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Vladimir Putin's killer generals who gas kids, bomb hospitals and shoot down planes
invasion of Ukraine, Russia still has several powerful men at the top. Russia president Vladimir Putin has been reportedly looking at his own inner circle to find blame for the reason why his invasion was not ended in the 72 hours he first predicted.And those he hasn't yet turned against, or haven't been killed in battle, still hold the balance of power on the battlefield in their hand.General Sergei Shoigu has commanded Russia's armed forces since 2012.Until earlier today, it had been rumoured that he was suffering from ill health.But he appeared on Russian TV, in video footage showing him chairing a meeting at the Kremlin.Although it was broadcast today in Russia, it was on a Kremlin-run TV station which means it could have been filmed at any time.Shoigu is the man behind Putin's Yunarmiya – meaning youth army.The Russian president gave the go-head to establish the All-Russia "Young Army" National Military Patriotic Social Movement Association in 2015 – and he put Shoigu in charge.The force, formed mainly of schoolchildren, has grown massively since then and is now thought to have more than one million members, and is known in Russia as “YunArmia”.Described as a "military and patriotic" organisation, YunArmia – for girls as well as boys – has been criticised as an echo of Hitler Youth.
