According to CNN, citing sources close to American and Western intelligence services, President Vladimir Putin himself issues tactical orders to generals on the ground, suggesting a “dysfunctional command structure.” Russian officers were heard arguing among themselves and complaining in wiretapped conversations with friends and relatives about Moscow’s decision, CNN reports.

According to multiple sources familiar with U.S. intelligence, the Russian military is divided over how best to counter Ukraine’s unexpected advance on the battlefield this month, as Moscow maintains its defenses in both the east and south.

There are significant disagreements over strategy, and military leaders are struggling to agree on where to focus their efforts to shore up defense lines, multiple sources familiar with U.S. intelligence said.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said it was redeploying forces to Kharkiv in the northeast, where Ukraine has made the most progress, but US and Western sources say the bulk of Russian forces still remain in the south, where it has also launched an offensive into Ukraine, near Kherson.

Putin announced the partial mobilization on Wednesday after months of resistance to the move. Biden administration officials said Wednesday that it underscores the severity of the troop shortage and shows growing desperation.

According to Russian military analysts, it is unclear whether the mobilization will bring about any operational changes on the battlefield or simply prolong the war without changing its outcome.

They are looking for the culprit, not Putin

And while Russia struggles on the battlefield, officials in Moscow are scrambling to find someone to blame for developing the military’s fortunes, a senior NATO official said.

“Kremlin officials and state media pundits have been feverishly discussing the reasons for the failure in Kharkiv, and generally the Kremlin appears to be trying to deflect blame from Putin and the Russian military,” the person said.

Sources say there has already been a reshuffle of military leadership in response to the setbacks on the battlefield — leaving Russia’s command structure even more chaotic than before. The commander, who led most of the units in the Kharkiv region, was replaced after 15 days, a NATO representative said.

Russia has sent a “small number” of troops into eastern Ukraine, some of which fled during a battlefield offensive in Ukraine last week, in an effort to shore up its weakened defense lines.

But even if Russia manages to rally around the plan, U.S. and Western officials believe Russia is limited in its ability to mount a strategically important response to Ukraine’s counteroffensive operation, which sources say has shifted in favor of Kyiv in recent days.

Problems do not disappear with partial mobilization

Even after the announcement of a partial mobilization, officials are skeptical that Russia can quickly deploy large numbers of troops to Ukraine, given current problems with supply lines, communications and morale.

So far, Russia has responded to Ukraine’s successes with attacks on critical infrastructure such as dams and power plants — attacks that the U.S. largely considers “revenge” attacks rather than operational attacks.

The sources said that in the absence of additional forces, which it simply does not have at the moment, Russia has several other options to repel Ukrainian forces.

Putin is “struggling,” John Kirby, the National Security Council’s strategic communications coordinator, said during an appearance on CNN on Wednesday.

The Russian military has “poor unit cohesion, desertions, soldiers who don’t want to fight,” Kirby said.

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