Worried Vladimir Putin scraps major press conference
Vladimir Putin has cancelled a major annual press conference due to Russia's struggles in the Ukraine war.
Vladimir Putin has cancelled a major press conference.
The Russian president was due to conduct an annual forum with journalists this month but is now said to have postponed the engagement for several months.
The news outlet Kommersant has cited sources inside the Kremlin that suggest that the chat could be delayed until December.
The sources claim that the journalistic forum will be postponed until the "Russian military situation is more stable".
Analysts at the Institute for the Study of War think-tank said that Putin had been set to hold the news conference this month after Russian forces allegedly captured the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut.
However, the planned onslaught in the embattled region had largely failed until Wagner mercenary thugs got involved.
The experts told Sky News: "It indicates that the Kremlin may perceive the capture of Bakhmut as an insufficient informational victory to compensate for the overall unstable Russian military situation in Ukraine.
"It further illustrates Putin's decline from a seemingly involved and strong leader to one more often portrayed as minutely involved in small infrastructure projects,"
Amid the faltering invasion of Ukraine, Putin is also believed to have scrapped his annual marathon phone-in.
The event usually runs for several hours and involves the despot fielding questions from Russia's general public about social and policy issues.
