Recent developments in Russian politics confirm insider reports that dictator Vladimir Putin has decided to take revenge on Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu for the failures of Russian soldiers on the Ukrainian front.
Shoigu has become Putin's new victim
The ISW team noted that on 2 May, the illegitimate Russian president met with the governor of the Tula region, affiliated with the Wagner private military company, Alexei Dyumin.
According to US analysts, this confirms rumours that Putin wants to reduce Shoigu's power, balance him with his rivals and punish him for the Russian military's failures in the war against Ukraine.
Dyumin told the dictator about the contribution of the Tula region to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
In addition, he stated that he supported and supplied the Russian occupiers, improved the Russian military-industrial base and improved the medical system in the Tula region.
In this way, the politician tried to regain the Kremlin leader's favour after he lost it during the mutiny of the Wagner PMC leader Yevgeny Prigozhin at the end of June 2023.
Dyumin repeatedly sided with Prigozhin in 2022 and 2023, hoping to replace Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu himself.
Putin hints at Shoigu's possible resignation
The American Institute for the Study of War draws attention to the fact that the meeting between Putin and Dyumin provoked a considerable number of discussions in the Russian information space.
Rumors began to spread more actively that Putin still plans to remove Shoigu from the position of head of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.
It is possible that the Kremlin may appoint Dyumin to a new role related to the Russian defence industry.
Russian insider sources also interpreted Shoigu's statement on May 1 that Russia needed to increase the quantity and quality of weapons and military equipment to "maintain the necessary pace of the offensive" during a meeting at the Joint Headquarters of the "Special Military Operation" on the night of May 1. as a direct attack on certain Russian political figures.
