Vladimir Putin Preparing Russia for Possibility of Defeat in Ukraine, Leaked Crisis Manual Reveals
May 2 2023, Published 6:00 p.m. ET
Vladimir Putin is preparing Russia for the possibility of defeat in Ukraine, RadarOnline.com has learned.
In a sudden development to come more than 14 months after Russia first invaded Ukraine in February 2022, a newly leaked crisis manual penned by Putin’s administration found that the 70-year-old leader does not expect to succeed in his “special military operation” against the neighboring nation.
Also surprising are reports that the leaked manual contains specific instructions for the Kremlin’s “army of propagandists” to not “underestimate” Ukraine’s anticipated counter-offensive and instead focus on the fact that Ukraine was able to “pull through” with help from the West.
That is the revelation shared by the independent Russian news outlet Meduza, which claimed to have a copy of the leaked crisis manual and to have also spoken with Kremlin insiders familiar with the manual.
“If the offensive is unsuccessful, it will be possible to say: [Russia’s] army skillfully fended off an attack that was superior in power,” one Kremlin source told the outlet.
Putin also reportedly instructed his propaganda spin doctors – chiefly those appearing on Russian State TV – to emphasize that Russia’s losses to Ukraine are “understandable” because the enemy army had the “help of weapons from the U.S. and Europe” and the Russian army was battling the “entire West.”
Meanwhile, Putin’s propagandists were also instructed to “steer clear” of discussing the more than $18 billion Moscow sunk into the “special military operation” in Ukraine and focus on topics like “upgrading schools and kindergartens, or hospitals” across Russia.
“It’s clear there will be problems with the economy, and it’s clear why,” another Kremlin insider told Meduza this week. “Spending on the ‘special military operation’ isn’t going anywhere.”
“It is better not to show in specific amounts how much was taken,” the source added.
As RadarOnline.com previously reported, the news of Putin’s leaked crisis manual and the expectations that Russia will fail in Ukraine comes after months of pro-war rhetoric in which the Russian leader vowed to overtake the neighboring nation.
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The development also comes just days after Putin publicly admitted for the first time in 14 months that Russia is facing “serious challenges” in Ukraine. "The Church has always been together with the people, sharing joys and hardships with them," Putin said in April while celebrating Orthodox Easter.
"And today, in the face of serious challenges, it is actively involved in the affairs of mercy and charity, helping people find a strong spiritual support."
