- The Washington Post reported that Ukrainian spies infiltrated Russia prior to the invasion and watched Russian troops intoxicated.
- Troops reportedly replaced fuel and other supplies with alcohol, leaving the vehicles stranded.
- The Washington Post report shows how intelligence failures led to the failure of Russia’s war plans in Ukraine.
In the days leading up to the Russian invasion of Ukraine in late February, Ukrainian spies were sent to Russia to conduct surveillance of the Russian army and encountered “a lot” of drunken soldiers, According to a new report by the Washington Post.
It appears that Russian forces exchanged fuel and other supplies for alcohol. “Many of them were drunk,” a Ukrainian official who had seen the spies told the newspaper.
Their observations, which also included tank formations without crews or supervisors, indicated that Russia was unprepared for war and reportedly fueled a degree of disbelief among some officials in Ukraine that Russia would actually attempt an invasion. In many ways, as it has since been proven, Russia was not ready, but it went ahead anyway.
The Post’s report, which relies heavily on a trove of sensitive material collected by Ukrainian officials and other security services, provides intricate details of the failures of Russian intelligence before the war.
Russia started Laying the foundation for an invasion years agoAccording to the report, he set up a large network of agents in Ukraine with the ultimate goal of overthrowing the government and subjugating the former Soviet republic.
Before the invasion, it was widely believed that if Russia launched a military incursion it would be able to defeat the Ukrainian forces in a matter of days, but that is how the conflict has now begun.
The Russian army failed to capture Kyiv, as the Ukrainian army put up much tougher resistance than many expected. The fighting has so far lasted nearly six months, and Russia has made only gradual progress as the conflict has turned into a war of attrition.
In many respects, the invasion was humiliating for the Russian army He suffered heavy losses in troops and equipment.
Russia’s main spy agency, the FSB, bears much of the responsibility for the failed war plans and overconfidence that motivated the Russian military’s ambitious goals, according to a Washington Post report.
For example, the FSB reportedly offered the Kremlin misleadingly positive assessments that Ukrainians would welcome Russia with open arms.
“There was a lot of wishful thinking,” a senior Western security official told the newspaper, adding that the FSB had a feeling “there would be flowers strewn their way.” The FSB seemed to believe that a quick attack would quickly bring down the Ukrainian government. But, according to a Washington Post report, officers of the Federal Security Service (FSB) eventually ended up withdrawing from Kyiv on the side of Russian forces.
Previous reports suggested that Putin received poor intelligence because his advisers were “too afraid” of giving him negative ratings. Individuals who angered or resented the Russian leader sometimes ended up dying in violent or mysterious ways, while others fell into prison.
“We believe his advisers are misleading Putin about how badly the Russian military is doing and how the Russian economy is doing. Paralyzed by sanctions Because his top advisors are afraid to tell him the truth.” A US official said in late March.
“Putin didn’t even know that his army was using and losing,” the official said recruits In Ukraine, which shows a clear breakdown in the flow of accurate information to the Russian president. ”