Igor Girkin, a Russian military commander also known by his military alias Igor Strelkov, has admitted that Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine has backfired. The army veteran and former FSB officer confirmed on Russian television that Ukraine has been successful in launching a counter-offensive against Russia. Mr Girkin was a key figure in the 2014 annexation of Crimea and later led the separatist armed forces of the Donetsk People’s Republic in eastern Ukraine.

He admitted that Ukraine’s surprisingly successful counter-offensive will never be mentioned in the Kremlin’s own war reports.

“29 days of’special military operation’ have passed,” Mr Girkin told OSN TV.

“There has been no strategic success in any direction, only operational success.”

“Additionally, the enemy is relatively successful in mobilising and launching a counterattack.”

“Of course, this is something Konashenkov never mentions in his reports.”

Major General Igor Konashenkov is Russia’s Ministry of Defense’s chief spokesman, and he provides regular televised updates on the progress of Russia’s invasion.

“Unfortunately, I can state that my most pessimistic predictions that we will be drawn into a bloody, push and pull, long, exhausting, and extremely dangerous war for the Russian Federation have been fully justified at the moment,” the former Russian spy agent added.

Giorgi Revishvili, a defence expert at King’s College London, tweeted: “Famous Igor Girkin (Strelkov) admitted that Russia failed to achieve any strategic goal in Ukraine, only a few operational successes.”

“He also noted that Ukrainian forces effectively mobilised resources, regrouped on time, and launched counter-attacks.”

Igor Druz, Mr Girkin’s adviser, warned last week that if President Putin fails to take Ukraine, he may be forced to resign.
“I hope that the Ukrainian tragedy will not become Russia’s tragedy or Putin’s personal tragedy,” he wrote.

Since its invasion last month, Russia has struggled to make significant advances or breakthroughs.

Russian forces have failed to take the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv or any of the other major cities.

According to the most recent intelligence update from the UK Ministry of Defence, the battlefield in northern Ukraine remains “largely static.”

General Kyrylo Budanov, Ukraine’s defence intelligence chief, said Moscow had been unable to “swallow” the country.

He warned that President Putin intends to divide Ukraine in two, akin to the postwar division of North and South Korea.