Russian soldiers are refusing to obey orders, sabotaging their own equipment and practicing general insubordination–even in one case sho0ting down a Russian aircraft–as morale sinks among the troops who are poorly equipped and fed, the Washington Post reports.
Speaking at the Australian National University, UK head of Britain's signals intelligence agency, Jeremy (don't call me Ian) Fleming said the actions of the Russian troops reflect a general aversion to fight in Ukraine as casualties mount among Russian forces.
"It's clear [Putin] misjudged the resistance of the Ukrainian people," Fleming said. "He underestimated the strength of the coalition his actions would galvanize. He underplayed the economic consequences of the sanctions regime. He overestimated the abilities of his military to secure a rapid victory."
While Fleming's opinion isn't universally accepted by all international intelligence experts, most agree that Russian forces are failing to live up to expectations, though the apparent incompetence may be more due to leadership than military potential.
Reports that Russian troops weren't aware they were going into a hostile war zone when they deployed to Ukraine–many said they were participating in war games or they were being deployed to quell unrest in Ukraine–have led to new reports that Russian soldiers are disabling vehicles rather than go to Ukraine.