The initial failure of the army was obviously reflective of the whole Russian state in this regard, starting at the top where no one dared to tell Putin the truth. Which was the ultimate reason he had such a difficult time at the beginning achieving victory in Ukraine. That is the chief problem with authoritarian leaders. The very intimidating nature of their rule makes it difficult for subordinates to risk a confrontation with the boss, and thus the very anxious foresight based on unpleasant facts—precisely the facts required for difficult decisions—is harder than usual to come by.
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