BOTH BARRELS

U.K. Spy Chiefs Say Russian Army Hampered by ‘Cover-Ups and Scapegoating’ Under Putin

Officials at all levels are “increasingly distracted by efforts to avoid personal culpability for Russia’s operational set-backs.”

British military intelligence says Russia’s military forces in Ukraine have been hampered by “a culture of cover-ups and scapegoating.” In its daily update, the U.K. Defence Intelligence agency says Vladimir Putin’s readiness to fire military and security chiefs in the face of bad news means officials at all levels are “increasingly distracted by efforts to avoid personal culpability for Russia’s operational set-backs.” The agency said Putin had suspended a number of senior commanders who had “performed poorly” in the opening weeks of the Ukraine invasion, including Lieutenant General Sergei Kisel, the tank commander blamed for the failure to take Kharkhiv, and Vice Admiral Igor Osipov, the Black Sea Fleet commander suspended after the sinking of the flagship cruiser Moskva. It added: “Russian Chief of the General Staff Valeriy Gerasimov likely remains in post, but it is unclear whether he retains the confidence of President Putin.”