War hawks admit Kremlin's greatest fear: 'This is now happening in the most painful form'

Even among staunch supporters of the war in Russia, there is a growing acknowledgment that Vladimir Putin cannot secure a complete victory in Ukraine. These admissions are emerging from circles that were previously among the most fervent advocates for the conflict, signaling a deepening crisis within the Russian leadership.

Oleg Tsaryov, a former Ukrainian lawmaker and pro-Russian politician once slated to lead a Moscow-backed regime in Kyiv, openly stated that claims of an imminent Moscow victory are mere propaganda. Tsaryov, who survived an alleged assassination attempt in 2023, warned that Kyiv's attacks deep within Russia make it impossible to hide the true state of affairs from the Russian populace. "Sooner or later, the worlds of illusion and reality must collide. And that is now happening in the most painful form," he wrote on Telegram.

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Sooner or later, the worlds of illusion and reality must collide. And that is now happening in the most painful form.

Aleksey Chadaev, a former Kremlin official now heading a center for drone warfare research, holds an even more radical stance. He argues that the current trajectory of the war not only leads to the failure of Putin's objectives but to Russia's complete defeat. Chadaev is calling for a ceasefire to allow Russia to reassess its position.

Vasily Kashin, a respected Russian expert and director at the Center for European and International Studies at Moscow's Higher School of Economics, concurs. Writing in the prestigious journal "Russia in Global Affairs," Kashin concluded that the objective of removing the "anti-Russian regime" in Ukraine is unattainable without a full military occupation of the entire country, which he considers technically impossible for Russia. "Even the assassination of Zelensky would not help. Kyiv would become even more active, ambitious, and radical against Moscow," Kashin warned.

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Even the assassination of Zelensky would not help. Kyiv would become even more active, ambitious, and radical against Moscow.