Russian President Vladimir Putin lost his cool during the first session of the government in 2023, publicly directing a scathing rebuke to the Minister of Trade and Industry.
In a minute-long intervention, Putin accused Minister Denis Manturov of bureaucratic delays in ordering civilian and military aircraft.
“Why are you lingering?”
The Russian president said: “It takes a long time, a very long time. Why are you delaying… When will you sign contracts… Why do you play the role of a fool?”
“The 700 aircraft, including helicopters, need to be resolved with the Defense Ministry,” Putin complained. “Many companies have not received any orders yet.”
Putin and the minister
Supervision of the arms industry
Manturov has been a loyal member of Putin’s ministerial team since 2012, and has traveled regularly with the president on foreign and domestic visits. He was given the task of overseeing Russia’s arms industry last summer when shortcomings were exposed on the battlefield.
Manturov explained that his ministry launched a program to produce helicopter engines in St. Petersburg, which were previously manufactured in Ukraine. But Putin attacked him, complaining that it was taking too long.
After publicly insulting him, the minister promised that his ministry would do its best with its economic partners.
