Problems caused by false reports
Duma deputy complains about the culture of lies in the military
September 16, 2023, 10:47 a.m
A Russian politician speaks clearly about the situation on the front in Ukraine. The former deputy commander says lies within his own ranks have prevented the Russian military from winning so far.
A Russian politician and former senior military officer has sharply criticized his own military. Lying is a big problem within the military, writes Andrei Gurulev in a remarkable Telegram post on Friday. Gurulev is a deputy of the Russian State Duma and former deputy commander of the Southern Military District (SMD). The lies have so far prevented the Russian victory, he claims. False reports about the situation on the front lines would lead to poor decisions at many levels of the military. Gurulev calls for action to be taken against the culture of lies. At the same time, he emphasizes that he is convinced of a Russian victory.
In addition, the deputy, who sits in the Duma for the ruling United Russia party, also speaks about problems on the front in Ukraine. The Ukrainian air defense is taking effective action against Russian helicopters and preventing them from using previously highly effective anti-tank missiles. As the US think tank Institute for the Study of War (ISW) explains in an assessment, Gurulev also repeated common Russian complaints about Ukrainian drone attacks in Russia,
“The enemy has learned to work his way through our very well-laid minefields,” writes the MP. The Ukrainian troops had ALSO changed their approach. Instead of advancing in large groups, cluster munitions are being used on a massive scale, he claims. The Russian forces were therefore forced to retreat up to ten kilometers in some sections of the front. The enemy has a lot of ammunition and is trying to “burn everything out,” he continues. The information cannot be independently verified.
This is not the first time that Gurulev has appeared in connection with criticism of the Russian military. He released a voice message from Russian General Ivan Popov in July. The then commander of the 58th Army accused the Defense Ministry of not adequately supporting the soldiers at the front and thereby stabbing them in the back. He was fired from his post because of his criticism, Popov said. The ISW assessment said Gurulev’s likely high-level connections gave weight to his complaints.