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Ex-Russian Commander Slams Ukraine Invasion as 'Unprepared'

12/4/2025

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Summary

Story summary

Vladimir Chirkin, former commander of the Russian Ground Forces, criticized Russia's invasion of Ukraine, saying the military was unprepared and overestimated its capabilities.
In an interview, he cited the failed plan to quickly seize Kyiv and blamed the Russian intelligence community for providing false information about Ukrainian support.
Political journalist Denys Kazansky noted Chirkin's admission is unprecedented.
Russia penalized more than 21,000 people in 2022 for opposing the invasion.

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Story summary

Vladimir Chirkin, former commander of the Russian Ground Forces, criticized Russia's invasion of Ukraine, saying the military was unprepared and overestimated its capabilities.
In an interview, he cited the failed plan to quickly seize Kyiv and blamed the Russian intelligence community for providing false information about Ukrainian support.
Political journalist Denys Kazansky noted Chirkin's admission is unprecedented.
Russia penalized more than 21,000 people in 2022 for opposing the invasion.