British intelligence said that it is not yet possible to confirm rumors about the alleged resignation of the head of the Russian General Staff Valery Gerasimov, but the tension between different groups of the Russian military due to failures in Ukraine is most likely at the highest level.
This is stated in the review of the Ministry of Defense of Great Britain about the war in Ukraine for December 14.
It mentions Igor Girkin-Strelkov's criticism, allegedly based on his own experience of participating in hostilities against Ukraine, the shortcomings of strategic planning in the Russian army, the construction of large-scale defensive fortifications, which, in his opinion, do not justify themselves in modern warfare.
British intelligence believes that the criticism from Girkin is one reflection of the intense debate among the Russian military in general about how the war is being waged.
"In the last 48 hours, there have been rumors in social networks that the Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Federation Valery Gerasimov could be fired. It is impossible to verify them. However, the tension between different factions is most likely also among the top of the Russian army," the review notes.
