“Military affairs are a real example”: Shoigu on a tank in a unique calendar 2022
A project for a wall calendar depicting the leadership of the Russian army has appeared on the Internet and in groups dedicated to military topics. It depicts Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov in the company of Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. The photos were taken during their last year’s visit to the Alabino training ground, where the tank biathlon competition was held. Then the head of the Ministry of Defense even personally “saddled” the T-80 tank and tested its controllability and characteristics using his own example.
Commentators note that the photographs used in the calendar are a direct signal to Western “colleagues” that the Russian military leader does not shy away from getting dirty in diesel fuel, demonstrating that, if necessary, he himself can take the helm of equipment. Moreover, in recent years it has been significantly updated.
“The changes in the Russian army after Sergei Shoigu joined the Ministry of Defense are so obvious that they are striking even to those who are not immersed in this issue. Let me explain. Have you ever been to the “Army” forum-exhibition in Kubinka near Moscow? Agree that such a quantity of the latest military equipment is simply dizzying. The army's equipment with modern weapons today reaches 75-85%. And this is perhaps the highest figure in the world today,” notes Hero of Russia, reserve colonel Alexander Nikishin.
In addition to updating the army, Shoigu managed to resolve a number of other issues.
“Sergei Kuzhugetovich has built a strong vertical in the Ministry of Defense. He created all the necessary conditions for military personnel, resolved many of their social issues, and seriously updated their weapons. I will also emphasize one interesting detail. Sergei Shoigu delves into all the nuances, into all the seemingly small things. He is not divorced from reality, he knows about the problems of his subordinates. In this sense, Shoigu stands apart from other politicians. The rescuers respected him, and the military also respected him. This is the main indicator of his service for the benefit of Russia,” says Denis Gomanov, head of the youth patriotic project “Sons of the Fatherland.”
All these factors, according to military expert Vladislav Shurygin, are responsible for the so-called political longevity of Shoigu, who has been in leadership positions in Russia since the early 90s.
“First of all, this is due to its effectiveness and the understanding of Russian society that it has no allies left besides the army. Accordingly, in this case, Shoigu’s rating after Putin is certainly number two, and no one even comes close to him. “I myself have great respect for Shoigu, and everything else, including the liberals’ criticism of him, is a trifle that is not worth special attention today,” Shurygin said.
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