Russian President Vladimir Putin is losing the support of his supporters because of military failures. This conclusion is experts of the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
As noted in the ISW report, Putin is already criticized by the former “Minister of Defense of the DPR” Igor Strelkov-Girkin for not being able to supplant Ukrainian forces near Donetsk from the artillery zone, although he determined the protection of civilians of Donbass as one of the goals Russian “Special operations”.
“Girkin, in particular, criticized Putin’s statement dated December 9, which described the course of special operation as” stable “, saying that only Putin and the Russian Ministry of Defense considers the war successful,” analysts say.
Another separatist – former “Minister of Security of the DPR” Alexander Khodakovsky was also noted by criticism of Putin. He noted that Putin inherited a very corrupt society that could not fix by eliminating the head of the Russian General Staff Valery Gerasimov. He also accused the Russian armed forces of not firing counter -battery fire during the defense of the city of Donetsk
“Criticism of Girkin and Khodakovsky unprecedentedly direct compared to their previous attacks on the Kremlin. These frank attacks on Putin can reflect the disagreements between the Russian DPR wire, veteran communities and Putin. Russian veterans and proxy communities have long warned the Kremlin about its shortcomings about the shortcomings of it a military campaign, but rallied for Putin, believing that his war – at least – will lead to the Russian occupation of Donbass, ”said ISW.
The institute also recalled that after the occupation of Lisichansk, video materials appeared on the Web, on which the LPR militants refused to fight for the territory of the DPR.