Apparently unhappy with the way the war in Ukraine is going, Vladimir Putin has reportedly “sidelined” Sergei Shoigu, his longtime ally and defense minister, over Russian forces’ dismal progress. The BBC cites independent Russian media and Britain’s defense minister alleging that soldiers have been ridiculing Shoigu for his “ineffectual” leadership. “Recent independent Russian media reports have claimed that due to the problems Russia is facing in its war against Ukraine, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu is now being sidelined within the Russian leadership, with operational commanders briefing President Putin directly on the course of the war,” the British ministry of defense said in a statement. “Russian officers and soldiers with firsthand experience of the war probably routinely ridicule Shoigu for his ineffectual and out-of-touch leadership as Russian progress has stalled.” Shoigu had scant military experience before Putin put him in charge of the ministry of defense.