Former head of the British Army, Richard Dannatt, has cautioned that Vladimir Putin may be entering a potentially dangerous stage in the war in Ukraine, pointing to mounting battlefield losses, economic strain, and intensifying Western sanctions.
The Latest podcast, Lord Dannatt said the Russian president could soon face significant internal and external pressure. “I think potentially this is a very dangerous moment for Vladimir,” he stated.
He noted that the combination of sanctions and recruitment challenges could create serious instability for Moscow. “The economic sanctions that the West has imposed on him are beginning to bite,” he added. “If that happens and he also finds that he can’t recruit the manpower that he wants and has to go for some kind of conscription, then I think put those things together and he’s going to come under huge pressure.”
Western officials report that Russia is now reportedly losing troops at a rate higher than it can replace, a shift not seen since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022. Ukrainian counter-offensives have intensified, with Kyiv claiming Russian casualties have surpassed 1.25 million.
Lord Dannatt suggested that the cumulative strain could start to influence public sentiment within Russia. “It may just be the accumulation of those facts together that starts to turn the Russian population, to put questions in their mind: Is our leader really doing the right thing for us? Is this the way of life that we want?” he said. “Particularly if he has to go to some kind of conscription, I think he’ll be in dead trouble.”
UK Armed Forces minister Al Carns echoed concerns, noting that financial incentives offered by the Kremlin are becoming less effective as the war drags on.
The Latest podcast, launched shortly after Russia’s invasion, has become one of the most widely followed daily programmes covering the conflict. It has featured interviews with key figures, including Volodymyr Zelensky and former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, alongside frontline reporting from cities such as Kharkiv and Odesa.
Analysts warn that as the conflict enters its fourth year, the coming months could be critical both militarily and politically for the Kremlin.