WASHINGTON, March 31, 2022 (BSS/AFP) - President Vladimir Putin has been
poorly informed on the course of the war in Ukraine and his relations with
his own staff have deteriorated, the White House said Wednesday on the basis
of declassified US intelligence.

  "We obviously have information which we have now made public that he felt
misled by the Russian military," White House Communications Director Kate
Bedingfield said, confirming an earlier statement by a senior US official.

  Ukrainian forces have been recapturing territory in recent days --
including the strategic Kyiv suburb of Irpin -- as the Russian offensive
appears to stall, a month after the invasion began on February 24.

  "We believe (Putin is) being misinformed by his advisors about how badly
the Russian military is performing and how the Russian economy is being
crippled by sanctions, because, again, the senior advisors are too afraid to
tell him the truth," Bedingfield said.

  The senior official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Putin had
been unaware that conscripts were being deployed to fight in Ukraine, where
Russia has suffered huge personnel and equipment losses.

  Asked about the intelligence while travelling in Algiers, US Secretary of
State Antony Blinken said that in "autocracies... you don't have people in
those systems who speak truth to power."

  The White House is releasing the information as questions arise about
Putin's relationship with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.

  The minister, a frequent presence in the media and on Russian TV, was not
seen for two weeks until Saturday, giving rise to speculation, including
about his health.

  Shoigu is considered close to Putin -- the two have taken trips to Siberia,
driven all-terrain vehicles, and enjoyed tea and mushroom picking together.

  There is "persistent tension between Putin and the MOD (Ministry of
Defence), stemming from Putin's mistrust in MOD leadership," the senior US
official said.