“We see, as expected, concern at all levels within the Russian armed forces,” said Admiral Tony Radakin, the chief of staff of the United Kingdom’s senior military officer. “It simply came to our notice then. . . We also see the pressure on their regular and operational commanders. . . and then you meet their top commanders, who are also clearly under pressure. “ Reports of a brigade commander being beaten by his own troops, widespread social media videos of Russian soldiers moaning and the dismissal of 12 national guardsmen who refused to fight in Ukraine fueled speculation that parts of Russia may be near rebellion. But Radakin warned that “rebellion” was a powerful word – “the naval officer in me shrinks when I hear the word” – and added that “we will have to wait and see” if the widespread dissatisfaction within the Russian army ” it is evolving into something more impressive “. Admiral Tony Radakin, Chief of Defense Staff © Andrew Matthews / PA Even so, Radakin’s remarks – made at a seminar on the future of the British Army – add to the overall picture of the growing pressure on Russia’s armed forces, both within its ranks and between senior commanders and President Vladimir Putin. US President Joe Biden said on Thursday that Putin appeared to be “isolated”, adding that “there is some evidence that he fired or placed some of his advisers under house arrest.” But Biden warned that reports of retaliation against these senior Russian officials had not been confirmed by independents, adding: “I do not want to put too much into it at this time.”

However, British spy chief Jeremy Fleming, head of the GCHQ intelligence service, said earlier on Thursday that Russian troops “refused to carry out orders, sabotaging their own equipment and even accidentally shooting down their own aircraft”. Fleming added: “While we believe Putin’s advisers are afraid to tell him the truth, what is happening and the extent of these misconceptions must be clear to the regime.” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said the United States also believed Putin did not have a complete picture of his troops’ performance. “The fact that he [Putin] “He may not have the whole framework, that he may not fully understand the extent to which his forces are failing in Ukraine, that’s a little embarrassing,” Kirby said on Wednesday.

One reason Putin may not be fully aware of what is happening on the ground is because a growing game of responsibility between different parts of the Russian military and intelligence services has made it more difficult to establish the truth, Western officials have said. “Who is to blame is a question that occurs between services and between levels, with everyone blaming other organizations and different levels of government,” said an official. The official said that the Russian military and intelligence services had “catastrophically” misjudged the invasion of Ukraine and that even if they had read it correctly, they might not have communicated it correctly to Putin.