In a rare moment of honesty, Vladimir Chirkin, who previously led the Russian Ground Forces, has voiced strong criticism regarding Moscow’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine. According to him, Russia was “once again” caught off guard.
In an interview with the RBK news outlet on November 27, Chirkin pointed out a significant flaw in Russia’s approach: “We traditionally underestimate our foe while we think too highly of our own military strengths,” he noted.
He also reflected on the Russian strategy, which aimed to capture Kyiv within three days. Chirkin described a phenomenon known as “Tbilisi Syndrome,” recalling the brief 2008 war with Georgia, highlighting that things have taken a different turn in Ukraine.
“We learned a tough lesson during the first weeks of conflict. It became evident that the former defense minister was trying to save face, labeling the situation a ‘gesture of goodwill,'” Chirkin added.
He directly blamed the entire Russian intelligence community for the withdrawal from Kyiv Oblast, stating that they misled the country’s leaders with incorrect information suggesting that “70% of Ukrainians are with us and only 30% are against us.” This likens to a severe disconnect from reality.
Denys Kazansky, a Ukrainian political journalist and blogger, pointed out that Chirkin’s remarks are unprecedented at this level of military discourse on December 2. Kazansky highlighted how Chirkin essentially admitted the failure of the military operation, asserting that President Putin misjudged the entire situation, leading to significant losses for Russian forces.
In Russia, making such criticisms can put one at risk of criminal charges, with sentences reaching up to 15 years. Since the onset of the invasion in 2022, the Russian government has ramped up efforts to silence dissenting voices, branding many independent media outlets and activist groups as “foreign agents” or “undesirable organizations.” This effectively bans their operations and criminalizes any form of cooperation.
The human rights organization Amnesty International reported that over 21,000 individuals faced penalties in Russia in 2022 for dissenting against the war or sharing what the state considers false information.
