Ukraine had refused to carry out orders, sabotaged their own equipment and accidentally shot down one of their own aircraft.Russia’s Feb.
24 invasion of Ukraine has killed thousands of people, displaced millions and raised fears of a wider confrontation between Russia and the United States.
Untrained foreign fighters urged to steer clear of Ukraine: ‘This is not Call of Duty’ Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) chief Jeremy Fleming said President Vladimir Putin had “massively misjudged” the capabilities of Russia’s once mighty armed forces while underestimating both the resistance of the Ukrainian people and the resolve of the West, which has punished Moscow with largely coordinated sanctions.“Putin has massively misjudged the situation,” Fleming said in a speech in Canberra at the Australian National University, according to a transcript of his remarks. “We believe Putin’s advisers are afraid to tell him the truth.”Citing new intelligence, Fleming said there was evidence that Russian soldiers had low morale and were poorly equipped.“We’ve seen Russian soldiers – short of weapons and morale – refusing to carry out orders, sabotaging their own equipment and even accidentally shooting down their own aircraft,” Fleming said.Reuters was unable to independently confirm GCHQ’s analysis.GCHQ, which gathers communications from around the world to identify and disrupt threats to Britain, has a close relationship with the U.S.