Putin Makes Rare Security Council Appearance Amid Failing Russian Offensive

Russian President Vladimir Putin has made a rare in-person appearance at a meeting of his Security Council amid a failing offensive in Ukraine.

Putin held a meeting with the permanent members of the Security Council on Friday, attending the meeting in person for the first time since February 21, days before he launched a full-scale invasion against Ukraine.

After the Russian leader's February meeting, he announced that he had recognized the independence of two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine and that he signed a decree recognizing the self-proclaimed "Donetsk People's Republic" (DPR) and the "Luhansk People's Republic" (LPR) as independent.

Russian troops invaded Ukraine three days later.

According to the Kremlin's website, issues of "improving civil defense" were discussed.

Putin has attended all meetings with the permanent members of the Security Council that have been held throughout the course of the war via video link.

"We have a planned issue today: the Ministry of Emergency Situations proposes to discuss issues of improving civil defense. Let's get to work," Putin said in opening remarks, according to a short clip shared by the Russian state-run news agency RIA Novosti on Telegram.

Attendees included Speaker of the Federation Council Valentina Matvienko, Deputy Chairman of the Security Council Dmitry Medvedev, Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev, Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, FSB Director Alexander Bortnikov, and Director of the Foreign Intelligence Service Sergei Naryshkin, the Kremlin's website said.

The rare face-to-face meeting comes as Putin suffered a series of humiliating defeats in the war.

On November 9, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu permitted a commander to withdraw troops from Kherson city.

Sergey Surovikin, who became the new head of Russia's forces in Ukraine in October, said last week that his troops would be retreating across the Dnieper River to "preserve the lives of our soldiers and the combat capability of the troop group."

Russia's withdrawal from Kherson last week marked the third major retreat by Putin's troops since the start of the war.

Kherson had been occupied by Russian forces since March, just days after the war began.

Ukraine also pushed Putin's forces out of Kharkiv following a lightning counteroffensive, and now, Russian troops are likely preparing for a Ukrainian push into Crimea, according to an assessment by the British Ministry of Defence on Friday.

Two unnamed Kremlin sources told local business newspaper RBC that Putin may not hold his annual big press conference next month—an event that has been taking place each year in December since 2012. One source said a final decision on the matter will consider the situation on the front line in Ukraine.

Newsweek reached out to Russia's foreign ministry for comment.