Mark Hollingsworth

Silent strongman Sergey Shoigu is the real force behind Russia’s military aggression

The mysterious defence minister is now favourite to succeed Vladimir Putin as president

issue 05 December 2015
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‘Crimea is ours,’ President Putin boasted last May. He was speaking on a documentary viewed by millions of Russians, and it was the culminating moment in the militarisation of Russia. Moscow had attracted criticism for spending unprecedented sums on its armed forces under Putin, despite a weak economy over-dependent on oil.

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