GCHQ head Jeremy Flemming reported that Vladimir Putin’s officials have been lying to him about Russia’s progress in the war against Ukraine.
The spy agency head was visiting Canberra, Australia to make a speech at the National Security College on Thursday when he gave his perspective on the current situation in the Kremlin.
Flemming said in a speech on Thursday that Putin’s advisors are “afraid to tell him the truth” about the poorly calculated outcome of his decision to invade the neighbouring state.
The GCHQ head lamented the “barbarity” of Putin’s invasion and the Russian leader’s failure to follow through on his poorly-calculated war.
“Far too many Ukrainians and Russians have already lost their lives. And beyond this toll, many, many more have had their lives shattered.”
“The UN estimate that in just over a month, more than ten million people have already fled their homes. It’s a humanitarian crisis that need never have happened.”
Flemming stated that Putin had over-estimated his military capabilities and under-estimated the effects of sanctions on the Russian economy, alongside the reported refusal to carry out orders and outright incompetence by the Russian army.
“He over-estimated the abilities of his military to secure a rapid victory. 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,” Flemming continued.
He blasted Putin’s poor planning and his inner circle’s overwhelming fear of telling him the reality of his invasion.
US intelligence have commented with similar insights, as officials across the board noted the rising tide of uncertainty within the Kremlin.
US director of White House communications Kate Bedingfield said: “We have information that Putin felt misled by the Russian military which has resulted in persistent tension between Putin and his military leadership.”
“We believe that Putin is being misinformed by his advisers about how badly the Russian military is performing and how the Russian economy is being crippled by sanctions because his senior advisers are too afraid to tell him the truth.”
The war in Ukraine continues to rage on over a month after Russian tanks rolled into the country, however it has become evident that Putin’s military victory is far further from his grasp than he initially predicted.