One of President Vladimir Putin’s closest aides admitted that Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine had not gone as smoothly as Moscow had hoped, the Kremlin’s greatest public admission yet that things were not going as planned.

Speaking at a church service led by Orthodox Patriarch Kirill on Sunday, National Guard chief Viktor Zolotov blamed the slower-than-expected advance on far-right Ukrainian forces hiding behind civilians, a claim reiterated by Russian officials.

His remarks appeared to contradict Russia’s Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu’s assessment on Friday, when he informed Putin that “everything is moving according to plan.”

In comments posted on the National Guard’s website, Zolotov, who was once in charge of Putin’s personal security, stated, “Yes, not everything is proceeding as fast as we would want.”

“…However, we are making progress toward our goal, and triumph will be ours; this icon will protect the Russian troops and hasten our victory.”

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