In the Bakhmut region, which Russia is trying to advance (Yazuichi Chiba / AFP)
With the Russian invasion of Ukraine entering its eighth month, facts abound that reveal anger among the ruling elite in Russia towards the outcome of what has been achieved, especially after The great field retreat of the Russian army In recent weeks, having to President Vladimir Putin To declare a partial military mobilization, thousands of young Russians were involved in the war.
In the face of this situation, which is accompanied by continuous Western pressure on Moscow, whether through sanctions or military aid to Kiev, leaks emerge of criticism directed not only to the Russian military leaders, but reached Putin personally, according to information published by the American newspaper “Washington Post”, in parallel with statements Public failure to lead military operations.
Faced with this reality, Moscow seemed to be trying to mitigate the repercussions of the recent defeats, especially its loss of large areas in southern Kherson in particular, by announcing yesterday, Friday, progress in the Ukrainian east, but this did not reduce fears that it would resort to a dangerous option through The use of tactical nuclear weapons, especially if Putin does not find a way out of the situation in which he finds himself.
Growing concern within Putin’s circle
The Washington Post revealedYesterday, US intelligence obtained information that a member of Putin’s inner circle recently expressed his opposition to his handling of this war. The newspaper quoted those who were informed, whose identities were not revealed, that this information was deemed important enough that it was included in President Joe Biden’s daily intelligence briefing and shared with other US officials.
According to the newspaper, the indignation expressed by a member of Putin’s inner circle related to what insiders saw as the mismanagement of the war effort and the mistakes made by those carrying out the military campaign.
And the “Washington Post” quoted a Western intelligence official as saying that “since the start of the occupation, we have seen growing concern from a number of people within Putin’s inner circle.” A second Western official added, according to the newspaper, that the internal tensions in Russia “are in line with the atmosphere prevailing in the Kremlin. A lot of people are convinced that this is not going well or the right course of action.”
A senior European security official told the newspaper of “increasing criticism of Putin, behind his back”, including from within the Kremlin, saying “they think he is stubborn” and “obsessed with Ukraine”.
Two Russian businessmen: The coming weeks may be decisive in determining Putin’s future and the decisions he takes
The “Washington Post” also quoted two Russian businessmen, who have contacts with political officials, as saying that the coming weeks may be decisive in determining Putin’s future and the decisions he takes. One of them, a member of Russia’s business elite, said that if the Russian army did not stop its losses, infighting would break out. “This is the breaking point,” said one.
With Russian losses on the ground, loyalty to Putin may decline, intelligence officials told the American newspaper, but they cautioned that there was no indication that the Russian leader was about to fall.
On the other hand, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov refused to talk about divisions within Russia’s ruling circle, but said that there were discussions about decisive decisions, and explained to “The Washington Post”, that “there is a difference of opinion at such moments. Some believe that we should We have to act differently, but it’s all part of the normal business process.”
In response to a question about differences within Putin’s inner circle, Peskov said: “There are practical discussions: about the economy, about the conduct of the military operation. There are discussions about the education system. This is part of the normal work process, not a sign of any division.” But Peskov said US intelligence reports that someone in Putin’s inner circle directly challenged the Russian leader was “completely untrue”.
Peskov: US intelligence reports that someone in Putin’s inner circle challenged him are completely untrue
The information revealed by “Washington Post” comes with increasing public criticism of senior Russian military officials, the latest of which was the statement by the deputy head of the Russian-backed administration of the Kherson region, Kirill Strimosov, that “generals and ministers” in Moscow failed to absorb the problems on the front lines.
Before him, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov raised questions about the leadership hierarchy within the Russian army, and said that “nepotism in the army will lead to bad things. There is no place for nepotism in the army, especially in difficult times.” It also emerged a while ago that the founder of the “Wagner Group” Yevgeny Prigozhin, a long-time Putin ally, described Russian military leaders as “trash bits”.
Resentment is beginning to erupt even among pro-government broadcasters on state television. “Please explain to me what is the genius idea of the General Staff now?” said Vladimir Solovyov, one of the most famous Russian talk show hosts.
