Russian soldiers sabotaging own efforts in Ukraine, UK spy chief says
[ad_1]
Jeremy Fleming (director of the U.K. intelligence Agency GCHQ), pictured November 2019. Fleming gave a speech to Canberra on Thursday, in which he discussed the conflict in Ukraine.
Joe Giddens | PA Images | Getty Images
Russian President Vladimir PutinHis advisors fear that he has misjudged Ukraine’s situation, and he is wrong. According to the British intelligence chief, he was telling the truth about what is happening on the ground.
Putin seems to have massively misjudged this situation. In a speech made in Australia, Jeremy Fleming, the director of U.K. intelligence service GCHQ said that it was clear that he had misjudged the resistance from the Ukrainian people.
Fleming described the conflict in Ukraine to be Putin’s personal war, and claimed that Putin also underestimated the financial consequences of sanctions as well as Russia’s military capabilities.
“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,” he said.
“And even though Putin’s advisors may be afraid to tell him truth, we must make it crystal clear for the regime what’s happening and the extent these mistakes.”
CNBC was unable contact the Russian government for further information.
Fleming was unable to provide any information on the way GCHQ or British intelligence personnel knew the feelings of Putin’s inner circle about the relaying of details regarding the Russian invasion. Fleming’s comments came after newly declassified U.S. intelligenceThe Russian president felt misled and let down by Russian military leadership, which kept vital details of the invasion secret from him in fear of angering.
Kate Bedingfield White House Communications Director stated that Putin was still in tension with his military leadership because of the lack of information.
Fleming stated Thursday that Putin still wanted to implement his plans to win ground in Ukraine despite all this.
“But [the plan]It is failing. He said that Plan B was more barbarism against cities and civilians.”
Russian officials said this week that they would scale back their military activity in and around the cities of Kyiv and Chernihiv — an announcement that has been met with skepticism in the West.
It looked as if they were forced to make significant changes. Fleming stated that they launched attacks in both those locations. “Mixed messages or deliberate misinformation — we’ll have to see how it unfolds.”
[ad_2]