Russia’s military chiefs have been hit by “factional tensions” over the country’s struggles in Ukraine, according to UK intelligence.
Vladimir Putin is also rumoured to have sacked a senior army boss amid growing concerns in Moscow at how the war is going.
In their latest update on the conflict, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said Igor Girkin, a former Russian military intelligence officer, had been severely critical of his country’s strategy in Ukraine.
“His comments highlight the fraught debate about the conduct of the war which continues within Russia’s security community,” the MoD said.
“Rumours circulating on social media within the last 48 hours suggesting that Russian chief of the general staff General Valery Gerasimov could have been fired cannot be verified.
“However, factional tensions likely extend to the top of Russia’s military hierarchy.”
In a further sign that the invasion of Ukraine is not going to plan for Russia, it emerged yesterday that Putin had cancelled his traditional end-of-year press conference.
It will be the first time in a decade that the Q&A - normally a fixture of the Moscow political calendar - has not gone ahead.
The MoD said: “The cancellation is likely due to increasing concerns about the prevalence of anti-war feeling in Russia.”
The cancellation came as Russia’s spokesman Dimitry Peskov admitted that “no one likes us” as evidence mounts that Putin’s military strategy is not going to plan.
Ukraine has successfully reclaimed 54% of the land Russia has seized since its February invasion, with Moscow now controlling just 18% of the country.