U.S. and U.K. officials say intelligence indicates Vladimir Putin has been “misinformed” about how badly the Russian military is performing in Ukraine, in part due to “yes-men” advisers who are “too afraid to tell him the truth.”
Why it matters: The Western allies have repeatedly declassified and publicized sensitive intelligence about Russia as a tool to undermine Putin’s strategy. The latest example comes as Russia claims to be pulling back from its offensive near Kyiv, which ended in failure thanks to a stiff Ukrainian resistance.
Get market news worthy of your time with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free.
What they’re saying: “[I]t increasingly looks like Putin has massively misjudged the situation,” Jeremy Fleming, the head of the U.K.’s GCHQ spy service, said in a major speech in Australia Wednesday.
-
“We’ve seen Russian soldiers — short of weapons and morale — refusing to carry out orders, sabotaging their own equipment and even accidentally shooting down their own aircraft,” Fleming claimed.
-
“And even though we believe Putin’s advisers are afraid to tell him the truth, what’s going on and the extent of these misjudgments must be crystal clear to the regime,” he added.
White House communications director Kate Bedingfield confirmed to reporters: “We have information that Putin felt misled by the Russian military, which has resulted in persistent tension between Putin and his military leadership.”
Between the lines: There is probably “no bigger insult” than calling Putin, a former KGB officer, “misinformed” about the state of his own military, notes Russia expert Dmitri Alperovitch.
More from Axios: Sign up to get the latest market trends with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free
