Russia's top commanders 'terrified' by Putin's new battle plans as 'hope for victory' diminishes

Russia’s top war generals are “terrified” of disobeying Vladimir Putin for fear of “wasting their remaining forces in a massacre,” according to a former Moscow professor. Dr Valery Solovey, a political analyst who was previously a professor at the prestigious Moscow Institute of International Relations, a training school for diplomats and spies, claimed that the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces had given up hope for “the goal of winning the war.” and was instead focused on securing the Donbas in eastern Ukraine, which has been the scene of conflict since 2014, and defending Crimea in the south of the continent. His comments anticipate concerns on both sides that more intense fighting in the coming months could be decisive for the outcome of the conflict.

Ukrainian officials and Western analysts believe Putin is planning a major offensive as early as February, when the winter season is over.

Satellite images of fortified military structures in the Crimea-Kherson land corridor and to the east in the Zaporizhia region suggest that newly mobilized soldiers will move through protected areas south towards Donbas, according to the Institute for War Studies.

However, Dr Solovey suggested in an interview with pro-opposition broadcaster Khodorkovsky Live that the offensive was more about securing already occupied territories than occupying or retaking areas under Ukrainian control.

He claimed that Putin's request to General Valery Gerasimov, who has been the head of Russian forces in Ukraine since this month, to launch "a simultaneous multi-pronged attack" caused deep disagreements within his high command, partly due to a lack of confidence in the Russian government's chances of success.

He said: "The General Staff of the Army is terrified by the instructions of the Commander-in-Chief [Putin]. I am not exaggerating. They are terrified."

"They are afraid of losing their remaining forces in the massacre into which [Putin's] order is dragging them."

But he added that despite their reservations, the General Staff would not dare disobey Putin for fear of reprimand.

He said: "Well, they greeted – 'As you wish, Your Highness, you are the genius, you know better than us, you started it all and our job now is to fix it.'"

“This [offensive] is planned for February. And Gerasimov, a close ally of Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, is ‘the most capable of all Russian generals.’”

But, he added, leaders in the Russian camp “are afraid that they won’t make it in time because Ukraine might get new weapons – more dangerous, more modern, offensive [from the West].

Dr Solovey said: “So now is the last chance to attack Ukraine, but not with the intention of winning.

“This is very important to understand. Such a goal does not exist at all [anymore]. The goal is completely different – ​​to end the conflict in an honorable way. That is, to achieve peace.

“It’s about getting a minimum of [Russian benefits]. This is Donbas, part of the new territories – not all of them, and the defense of Crimea. That’s all they expect.”

Both Ukraine and Russia are preparing for more intense fighting in the coming months as winter conditions ease.

Western powers made a series of weapons promises to Ukraine this month, including Patriot anti-aircraft missile systems, hundreds of infantry fighting vehicles and about 70 main battle tanks.

Meanwhile, according to Western intelligence services, Russia is preparing for the arrival of around 200,000 newly mobilized troops.