Ukraine shocked the world last week by attacking Russia’s Kursk region, but Russian lawmakers say the country’s military knew about the plans a month before the invasion.
“But the orders came from on high: don’t panic. The higher-ups should know better,” Andrei Grulyov, a member of the State Duma and retired major general, said in a television interview with military expert Vladislav Shluygin that aired on August 8 (translated by The New York Times).
Grulyov said the Russian military was informed of Ukraine’s plans for the Kursk about a month ago.
A former army officer said military leaders had received intelligence reports warning of an imminent attack by Ukrainian forces.
Ukraine launched a surprise offensive into the Kursk region on August 6, a complex and surprising attack that proved a major success for a beleaguered country handicapped by Congress’ decision to withhold more than $60 billion in aid.
The Ukraine aid bill was finally passed in April after months of debate.
On Monday, Ukrainian military commander-in-chief Oleksandr Shirsky said his forces had seized about 400 square miles of Russian territory in just a few days, nearly the amount of Ukrainian territory Russia has seized this year.
This is not the first time that Grulyov has harshly criticized Russian military leaders for their poor strategy and incompetence on the battlefield.
In a Telegram message in September, Grulyov said the lies and misrepresentations were being used to downplay the gains made by the Ukrainian military during its failed counter-offensive against Russia.
“The only thing that prevents us from winning is our one big problem – lies. True, there are fewer lies than at the start of the special military operation, but they are still there,” Grulyov wrote, using a euphemism for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“Unfortunately, false reporting leads to wrong decisions on many levels. That is a fact, let’s acknowledge it and fight it, otherwise it will be a disaster,” he added.
Representatives for the Russian Defense Ministry did not immediately respond to Business Insider’s request for comment sent outside of regular business hours.
