Former MI6 spy says Vladimir Putin has ‘overreached’ and made ‘gross miscalculations’ in Ukraine

Christopher Steele said the Russian president has made ‘several gross miscalculations’

A former British spy has said Russian president Vladimir Putin has “overreached” in his invasion of Ukraine and that the “despicable operation will lead to his downfall”.

Christopher Steele, who worked for MI6 for more than two decades and ran the Russia desk for the intelligence service between 2006 and 2009, said Mr Putin “can’t be resurrected in the international community” after declaring war more than two weeks ago.

He told Sky News: “I don’t see him surviving this in the long term. I think we’ve gone over a watershed here. An operation on this scale is really beyond Russia... I think there are several gross miscalculations here by Putin.”

Mr Steele added that we have “seen the high water-mark of Putinism” and that his “overreached adventure” into Ukraine will lead to the downfall of his regime.

Christopher Steele said that Mr Putin’s “overreached adventure” into Ukraine will lead to the downfall of his regime (AFP via Getty Images)

It comes as Russian forces are continuing their offensive toward the capital city Kyiv and are also blockading the country’s second-largest city of Kharkiv.

In the Dnipro, a city in eastern Ukraine, three Russian airstrikes killed at least one person during bombing near a kindergarten and apartment buildings, according to interior ministry adviser Anton Herashchenko.

Mr Steele added that slow progress by the Russian army could encourage Mr Putin to ramp up his already significant bombing campaign of multiple Ukrainian cities.

The 57-year-old said: “As the Russian army becomes bogged down, more desperate, and clearly not realising its objectives militarily, you’re likely to see more indiscriminate killing and bombardment and possibly the use of a [chemical] weapon.”

He said that the impact of sanctions on Russia combined with Mr Putin’s method of governance could also accelerate his decline.

This map shows the extent of Russia’s war in Ukraine (Press Association Images)

He said: “One of the problems is, when you run an authoritarian regime like he does and you don’t welcome criticism or debates within the leadership, then you end up with bad advice and hearing the things you want to hear from your advisors.

“As people’s living standards start to fall, they will be increased protests on the streets of Moscow, St. Petersburg and other cities. And I think that will play in to probably an elite attempt to remove Putin in due course.”

Meanwhile, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) said on Friday it was still “highly unlikely” Russia had successfully achieved its invasion plan but warned of a renewed offensive possible targeting Kyiv within days.

And Chinese premier Li Keqiang said the Ukraine situation was “disconcerting”, adding that the country would support “all efforts that are conducive to a peaceful settlement of the crisis”.

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