Russian military chiefs mislead Putin on Ukraine war progress

Analysts say Vladimir Putin is being misled by Russian military commanders who exaggerate battlefield progress in Ukraine, leaving the president "divorced from reality" and hardening his stance on ceasefire negotiations. The Institute for the Study of War reports that commanders routinely present inflated advances as part of a cognitive warfare effort, likely convincing Putin he can annex all of Donetsk Oblast by 2026 without compromise. Experts note Russia's actual advance rate would make this goal unattainable until 2032. This weekend's trilateral talks involving US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner produced no breakthrough, with Moscow maintaining its demands. Ukrainian strikes on a Russian oil refinery in Ryazan were confirmed by Volodymyr Zelensky.