Even the editor-in-chief of the state news channel “Russia Today” Margarita Simonyan, who is a close confidant of the Kremlin, suggested that the generals of the Russian army should be executed because of the defeats they had suffered. During a televised debate, Simonyan recalled how World War II leaders faced execution after their forces were defeated, and noted that recent retreats were similar to the collapse of Russia’s Western Front eight decades ago.
In this context, it emerged yesterday that the Russian “RBC” website revealed that the Russian authorities had dismissed the commander of the Eastern Military District, Colonel Alexander Chaiko. According to the site, Rustam Muradov was appointed to head the region.
In an additional indication of the decline suffered by the Russian forces in their invasion, the British Ministry of Defense said, on Friday, that the Ukrainian forces had captured at least 440 tanks and about 650 armored vehicles since the beginning of the war, and pointed out that “the failure of the Russian crews to destroy the equipment The proper procedures before withdrawing or surrendering highlights their poor training condition and low levels of discipline in battle.”
In an attempt to take advantage of this situation, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov called on the Russian soldiers to lay down their arms, pledging to guarantee their “life and safety.” who gave criminal orders.
Fears of harsh choices
But the difficult situation in which Putin finds himself increases fears that he will make harsh choices. In this context, US President Joe Biden warned that Humanity faces the threat of an “end of the world” war For the first time since the Cold War. “We haven’t faced the prospect of an apocalyptic battle since (former President John) Kennedy and the Cuban Missile Crisis” in 1962, Biden said in New York on Thursday evening, adding, “We are trying to understand how Putin will find a way out.”
Biden warned that even a tactical strike within a limited area would lead to wide-ranging repercussions, and stressed that Putin “is not joking when he talks about the possible use of tactical nuclear weapons or biological or chemical weapons, as it can be said that the performance of his army is significantly weak.”
Russia talks about progress on the ground
On the other hand, Russia was talking about field progress, yesterday, Friday, in eastern Ukraine. Pro-Russian separatists said the villages of Otradivka, Vesila Dolina and Zaitsevi, near the city of Pakhmut in the Donetsk region, had come under Russian control. For his part, the leader of the pro-Russian separatists in the Donetsk region, Denis Pushlin, indicated that the situation is “more difficult” near Lyman, which is the hub of a railway junction that was recently taken over by Ukrainian forces.
For his part, Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrinin announced yesterday that his country, which is Russia’s only real ally in its war on Ukraine, is ready when necessary. To mobilize 500,000 reservists A trainer for the armed forces, and explained in statements to journalists published on the Belarusian Ministry of Defense channel on “Telegram”, that his country’s forces will soon obtain new weapons from the “Iskander” systems, the “S-400” air defense systems, and new unmanned warplanes.
On the other hand, Ukrainian forces reported achieving gains yesterday by controlling the village of Grekyvka in the Lugansk region, according to Governor Sergey Gaidai. In Kherson region, pro-Russian official Kirill Strimosov said five civilians were killed and five wounded in a Ukrainian raid that hit a civilian bus. The Ukrainian presidency spoke of a new Russian attack on the Zaporizhia region for the second day in a row, injuring one person.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced in a speech late Thursday that “more than 500 square kilometers of Russian occupiers have been liberated from the Kherson region alone” since the beginning of October.
Zelensky called on the European Union to put more pressure on the Russian energy sector
In his speech, Friday, Zelensky called on the European Union to put more pressure on the Russian energy sector, and said in a video speech during an EU summit in Prague: “We must continue to move forward in this direction, in the direction of pressure on the Russian energy sector, The main source of income for the aggressor state”, and renewed the demand to make the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant “demilitarized”.
At this time, yesterday the United Nations Human Rights Council created for the first time in its history the position of a Special Rapporteur to monitor the repression of dissent in Russia. The 47-nation council adopted its resolution with 17 votes in favour. Twenty-four countries abstained, and 6 countries voted against the resolution, including China. The resolution stipulates the appointment of a special rapporteur to monitor the “human rights situation” for a period of one year. The text instructs the Special Rapporteur to “collect, examine and evaluate relevant information issued by all stakeholders, including Russian civil society, inside and outside the country.”
In the developments yesterday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed by phone with Putin bilateral relations, and reiterated Ankara’s readiness to play a role in ending the war in Ukraine peacefully.
(Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, AFP, Archyde.com)