Ukraine conflict: Who dey Putin inner circle wey dey help am run di war?

Vladimir Putin cut one solitary figure, as im dey lead Russia military into one high-risk war wey threaten to tear apart im kontri economy.

Im no dey really look more isolated than in some two recent, choreographed appearances wit im inner circle, wia im sit sits at a resolute distance from his closest advisers.

As commander in chief, ultimate responsibility for di invasion dey rest on am but im don always rely on a deeply loyal entourage, many of dem also start dia career for Russia security services.

Di question na who get im ear, during dis most fateful moment for im presidency.

If anyone does, e go be long-time confidant Sergei Shoigu, wey don parrot di Putin line of demilitarising Ukraine and protecting Russia from di West so-called military threat.

Dis na man wey dey go on hunting and fishing trips wit di president to Siberia, and in di past, pipo don see am as a potential successor.

But take a look at dis extraordinary foto of im for di end of dis table, dey siddon awkwardly beside di head of di armed forces, and you go wonder how much of President Putin ear im dey able to reach.

Dem take dat foto three days afta di military campaign strugge wit unexpected Ukrainian resistance and low military morale.

"Shoigu suppose dey march to Kyiv; im be di minister of defence and im suppose win am," Vera Mironova, wey be specialist for armed conflict tok am.

Na im dem give di credit of di military seizure of Crimea for 2014. Im bin also dey in charge of di GRU military intelligence agency, wey dem accuse of two nerve agent poisonings - di deadly 2018 attack for Salisbury for di UK and di near-fatal attack on opposition leader Alexei Navalny for Siberia 2020.

Di foto even look worse as a close-up. "Dem dey look like pesin just die - e look like a funeral," Ms Mironova tok.

E fit look awkward, but Russian security expert and writer Andrei Soldatov believe say di defence minister na still di most influential voice di president hears.

"Shoigu no only dey in charge of di military, im also dey partly in charge of ideology - and for Russia ideology na mostly about history and na im dey in control of di narrative."

As chief of staff, na im job to invade Ukraine and complete di job fast, and by dat standard dem don dey find am wanting.

Im don playe a major role for Vladimir Putin military campaigns ever since im command an army for di Chechen War of 1999, and im bin dey di forefront of military planning for Ukraine too, dey oversee military drills for Belarus last month.

Russia specialist Mark Galeotti don describe am as an "unsmiling, craggy bruiser", Gen Gerasimov also play one key role for di military campaign to annexe Crimea.

Some reports suggest dem don sideline am because of di shaky start to invasion of Ukraine and reports of poor morale among di troops.

But Andrei Soldatov believe dat na wishful thinking from some quarters: "Putin no fit control every road and every battalion, and dat na im role." And while di defence minister fit love im uniforms, im no get any military training and im need to rely on di professionals, im add am.

"Patrushev na di most hawkish hawk, thinking di West dey out to get Russia for years," say Ben Noble, Associate Professor of Russian Politics for University College London.

Im na one of three Putin loyalists wey don serve wit am ever since di 1970s for St Petersburg, wen dem still sbai Russia second city as Leningrad.

Di other two stalwarts na security service chief Alexander Bortnikov and foreign intelligence head Sergei Naryshkin. All di president inner circle dey known as siloviki, or enforcers, but dis trio still dey closer.

na few pipo dey hold as much influence over di president as Nikolai Patrushev. No be only say im im work wit am for di old KGB but dey wit am during di communist era, e replace am as head of im successor organisation, di FSB, from 1999 to 2008.

Na during one bizarre meeting of Russia security council, three days before di invasion, Oga Patrushev push im view say di US "concrete goal" na di break-up of Russia.

Di session na extraordinary piece of theatre, wey show di president dey hold court behind one desk as one by one im security team walk up to one lectern and express dia opinion on recognising di independence of Russian-backed rebels for Ukraine.

Nikolai Patrushev pass di test. "Na im get di chief battle cry, and e make sense say Putin don move towards his more extreme position," Ben Noble tok am.

