On July 23, NATO military committee head Adm. Giuseppe Cavo Dragone gave an interview to the Kiev Independent, in which he said Ukraine is turning the tide of the war. Italian media, including Il Sole 24 Ore, quoted him saying in the interview: “I agree with this assessment because I have information provided by NATO headquarters, so that’s what we’re seeing,” noting that Kyiv is “gaining, not losing” ground and that Moscow’s “strong reaction” may be driven by “frustration.”
Such a statement has provoked reactions of disbelief among experienced military officers in Italy. The more reality oriented Brig. Gen. (ret.) Francesco Cosimato, interviewed by journalist Giacomo Gabellini, remarked that “This narrative, which is essentially being constructed to mislead the public a bit, seems to be starting to mislead even the very people orchestrating this campaign. We believe our own propaganda.”
