The American Institute for the study of war says that bureaucratic irregularities in "partial mobilization" may indicate that Putin is bypassing the military command of the Russian Ministry of defence and communicating directly and single-handedly with the command on the frontline. Even according to Russian law, mobilized soldiers must first undergo training before being sent to the front. Nevertheless, the mobilized soldiers of the Russian army are already deployed near Kharkiv and Kherson. This is evidence that Putin does not communicate with the top military leadership but with generals on the ground who require reinforcements.
"ISW has previously reported that Putin bypassed the Russian chain of command on numerous occasions when making decisions regarding the progress of the Russian "special military operation" in Ukraine, likely because he had lost confidence in the Russian MoD. The contradictory and inconsistent narratives used by Kremlin officials and the Russian MoD about mobilization procedures could indicate that Putin, as the supreme commander, issued divergent or contradictory orders," ISW.
The conflicting actions and statements of the Kremlin confirm the "fundamental nature of the systemic weakness" of the military leadership of the Russian army. This is the characteristic of the entire Russian war against Ukraine.