Kremlin watchers say di president dey trust information wey im receive from di security services more than any other source, and pipo dey see Alexander Bortnikov as part of di Putin inner sanctum.

Another old hand from di Leningrad KGB, im take ova di leadership of im replacement FSB wen Nikolai Patrushev move on.

Dem sabi say both men dey close to di president, but as Ben Noble point am out: "No be say we fit tok am wit complete confidence who dey call di shots and who dey take decisions."

Di FSB get considerable influence over other law enforcement services and even get dia own special forces.

Im dey important but im no dey dia to challenge di Russian leader or give advice in di same way as others, Andrei Soldatov believe am.

To complete di three of old Leningrad spooks, Sergei Naryshkin don remain alongside di president for much of im career.

Wein we go make of di remarkable dressing down dem subject am to wen im go off-message during di security council meeting?

Wen dem ask for im assessment of di situation, di intelligence chief tok no follow, only to be told by di president: "Dat no be wetin we dey discuss."

Di lengthy session dey edited so di Kremlin bin clearly decide to show im discomfort in front of a big television audience.

"E dey shocking. Im dey incredibly cool and collected so pipo for don ask wetin dey happun here," Ben Noble tell di BBC. Mark Galeotti say im dey shocked by di toxic atmosphere of di whole occasion.

But Andrei Soldatov think im dey simply enjoy di moment: "Putin love to dey play games wit im inner circle, make am [Naryshkin] look a fool."

Sergei Naryshkin since don dey follow Oga Putin, for St Petersburg for di 1990s, then for Oga Putin office for 2004 and eventually im become speaker of parliament. But im also head di Russian Historical Society and, for Soldatov view, im don prove very important in providing di president wit ideological grounds for im actions.

Last year im give one interview to di BBC Moscow correspondent Steve Rosenberg wia im deny say Russia don carry out poisonings and cyber attacks or don interfere for other kontris elections.

For 18 years im don be Russia most senior diplomat, present Russia case to di world even if im no dey considered to get a big role for decision-making.

Sergei Lavrov, 71, na more proof say Vladimir Putin heavily relie on figures from im past.

Im be wily operator: last month e try to ridicule British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss over her knowledge of Russian geography and di year before im humiliate di EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell.

But dem don since side-lined am on anything wey gas to do wit Ukraine and, despite im gruff and hostile reputation, e dey advocate for further diplomatic talks on Ukraine and di Russian president choose to ignore im.

Im no really care say most of di UN human rights council walk out on am as im try to defend Russia invasion over a video link.

One rare female face for di Putin entourage, na she oversee di upper house vote to rubber stamp di deployment of Russian forces abroad, wey pave di way for invasion.

Valentina Matviyenko another Putin loyalist from St Petersburg wey help turn through di annexation of Crimea for 2014 as well.

But dem no dey consider am to be primary decision-maker. Meanwhile, na only few pipo fit tok wit complete certainty who dey call di shots and take di big decisions.

Just like every other member of Russia security council, her role na to give an impression of a collective discussion wen e dey more than likely say di Russian leader don already make up im mind.

One former bodyguard of di president, na im dey run Russia national guard, Rosgvardia, wey President Putin form only six years ago as a kind of personal army for di style of one Roman empire-like praetorian guard.

By choosing im own personal security guard to front am, e make sure of im loyalty, and Viktor Zolotov don boost im numbers to a reported 400,000.

Vera Mironova believe say di original Russian plan na to complete di invasion within days, and wen di military appear to dey fail, Russia national guard come take di lead.

Di problem na say di national guard leader no get military training, and as im force get no tanks dem don dey vulnerable to attack too.

Who else Putin dey listen to?

Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin wey det di unenviable task of rescuing di economy but im get little say over di war.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin and di head of Rosneft state oil giant, Igor Sechin, also dey close to di president, according to political analyst Yevgeny Minchenko.

Billionaire brothers Boris and Arkady Rotenberg, wey be childhood friends of di president, don be close confidants too. for 2020, Forbes magazine name dem as di richest family for Russia.

Wit additional reporting by Olga Ivshina and Kateryina Khinkulova of BBC Russian.