INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu went to the command headquarters of a group of forces deployed in Ukraine, where he talked about
materiel requirements and distributed awards, the military said Tuesday.Shoigu examined the Vostok group of forces days after the Defense
Ministry claimed the capture of eastern Ukraines Soledar and army Chief of Staff Valery Gerasimov was put in charge of Russias military
Russias Defense Ministry stated Shoigu heard reports on the development of Moscows invasion from group commander Lieutenant General Rustam
Muradov and other unit leaders.It did not define the area of the meeting.It included that Shoigu highlighted the need to make sure supplies
to frontline soldiers, offer them safe real estate and focus on the work of medical and logistics units, in addition to the requirement to
arrange work surrounding fortifications.Numerous reports because the start of the war last February have documented supply, food and devices
lacks, in addition to substandard living conditions, for Russias getting into force.An almost three-minute video with the majority of its
sound muted shows Shoigu, dressed in combat uniform, sitting in on a videoconference and handing out medals to several servicemen
It was followed by Shoigus address and interviews with two awarded soldiers
You serve with self-respect, safeguard our homeland, assist those who require aid and do everything to bring closer the day called Victory
Day, Shoigu said.Following the meeting, Shoigu announced that Russia would grow the size of its Armed Forces to 1.5 million people from
2023-2026, syncing the increasing troop numbers with new weapons shipment dates.This is Shoigus second evaluation of the Vostok group given
that the summertime of 2022
Shoigu formerly inspected the Vostok group on July 18, where he purchased generals to target Ukraines Western-supplied long-range
weapons.Analysts stated the Defense Ministrys appointment of Gerasimov to lead Russias forces in Ukraine was an effort to assert authority
over the private military group Wagner, whose leader had actually declared sole credit for seizing Soledar.Shoigu also checked the so-called
unique military operation zone twice in December
Investigative reporters at the time geolocated the command post visited by Shoigu on Dec
18 as a village in annexed Crimea, more than 80 kilometers from the frontline.
