The White House said that Russian generals are misleading Russian President Vladimir Putin on the Ukraine–Russia war’s progress. “We believe that 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 his senior advisors are too afraid to tell him the truth,” White House Communications Director Kate Bedingfield said in a press briefing. To support that assertion, Bedingfield cited U.S. intelligence that asserted Putin “felt misled by the Russian military” and claimed there’s “now persistent tension between Putin and the [Ministry of Defence], stemming from Putin’s mistrust in MOD leadership.” That assessment was echoed by Pentagon spokesman John Kirby, saying the Russian commander-in-chief has “not been fully informed” by the Defense Ministry throughout the course of the conflict, which started Feb. 24. However, Kirby didn’t offer details or evidence on the claim. Earlier Wednesday, a …