It is alleged that Russian President Vladimir Putin receives information that does not fully reflect the reality of the war's progress, and that this directly influences the decisions of the Kremlin leadership.
Modern.az reports that, according to the influential newspaper "Financial Times", reports presented to Putin by the Russian military leadership have convinced him that Russia can win the war in Ukraine in the near future, which is one of the main reasons for his unwillingness to stop the war.
According to the publication, for approximately one month, Putin and the Russian military leadership have been informing both the country's public and the international community that the Russian army has captured and controls the city of Kupyansk in the Kharkiv region.
However, according to the FT, citing two official sources, this information does not fully reflect reality, and military structures deliberately present exaggerated reports to the president. These reports emphasize that the losses of the Ukrainian Armed Forces are overstated, Russia's resource superiority is highlighted, and tactical failures are concealed.
The article notes that Putin is insistent on not agreeing to the terms proposed by US President Donald Trump, which are considered relatively favorable for Moscow.
According to the newspaper, false and overly optimistic military information presented to Putin plays a significant role in the formation of this stance. Although the Russian leader receives warnings from some close circles that the war is becoming an increasingly heavy burden for the country's economy, the “picture of a successful war” prepared by the generals strengthens his confidence in continuing the conflict.
It is recalled that on December 9, after the commander of the “West” troop grouping, Colonel-General Sergey Kuzovlev, reported on the “liberation” of Kupyansk, he was awarded the title of Hero of the Russian Federation. Just three days later, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited Kupyansk and filmed a video on the outskirts of the city. At the same time, the Ukrainian-affiliated "DeepState" project announced that a large part of the city is under the control of Ukrainian forces. Despite this, Moscow continues to claim in its official position that Kupyansk has been fully captured.
Western expert, Senior Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Dara Massikot, stated that Putin sincerely believes that Russia will capture the rest of the Donetsk region at the current stage. According to the expert, this belief is one of the main psychological and political factors behind the Kremlin's decision to prolong the war.
