Furious Putin shows his rage at Russia’s failing war effort as he publicly humiliates hapless deputy PM for ‘fooling around’ and failing to procure military planes
- An angry Vladimir Putin publicly humiliated one of his deputy prime ministers
- Denis Manturov was blasted for failing to procure military and civilian planes
- A furious Putin asked the hapless minister: ‘Why are you really fooling around?’
Vladimir Putin today showed his rage at Russia’s collapsing economy and failing war effort as he publicly humiliated one of the deputy prime ministers and again shook up his high command.
The angry despot blasted Denis Manturov in a government videoconference for failing to procure military and civilian planes.
He accused him of playing the fool after the politician, a deputy PM and Trade and Industry Minister, flew on holiday to NATO country Turkey over New Year.
The video shows an aggrieved Putin declaring: ‘There are no contracts. What are you going to tell me? I know there are no contracts at the companies, the directors told me.
‘Why are you really fooling around?’
The video shows an aggrieved Putin telling off Deputy PM, Minister of Trade and Industry Denis Manturov
Putin (right) blasted Denis Manturov (left) in a government videoconference for failing to procure military and civilian planes, January 12, 2023
He told the hapless minister that he had one month to sort out the mess which has led to a shortage of military planes for the airforce, and a failure to supply new aircraft to civilian companies that are hit by Western sanctions.
Putin stormed: ‘This all must be done within a month, I am asking you, within a month… Don’t we understand in what conditions we’re living?’
The chastened Manturov was seen bowing his head.
Putin also shook up his military command structure for the umpteenth time during the war with Ukraine.
He made war commander General Sergei Surovikin subservient to chief of the general staff Gen. Valery Gerasimov in controlling armed forces in the war.
The move appeared to buttress the position of much-criticised Gerasimov amid growing resentment and dissent in the army.
Putin accused Denis Manturov (pictured) of playing the fool after the politician, a deputy PM and Trade and Industry Minister, flew on holiday to NATO country Turkey over New Year
Surovikin – aka General Armageddon – was made his deputy in an announcement made not by Putin but by defence minister Sergei Shoigu, who has also faced strong 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,’ said the defence ministry.
Putin badly needs a bigger win than the seizure of Soledar which – if confirmed – has been accomplished by private army Wagner, comprising mostly prisoners, rather than the regularly armed forces.
The Putin change in high command ensures the position of Gerasimov, seen as a loyalist without political ambitions, while curbing the power of others, perhaps including Surovikin, who want to override Putin on war tactics.
Two other loyalist generals, Oleg Salyukov and Alexei Kim, were also appointed to the top table.