Russian Defence Minister suffers heart attack, 20 generals under suspicion

The Russia Ukraine war is going to enter the third month. Russia and Ukraine have suffered heavy losses in this war. New reports suggest that the Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu has suffered a heart attack. Apparently, Shoigu was not seen in public for the last few days.

It is been claimed that Shoigu has reportedly suffered a massive heart attack 'not from natural causes'. It is believed that there was some rift between President Vladimir Putin and Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu over the damage being done in Ukraine. 

According to an unconfirmed report in the Russian Times, Russian-Israeli businessman Leonid Nevzlin claims that Defence Minister and Putin's close friend, the 66-year old Sergei Shoigu did not have a heart attack due to natural causes. 20 generals have been arrested on the basis of suspicion. 

Read | 7 faces of 'Putin Army' who are controlling the Ukraine attack by Russia

Leonid Nevzlin, who emigrated from Russia, further claimed that Russia's Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu has suffered a heart attack, which he suspects was triggered by foul play. In protest of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, Nevzlin stated last month that he is giving up his Russian citizenship. 

Sergei Shoigu not active since many days

Sergei Shoigu has been a close ally of Putin since 2012. He was a mainstay early in the attack, but was largely missing for weeks. These claims of businessman Leonid Nevzlin if proved to be true, would confirm a major rift between the alienated Russian President and his close advisers and military leaders.

Nevzlin was once one of Russia's richest men, but left the country in 2003 when Putin and the Kremlin decided to seize his oil company. In such a situation, his claim is attracting the attention of the people.

Possibility of attempt to murder

"Shoigu has been Putin's right hand and leader of the Russian military for a decade," Nevzlin said. He was a mainstay in the early weeks of the war in Ukraine, but had recently disappeared from regular Kremlin briefings. It is being told that due to the slow progress of the attack, there was a situation of tension between Putin and Shoigu at the end of March.

Nevzlin has cast doubt on Shoigu's heart attack, saying that it could not have been caused by natural reasons. He has called it 'attempt to murder'. Shoigu was last seen yesterday at a video conference with Putin and other ministers about the development of the Arctic, but he did not talk about it. In such a situation, it is also discussed that this video is already recorded and this footage is being used to confuse people.

(With Agency Inputs)