Vladimir Putin's advisors are said to be 'too scared' to tell him how badly Russia is doing in Ukraine, according to US intelligence.
A US official said the economy is being "crippled" by sanctions, while Putin is being "misinformed" about the loss of control.
White House correspondent Peter Alexander said: "We believe that Putin is being misinformed by his advisors about how badly the Russian military is performing and how the Russian economy is being crippled by sanctions, a US official tells me - "because his senior advisors are too afraid to tell him the truth.”
