Shoigu “made a working trip to the southern military district and inspected troops in the areas of the special military operation”, the defence ministry said in a statement on Telegram.

It added that Shoigu spoke with servicemen “on the frontline” and listened to reports from military officials at a “command post”.

The statement did not say where exactly the trip took place and whether Shoigu visited Ukraine.

A video released by the ministry with its statement showed Shoigu aboard a military helicopter as well as some aerial shots of unidentified empty stretches of land.

The announcement of his visit comes after Russian president Vladimir Putin held a meeting with top military brass overseeing the Ukraine offensive, including Shoigu.

Russia launched a barrage of missiles on Friday on multiple cities in Ukraine, plunging them into darkness, cutting water and heat supplies and forcing people to endure sub-zero temperatures.

After a series of embarrassing battlefield defeats in Ukraine, Russia since October has pursued an aerial onslaught against what Moscow says are military-linked facilities.