(Reuters) -Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov said he discussed his region’s contribution to Russia’s war effort in Ukraine at talks with President Vladimir Putin on Thursday that came at a sensitive moment in relations between the two sides. Kadyrov enjoys wide leeway from Putin to run Chechnya ruthlessly as his personal fiefdom, but he angered even…
Sergei Shoigu, Russia's defence minister, has tried to send a "business as usual" message since his deputy was arrested on a bribery charge. On the surface, the timing of the detention on Tuesday of Timur Ivanov, one of Shoigu's 12 deputy ministers, was unexpected, coming when Russia is waging war in Ukraine and the authorities have made discrediting the army a jailable offence. Allegations of graft funding a lifestyle way beyond his means made against 48-year-old Ivanov by the late opposition politician Alexei Navalny's anti-corruption foundation had been in the public domain for more than a year with no apparent fallout.
Sergei Shoigu, Russia s defence minister, has tried to send a "business as usual" message since his deputy was arrested on a bribery charge. But the widening scandal looks bad for him too, and is seen as a push by a rival clan to dilute his power.
Russian men aged between 18 and 30 are eligible to be called up after lawmakers increased the upper age limit from 27 last year. Military service lasts 12 months.
Russia will begin conscription next week to replenish its armed forces and build up military reserves by calling up tens of thousands of soldiers.
Moscow.