The military is lying to Putin about the war in Ukraine

Russia's massive offensive is the latest indication that Russian President Vladimir Putin is unwilling to scale back his war effort, despite slow progress over four years and recent setbacks on the battlefield.

In its latest assessment, the Institute for the Study of War says that Putin is unlikely to withdraw because he has created a false perception of the situation on the war front.

This comes despite senior officials at Russia's central bank and finance ministry warning the president that war costs are becoming unaffordable, according to Bloomberg, which quotes people familiar with the matter.

Ukrainian war veterans take part in the Victory Day parade in Russia last month.

ISW assesses that the president is receiving "highly exaggerated claims from the Russian military high command."

Analysts at this think tank write that "his war efforts suggest that Putin believes he can win the war in the short to medium term and that the Russian economy is able to cope until then."

This conviction was echoed today by the Kremlin, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov insisting that there will be no reduction in Russia's war effort while the peace process with Ukraine remains suspended.

The GeoPost