"Putin Surrounded by 'Yes Men', Unable to Receive Accurate War Reports"

"Putin Unaware That Ukraine Was Sent Conscripts, Not Elite Troops"
Conflict Intensifies Between Putin and Defense Ministry Over Staff Lies

Russian President Vladimir Putin
[Photo by Reuters]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] The White House stated on the 30th (local time) that Russian President Vladimir Putin is not receiving accurate information regarding the situation in Ukraine and the economic crisis caused by Western sanctions.

White House Press Secretary Kate Bedingfield said during a press briefing that "there is information indicating that President Putin feels he is being misled by the Russian military."

Bedingfield added, "Putin's aides are too afraid to tell the truth, so he is receiving incorrect information about how poorly the Russian military is performing on the battlefield and how severe the Russian economy's condition is due to sanctions."

Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24th, but contrary to initial expectations, even after more than a month, it has not been able to seize control of major cities including the capital Kyiv (Kiyev).

The White House made this statement based on intelligence obtained by U.S. intelligence agencies. Bedingfield said, "We are releasing this information to show that Russia's war was a strategic mistake," adding, "It is becoming increasingly clear that the war is weakening Russia in the long term and isolating it on the world stage."

Earlier, The Washington Post cited an anonymous official saying, "There is information that President Putin was not even aware that the Russian military was sending conscripts (not elite troops) to Ukraine to be sacrificed," indicating "there is clearly a disruption in the flow of accurate information to the Russian president."

CNN also reported, "President Putin only recently realized that the information he was receiving was false," and "As he has come to distrust the Defense Ministry leadership, there is ongoing tension between President Putin and the military."

Europe also agreed with the U.S. assessment. A senior European diplomat told major foreign media, "The U.S. assessment aligns with Europe's thinking," and pointed out, "Putin thought the situation was improving compared to before, but this is a problem caused by being surrounded by 'yes men.'"

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.