Russia's Putin lays into minister Manturov for 'fooling around' - BBC

Russian President Vladimir Putin mislaid his chill during his government's archetypal gathering of 2023, publically telling disconnected the commercialized and manufacture minister.

For respective minutes helium accused Denis Manturov of bureaucratic delays successful ordering civilian and subject planes.

"Too long, it is taking excessively long," said the Russian leader, who has ne'er been 1 to clasp backmost successful criticising apical officials successful public.

"What are you fooling astir for? When volition the contracts beryllium signed?"

The government's archetypal gathering came connected the aforesaid time that President Putin replaced his apical commandant successful Ukraine aft conscionable 3 months successful charge.

Gen Sergei Surovikin was appointed successful October aft a bid of setbacks successful Russia's penetration of Ukraine but helium has failed to reverse the people of the war.

In an different upbeat video telephone shown connected Russian TV successful which President Putin praised his ministers' handling of the economy, President Putin repeatedly interrupted Mr Manturov, arsenic the curate elaborate plans for planes, helicopters and boats.

"These 700 aircraft, including helicopters... you request to benignant this retired with the defence ministry... respective enterprises inactive haven't received immoderate orders," helium complained.

Mr Manturov has been a loyal subordinate of the Putin ministerial squad since 2012, and has regularly travelled with the president connected overseas and home visits. He was handed the task of overseeing Russia's weapons manufacture past summertime erstwhile shortcomings had already been exposed connected the battlefield.

As helium explained that his ministry had launched a programme to nutrient chopper engines successful St Petersburg that were antecedently made successful Ukraine, the president butted in, complaining it was each taking excessively long.

As the minister's nationalist humiliation neared its end, helium promised his section would bash its champion with its economical partners. But this was intelligibly not capable for an progressively agitated president.

"No, bash it wrong a month. Don't you recognize the concern we're in? It needs to beryllium done successful a month, nary later."

The televised dressing-down echoed an adjacent much melodramatic lawsuit 3 days earlier the warfare broke out, erstwhile Mr Putin ordered his apical information figures to accidental whether Russia should recognise 2 occupied areas of eastbound Ukraine arsenic independent.

When 1 of his closest allies, overseas quality main Sergei Naryshkin, hesitantly suggested Russia's Western partners should beryllium fixed 1 past chance, President Putin began to interrogate him.

Mr Naryshkin stumbled implicit his words respective times earlier declaring helium would enactment the 2 occupied regions being brought into the Russian Federation.

Although President Putin said incorporating Ukraine's regions into Russia was not connected the table, respective months aboriginal that was precisely what helium announced.