The Kremlin ends questions about the absence of the defense minister from the public scene

The Kremlin announced Thursday that the Russian Defense Minister briefed President Vladimir Putin on the developments of the conflict in Ukraine, ending questions about the absence of Sergei Shoigu from the public scene two weeks ago.

"Shoigu presented a report on the special military operation" during a meeting of the Russian Security Council, Russian news agencies quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying.

In a press conference, Peskov denied media speculation about the health condition of the minister, who had not appeared in public for nearly two weeks.

"The defense minister has a lot to do right now," the spokesman said. "This is not the time to be doing media activity."

For its part, the Russian Defense Ministry announced in the evening that a telephone conversation took place between Sergei Shoigu and his Armenian counterpart Soren Babikyan.

The ministry said that the two ministers "discussed the current situation in the region and the areas in which the Russian peacekeeping forces in Nagorno-Karabakh carry out their missions."

Shoigu was often shown on television, especially with Vladimir Putin, on regular trips to the Siberian taiga region, where they drove in four-wheel drive vehicles and drank tea or collected mushrooms.

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