Russian propagandist admits generals are misleading Putin about the front
Retired Russian colonel and pro-Kremlin commentator Viktor Baranets has publicly admitted that army commanders are feeding President Putin false reports about the situation on the front in Ukraine. He cited the cities of Kupiansk and Lyman as examples of premature claims of capture.
On the airwaves of Russian state propaganda radio station Komsomolskaya Pravda, retired colonel and Kremlin-aligned commentator Viktor Baranets openly acknowledged that Russia's top military leadership is systematically misleading President Vladimir Putin about the real situation on the Ukrainian front.
The admission came after a listener asked Baranets why the Ukrainian city of Lyman, which Putin had publicly declared captured, remains under Ukrainian control. Baranets responded that false reporting to senior leadership has become embedded practice within the Russian armed forces.
The Kupiansk example
As an example, the propagandist pointed to Kupiansk, where reports initially sent up the chain to the Kremlin claimed the city had been fully captured. That information was later softened to say the territory was "mostly" under control, before officials eventually spoke of troops "withdrawing to previously prepared positions." Baranets called this outright lying.
A similar pattern occurred with Lyman, where an earlier announcement claimed the city had been taken, before Russian officials shifted to describing "fierce fighting" in the area. Baranets openly admitted that Lyman is not currently under Russian control.
Call for Putin to act
The propagandist urged Putin to take firm action against commanders who supply false information to the Kremlin. He expressed hope that the president would reconsider the circle of officials who prematurely report the capture of populated areas, should such misreporting happen again. Baranets described the practice as a disgrace to the Russian military.
