Vladimir Putin has accused a Russian minister of “playing around” and failing to order sufficient army and civilian plane for the Ukraine battle.
The uncommon outburst was directed at Denis Manturov, his commerce and trade minister, who was given the duty of overseeing Russia’s weapons trade final yr.
Russian President Vladimir Putin leads a cupboard assembly through videoconference on the Novo-Ogaryovo residence outdoors Moscow, Russia, on Wednesday.Credit score:AP
As Manturov delivered his report throughout a video convention name with main authorities ministers on Wednesday, Putin fidgeted and made notes earlier than interrupting him.
“When will there be contracts? Administrators have advised me that they don’t have any contracts,” the Russian president stated, referring to efforts to accumulate new plane. “You aren’t attempting onerous sufficient,” a visibly angered Putin stated. He later raised his voice and stated: “Why are you taking part in a idiot?”
When Manturov stated he would attempt to verify the job can be performed throughout the first quarter of the yr, Putin snapped again that it ought to be performed sooner. “You do it inside a month, no later than that,” he stated.
Manturov tried to defend himself however this appeared to annoy Putin additional throughout his authorities’s first assembly of 2023 which was broadcast on state TV.
The outburst betrayed the president’s frustration on the progress of his battle in Ukraine and the influence of Western sanctions on the Russian financial system. He often delegates his deputies to admonish ministers who displease him.
The Russian air pressure has suffered heavy losses because the invasion of Ukraine started in February final yr and is attempting to replenish misplaced plane.
