Putin personally present at Security Council meeting on Russian civil defense

Russian President Vladimir Putin met with the permanent members of the Security Council.

This was Putin’s first in-person appearance before the Security Council since February 21, 2022, when the council discussed the possibility of recognizing the self-proclaimed “LNR” and “DNR” as independent states.

The Kremlin’s official website confirms this information: according to its log, since late February, Putin participated in all Security Council meetings remotely.

The November 18 Security Council meeting discussed improving Russia’s civil defense. Alexander Kurenkov, the head of Russia’s Ministry of Emergency Situations (“MChS”), spoke at the meeting.

In his opening remarks, the president emphasized that civil defense was being discussed as a routine, not emergency, matter.

Since the coronavirus pandemic, President Putin has sharply limited his contacts. According to past reports, people scheduled to meet with the president had to be quarantined beforehand. Despite the fact that most COVID-related restrictions have been lifted in Russia, the president himself has continued to conduct most meetings remotely.

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