MOSCOW: Vladimir Putin’s Defense Minister, Sergei Shoigu, has reportedly suffered a massive heart attack.

This comes as reports also claimed that 20 generals have been arrested for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which has not been very successful until now.

According to reports, Shoigu, who has been a close ally of Russian President Putin since 2012, has been missing in action for some weeks now.

Russian-Israeli businessman Leonid Nevzlin also made a sensational claim about a major rift between Putin and his closest advisers and military leaders.

Two days before Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine, a video of President Vladimir Putin started doing the rounds on social media.

In the video, Putin was seen asking Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service chief Sergey Naryshkin to “speak plainly” about his stand on recognition of Donetsk and Luhansk as independent states.

Despite the fact that Naryshkin is counted among his closest aides, Russian President Vladimir Putin did not shy away from publicly embarrassing one of his top-ranking officials.

(With inputs Agencies)