Several of his top commanders seemed to be asleep (Photo: Anton Gerashchenko/@Gerashchenko_en)

Vladimir Putin’s latest attempt to convince the Russian people that he is firmly in control of the war in Ukraine has not gone entirely to plan, as several of his senior military officers appear to have fallen asleep.

In a televised address to defense chiefs in Moscow, he again accused the West of provoking the conflict as part of a centuries-long effort to weaken and eventually break up Russia.

The rhetoric was consistently rejected by Kiev and its allies.

Putin said he still sees Ukrainians — who have been killed by the tens of thousands, forced to flee by the millions and seen whole cities in ruins — as a “fraternal” people.

“What is happening is certainly a tragedy, but it is not the result of our policies,” he continued.

“For centuries, our strategic adversaries have tried to disintegrate and weaken our country… they see it as too big and a potential threat.”

He vowed to continue what he still calls a “special military operation,” saying, “I have no doubt that all the objectives set will be met.”

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Several of his top commanders could be seen with their eyes closed and their heads tilted forward or to the side during the speech – some may have been thinking hard, others said they were fast asleep.

Putin also said that the Russian army should learn from and solve the problems it experienced in Ukraine, promising to give the army everything it needs to survive the war.

He added: “We have no funding constraints. The country and the government are providing what the military is asking for.”

The same goes for the dreaded Satan II hypersonic missile, capable of carrying at least 10 nuclear warheads, which he said will be operational soon.

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Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu also read a report that Russian forces are actively destroying Ukraine’s military potential and accused the West of “perpetuating” the conflict.

He proposed raising the age for mandatory Russian military service to a new range of 21-30, from the current 18-27.

Shoigu also said that Russia is accelerating the use of modern weapons.

Russia last publicly announced its losses on September 21, saying 5,937 soldiers had been killed.

This figure is well below most international estimates.

The United States’ top general estimated on November 9 that more than 100,000 soldiers had been killed or wounded on each side.

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