Russian officials ‘privately denouncing clusterf***’ invasion

‘They’re carefully enunciating the word clusterf***,” a source tells Russian journalist Farida Rustamova

Several Kremlin officials are believed to be “privately denouncing” president Vladimir Putin’s “clusterf***” invasion, as reports continue to emerge of Russian forces encountering fierce resistance from Ukrainians on the ground.

Several of Russia’s government officials and parliamentarians are getting increasingly worried by Mr Putin’s handling of the war, according to a report by Russian journalist Farida Rustamova.

In an English translation of the report, posted by journalist Ilya Lozovsky and published on Rustamova’s Substack on Sunday, the attitude of high-ranking officials towards the war was described as “ambiguous”.

“Many of them are discouraged, frightened and are making apocalyptic forecasts,” the former BBC journalist wrote. “They’re carefully enunciating the word clusterf***,” a source said, describing officials’ reaction to the war.

“No one is rejoicing. Many understand that this is a mistake, but in the course of doing their duty they come up with explanations in order to somehow come to terms with it,” she reported, citing sources close to the Kremlin.

This map shows the extent of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine (Press Association Images)

Highlighting the disdain among high-ranking officials over the Russian president’s decision to start the war, the journalist quoted a source as saying: “If Russia considers itself an empire, why not become attractive to its neighbours by developing the country instead of by forcing their loyalty??

“Let’s build good roads, quality health care and education, and eventually come up with the kind of technology that would allow us to be the first to colonise Mars. That would be quite empire-like.”

Meanwhile, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has urged Europe and Nato to prevent a mass “humanitarian catastrophe” by declaring a no-fly zone around the country.

In a televised address on Wednesday, Mr Zelensky said the level of threat in the country was at a maximum nearly two weeks into Russia’s invasion, but Ukrainians have shown they would never give in.

“Russia uses missiles, aircraft and helicopters against us, against civilians, against our cities, against our infrastructure. It is the humanitarian duty of the world to respond,” he said.

Natasha Sivek carries her 2-month-old grandson Meron shortly after she and other family members, including her daughter, walked into Poland from war-torn Ukraine (Getty Images)

The war has forced nearly one million children to flee from Ukraine, representing about half of the two million people compelled to cross the border, reported the Associated Press.

In addition to children, most of the other refugees are women, as Ukraine has prohibited men from the age of 18 to 60 from leaving the country.

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