Russian generals regularly provide dictator Vladimir Putin with reports that inflate Ukrainian casualty figures, emphasize Russia's resource advantages, and downplay the Russian army's tactical failures. This is reported by UNN with reference to Financial Times.
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The main figure informing Putin about the course of the war is the chief of the general staff of the Russian army, Valery Gerasimov. He, as well as former Russian defense minister Sergei Shoigu, were the targets of the wrath of radical Russian figures, such as Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the Wagner PMC, who died two months after the "march of justice" in 2023.
And although Putin tried to appease the disgruntled by replacing Shoigu with Andrei Belousov, Gerasimov remained in his post and, it seems, strengthened his position.
Gerasimov provides predictability, even if the price of his preservation is extremely high losses on the ground and slow successes. He should be kept in office when internal politics and stability issues are more important than risky but potentially decisive operations.
At the same time, Putin seems to have concluded that the lives of Russians are the price worth paying for his goals in Ukraine.
Gerasimov lies to Putin about successes on the front in Ukraine - Reuters18.09.25, 09:23