First report of defeats in Ukraine

Berlin Russian state television has recently been reporting on withdrawals and defeats by its own troops in Ukraine. The instruction would come directly from the Kremlin, as the business news agency Bloomberg reports. The reason is Putin’s concern “that his unrelentingly optimistic propaganda is fueling growing public doubts”.

Russia’s most prominent news presenter, Vladimir Solovyov, is said to have said on his news program on Rossiya 1 on Tuesday: “Things are not going well for us on the battlefield.”

Also on the first channel, war reporter Alexander Sladkov is said to have admitted to difficulties in Ukraine. “I know it’s horrible to hear that in the eighth month of surgery.”

The policy change has led to an increase in “unusually public criticism of the military,” according to people familiar with the Kremlin’s strict intelligence management, the news agency said. Loud criticism from Putin’s environment has already increased in recent weeks – Ramzan Kadyrov even attacked the Ministry of Defense directly.