British Intelligence update on Ukraine as of Dec. 20

British Intelligence update on Ukraine as of Dec. 20

On 16 December, Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the Joint Headquarters of the Special Military Operation.

Putin was filmed meeting with a number of senior military officers including Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov and Defence Minister Sergey Shoygu.

He invited proposals for next steps of the Special Military Operation. Commander of the Russian Group of Forces in Ukraine, General Sergey Surovikin, was one of those who presented a report.

In this choreographed meeting Putin likely intended to demonstrate collective responsibility for the special military operation.

This display likely aimed to deflect Putin’s responsibility for military failure, high fatality rates and increasing public dissatisfaction from mobilisation. The televised footage was probably designed to also dispel social media rumours of General Gerasimov’s dismissal.