Ukraine-Russia conflict: Who are Putin's closest allies and who is advising him on the Ukraine war?

 

Vladimir Putin seems to be the lone figure leading his country to a very dangerous war that could destroy his country's economy.

 And he has hardly ever been seen as lonely as he has been on two recent occasions when he has been seen sitting farthest away in pictures of his close advisers.

As commander-in-chief, he has the ultimate responsibility for the attack, but he relied heavily on one of his most loyal comrades, most of whom began their careers in the military.

 The question is, who does President Putin listen to and who pays attention to at the crucial juncture of his presidency?

If anyone has Putin's attention, it is his old ally, Sergei Shoigu, who is talking about ending Putin's military capabilities in Ukraine and protecting Russia from a Western military threat.

 Shoigu travels to Serbia to hunt down President Putin and has been seen in the past as a possible successor.

But when you look at this picture of him sitting at this table, where he is sitting with the army chief, the question is, how close is the president to his end?