High-ranking Kremlin officials believe that the invasion of Ukraine has been “lost,” adding that the regime under the Russian President Vladimir Putin is reaching its final stretch as Putin is reportedly facing coup and cancer rumors.

A group of “informed elite” within the Russian security forces have concluded that there is no chance for Russia to win the war in Ukraine, according to Bellingcat chief investigator Christo Grozev. Bellingcat is a Netherlands-based investigative journalism publication that has also covered the developments in the Russo-Ukrainian War.

“I think that it is the informed elite within the security forces who understand that the war is lost,” Grozev said. He also mentioned that Putin would have to enact full mobilization for Moscow to stand a chance in the conflict. However, he noted that such a mandate would cause “a social explosion” in Russia.

Vladimir Putin with Defense Minister Gen. Shoigu (left) and Gen. Valery Gerasimov (Putin's left) (Kremlin.ru, CC BY 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons). Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Vladimir_Putin_in_National_Centre_for_management_of_defence_05.jpg
Vladimir Putin with Defense Minister Gen. Shoigu (left) and Gen. Valery Gerasimov (Putin’s left) (Kremlin.ruCC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

Even with conflicting figures, it is safe to assume that Putin’s offensive has cost the lives of thousands of Russian soldiers. The British Defense Ministry believes that the Kremlin has lost as much as a third of its invasion force after almost four months of continuous fighting. This implies that tens of thousands of soldiers have perished along with millions, if not billions of dollars worth of military equipment and vessels.