‘Fish’s head is completely rotten’: Russian Military Insiders Aim at Putin Over Ukraine War Failures; Putin Cancels Annual Briefing as Suspicions Grow He is Sick, Running from War; UKR Repels RU Attacks Near 11 Settlements in East; Russian Diplomat Complains to Turkey About “aggressive behaviour” of Armed Forces of Ukraine, LIVE UPDATES and MORE

By admin On Dec 14, 2022

WASHINGTON EXAMINER: ‘Fish’s head is completely rotten’: Russian military insiders aim at Putin over Ukraine war failures:

Russian President Vladimir Putin is taking direct fire from defense insiders who say their country’s inept leadership is to blame for the country’s military failures in Ukraine, as even Mr. Putin has been forced to acknowledge that the war is taking far longer than expected.

Igor Girkin, a popular Russian military blogger who played a key role in Moscow’s forced annexation of Crimea in 2014, blasted Russian military leadership in a social media post on Sunday.

In a rare step, he even referenced Mr. Putin directly, saying that he‘s heard criticism from Russian troops on the front lines in Ukraine who are growing increasingly frustrated with the president, Kremlin officials and the upper echelon of Russia‘s armed forces.

The “fish’s head is completely rotten,” Mr. Girkin said in a video on his Telegram channel, according to English-language media accounts.

“It is not just me,” said Mr. Girkin, a former officer with Russia’s Federal Security Service. “People are not blind and deaf at all. People at the midlevel there do not even hide their views which, how do I put it, are not fully complimentary about the president or the defense minister.”

The criticism of Mr. Putin and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has mounted over the past few months. It gained steam throughout the fall as Russian troops were pushed back by a Ukrainian counteroffensive that ultimately recaptured Kharkiv, Kherson and other key cities. —>READ MORE HERE

NY POST: Putin cancels annual briefing as suspicions grow he is sick, running from war0

Russian President Vladimir Putin will not hold his annual year-end press conference for the first time in a decade, prompting speculation that the Russian leader is sick or running scared from answering questions about Ukraine as the war enters its 10th month.

“As for the big press conference, yes, it won’t happen before the New Year,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters Monday.

“But we hope that the president will still find an opportunity to talk with [journalists], as he regularly does, including during foreign [visits],” Peskov added.

While Peskov gave no reason behind the move, the war in Ukraine and Russian troops having to make repeated retreats in recent weeks were likely both factors in choosing to break the tradition.

The move also draws attention to suspicions that Putin’s health is on the decline, especially following reports last week that he fell down the stairs and soiled himself. —>READ MORE HERE

Follow links below to +++++relevant+++++ and related stories:

+++++Russia-Ukraine News LATEST UPDATES: (REUTERS) (AP) (NY POST) and (WSJ)+++++

+++++General Staff: Ukraine repels Russian attacks near 11 settlements in east+++++

+++++Russian diplomat complains to Turkey about “aggressive behaviour” of Armed Forces of Ukraine+++++

Zelensky believes war in Ukraine ends if Putin dies

Ukraine Attacked ‘Wagner HQ’ Using US-Supplied Rockets: Report

UK Defense Ministry: Russia ‘highly unlikely’ to retake areas lost in eastern and southern Ukraine

Iranian Arms Deliveries Signal Bad News for Russia

Ukraine president again presses West for advanced weapons

Slovak Foreign Minister: Slovakia remains ready to send MiG jets to Ukraine

Russian drone strikes leave 1.5 million without power in Ukrainian port of Odessa

Dog therapy for kids facing the trauma of the war in Ukraine