.
“There are no contracts. What are you going to tell me?” a vexed Putin asked.
“I know there are no contracts at the companies, the directors told me.
Putin gave the hapless minister one month to sort out the mess, which has led to a shortage of military planes for the air force and a failure to supply new aircraft to civilian companies that are hit by Western sanctions.
Russian aviation industry didn't receive a single contract to produce a passenger plane in 2022. pic.twitter.com/9xwHYTBC3X
“Don’t we understand in what conditions we’re living?”
The chastened Manturov was seen bowing his head.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin had “no serious complaints about Manturov’s work”.
“This is a normal workflow,” he added.
Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov. Photo / CNN
News of the meeting came as Putin shook up his military command structure. He demoted his top general over his failure in Ukraine.
Sergei Shurovikin, nicknamed “General Armageddon”, had been replaced after a series of humiliations for Russian troops on the battlefield.
He was dumped just three months after his initial appointment as the head of the invasion force in favour of Valery Gerasimov.
Gerasimov, a highly decorated general in the Russian Army, had been appointed to the post of Commander of the Joint Group of Troops (Forces), with Shurovikin named as one of his deputies.
Surovikin – aka General Armageddon – was made his deputy in an announcement issued not by Putin but by defence minister Sergei Shoigu, who has also faced intense criticism.
“The increase in the level of leadership of the special operation is linked to the expansion of the scale of the tasks at hand and the need for closer interaction between troops,” the defence ministry said.
