Russian commanders mislead Putin on Ukraine war, analysts say

Analysts say Russian military commanders are lying to Vladimir Putin about the war in Ukraine, leaving his understanding of the battlefield "divorced from reality" and reinforcing his refusal to compromise. The Institute for the Study of War attributes this to a "pervasive culture of lying" within the Russian armed forces, which has led Putin to believe his forces can capture Donetsk Oblast by the end of 2026. The ISW assesses Russia will likely not achieve this goal until 2032. The warning follows weekend talks between Putin and US envoys that ended without breakthroughs. While Moscow claims "significant advances," the ISW notes Russia is making only small gains while suffering high casualties, with British intelligence estimating nearly 500,000 Russian soldiers killed.