Ukraine's incursion exposes 'disarray' in Putin command

Adviser to Zelensky says assault into the Kursk region shows the Russian president has 'very little control' over the border

- TOM WATLING

Ukraine’s attack on Russian soil has exposed the disarray in Vladimir Putin’s military command, president Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief adviser has told The Independent.

Kyiv’s military exploited poorly defended border positions and later overran two fortified Russian defensive lines – essentially infantry strong points with anti-tank ditches – before pushing around a dozen miles into Kursk, taking towns like Sudzha in the process. Ukraine’s forces say they are still advancing.

Mykhailo Podolyak said Russia’s military “doesn’t live up to its name” and poor communication between generals and soldiers on the ground has left weaknesses for Ukraine to attack. He added that the assault showed Russia has “very little control” over its border regions despite the Kremlin’s claims to be a “heavily militarised society”.

“We are destroying the propagandistic view of Russia that it is a heavily militarised society and that it has a strong sense of cohesiveness,” the adviser said. “The reputation of its own armed forces doesn’t live up to its name. The operation in Kursk has very much shown that.”

Since Ukraine launched its daring incursion into Russia, Kyiv’s forces have seized hundreds of square miles of territory. Britain’s Ministry of Defence backed Mr Podolyak’s assessment in an intelligence update yesterday, saying “disarray and disorganisation” marked the initial response from Russia’s forces.