Putin in the officer's role: He's giving direct orders to Russian troops in Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin, and his military chief, General Valery Gerasimov, are believed to be directly interfering with the Russian Army offensive in Ukraine and that they are making decisions that, under normal conditions, are made by senior officers -- according to a Western military source, the BBC records Periscope.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the source said: “We think Putin and Gerasimov are involved in tactical decisions -- which under normal circumstances are expected to be taken away by a Colonel”.

The military source said the two have made decisions about troop movements in Donbas- area in eastern Ukraine, which is now the focus of the Russian Army offensive.

Recently, there has been speculation that Putin has become more involved in the daily course of the military campaign since Russia marked losses in the country's north and around Kiev.

There has also been speculation recently that Russian Army chief Gersimov may have been disfellowshipped - along with unconfirmed suspicions that he had been hurt while visiting Donbas a few weeks ago.

But the Western military official made it clear that the Russian chief is still giving orders.

“Gersimov is still in charge of task”, he said. /Periscopi/