Russian Troops Sabotaging Operations In Ukraine, UK Spy Chief Claims

President Vladimir "Putin has massively misjudged the situation... and overestimated the abilities of his military," says Jeremy Fleming, UK’s Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) leader and intelligence chief, Akbar Shahid Ahmed reported for HuffPost.

Photo Insert: Russia’s military has lost seven generals and at least 7,000 soldiers as Ukrainian forces have resisted the easy Russian victory that analysts say Putin expected.

Russian troops deployed to invade Ukraine are undermining their own offensive by rejecting orders and destroying their equipment, including aircraft, Fleming added. “It increasingly looks like Putin has massively misjudged the situation.... He overestimated the abilities of his military to secure a rapid victory,” Fleming said in a Thursday speech in Australia.

“Short of weapons and morale,” the Russians downed their own aircraft by mistake, he added. Fleming also confirmed that Moscow has deployed mercenaries and foreign fighters as part of its operation.

The GCHQ is a top partner for US intelligence, and Fleming’s statement is his first public comment on the Ukraine war since the invasion began on Feb. 24. “Even though we believe Putin’s advisers are afraid to tell him the truth, what’s going on and the extent of these misjudgments must be crystal clear to the regime,” Fleming continued.

Russia’s military has lost seven generals and at least 7,000 soldiers as Ukrainian forces have resisted the easy Russian victory that analysts say Putin expected.

Russian forces are enduring many more casualties in their ongoing bid to capture the strategic port city of Mariupol, according to a March 30 assessment of the war from the Institute for the Study of War think tank in Washington.

“Russia is withdrawing some elements of its forces around the Ukrainain capital of Kyiv... for likely redeployment,” analysts Mason Clark, George Barros and Kateryna Stepanenko wrote.

“But Russian forces will likely continue to hold their forwardmost positions and shell Ukrainian forces and residential areas.”

WEEKLY FEATURE : MVP Group Keeps Lights On During Pandemic