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Images of Sergei Shoigu released on Monday show the Russian defense minister has the backing of Russian leader Vladimir Putin, the United Kingdom's former defense attache to Moscow has told Newsweek.
Shoigu had not been seen in public since Wagner Group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin seized Russia's Southern Military Command HQ in Rostov-on-Don and marched on Moscow on Saturday, before calling off the mutiny.
Prigozhin has repeatedly condemned Shoigu, as well as chief of Russia's General Staff, Valery Gerasimov, for their performance in the full-scale invasion of Ukraine and had called for their removal.

Under a deal brokered by Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko, an ally of Putin, Prigozhin agreed to go to Belarus, although the terms of the agreement remain unclear.
However, with social-media users noting the absence of Shoigu and Gerasimov during the crisis, the Russian defense ministry released footage showing Shoigu looking out the window of a military plane and holding a meeting with top brass.
Shoigu "checked the forward command post of one of the formations of the Western Group of Forces," the defense ministry said in a statement, reported by state news agency Tass. Shoigu heard a report from the commander of the group, Colonel-General Yevgeny Nikiforov, on the current situation; the nature of the enemy's actions; and "the performance of combat missions by Russian troops," Tass added.
John Foreman, the former U.K. defence attache to Moscow, told Newsweek that Shoigu had form for being shown in uniform when under pressure due to reverses in Ukraine or facing questions over his conduct in the war.
"This shows that he is still in the role of defence minister, that Putin is sticking by him, and that Prigozhin has lost the power struggle with this wily political operator," Foreman said.
It is not clear when or where the video was filmed. However, Rybar, a popular pro-war blog, said Shoigu had visited the Belgorod region on Friday before Prigozhin's uprising. This suggests that the Russian authorities were trying to pass off the images as current.
"I would like to see him on live TV in a National Security Council meeting with the other power players," said Foreman. "I don't think he is out of the woods yet in terms of being replaced, but Putin doesn't like being bounced into personnel decisions by outside pressure."
The consequences of the deal struck between Lukashenko and Prigozhin, who was last seen in Rostov on Saturday, are uncertain.
Putin has not fired any of his top team. Gerasimov, who also has not been seen in public since the mutiny, remains the head of Russia's forces in Ukraine, despite Prigozhin's demands for him to be fired.
Some Russian sources said that Alexei Dyumin, Tula Oblast governor, who was the former head of Russia's Special Operations Forces, could replace him. However, the Institute for the Study of War independent think tank said this speculation could not be confirmed.
In any case, the ISW noted on Sunday that "any changes to the MoD leadership would notably represent a significant victory for Prigozhin."
Newsweek has contacted the Russian Defense Ministry via email for comment.
About the writer
Brendan Cole is a Newsweek Senior News Reporter based in London, UK. His focus is Russia and Ukraine, in particular ... Read more