US intelligence tells Biden Putin was ‘directly’ confronted by angry Kremlin insider

Russia has dismissed report as ‘absolutely not true’

Vladimir Putin was confronted by a Kremlin insider angry over the conduct of the Ukraine war, Joe Biden has reportedly been told.

A report said the alleged rare intervention from someone considered a member of the Russian leader’s inner circle, was treated with enough credibility that it made its way into Mr Biden’s daily intelligence briefing, where he is told about a half-dozen or so of the most pressing intelligence related issues by one of his senior officials.

The report in the Washington Post said the insider’s identity could not be confirmed, although the name had been included in US intelligence reporting.

“The new intelligence, coupled with comments from Russian officials, underscores divisions within Putin’s upper echelon, where officials have long been loath to bring bad news to an autocratic Russian leader who is seen as more isolated that at any time in his 22-year rule,” the Post said.

The report came days after Russia formally annexed several regions in eastern Ukraine that had for a number of years been under Moscow’s direction.

At the same time, Ukraine has been making advances on the battlefield, forcing Russian troops to give up towns that were previously considered important strategic hubs.

It is also known that some Russian journalists accompanying the military – some of them working for state-controlled agencies – have reported with anger on the disarray in the army.

In order to bolster his manpower, Mr Putin recently announced a partial military draft, something that appears to be unpopular.

Despite all of that, the report in the Washington Post contains nothing verifiable, or that could cement its veracity.

Many Russians will likely dismiss it, while other commentators have pointed out many reports that appear about Mr Putin in the Western media – such as his purported poor health – often turn out to be overstated or untrue.

The Post noted the Kremlin said the US intelligence report was “absolutely not true,” acknowledging disagreements within Putin’s inner circle but classifying them as “part of the normal working process”.

“It is not a sign of any split,” said Mr Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

Neither the White House nor the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which oversees Mr Biden’s briefing, responded to questions from The Independent.