For everyone involved in the horrible tragedy that continues to unfold in Ukraine, people on both sides of the border are grappling to make sense of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s actions in the invasion. And as he continues to step the situation up, he’s alienated some important Russian officials, according to the Russian journalist Farida Rustamova.

Her colleague, Ilya Lozovsky has translated her report into English Tuesday, and this makes it very clear that officials and members of parliament she spoke with are increasingly worried about how Putin is handling the war, Insider reports.

Sharing Lozovsky’s translation on Twitter, she came to some startling realizations.

To my English speaking readers, @ichbinilya kindly translated my recent report about what Russian elite think of Putin's so called "special military operation". Feeling incredibly grateful. Subscribe please!https://t.co/rAXBQ3vQ12

— Farida Rustamova (@faridaily_) March 6, 2022

“In reality, the attitude toward the war within the corridors of power is ambiguous,” Rustamova wrote, per Lozovsky’s translation, which was also posted in her Substack newsletter. “I came to this conclusion after speaking with several members of parliament and officials at various levels. Many of them are discouraged, frightened, and making apocalyptic forecasts.”

Rustamova has recently fled the country and has worked for the BBC Russian Service in the past. It has been suspended by the UK-based network. She’s also worked for Meduza and the RBC, which underwent a mass resignation in 2016.

I’m talking about numerous independent journalists, members of the opposition, political activists, and common people who dared to oppose the war. We had to leave the country within days. And most of us don’t have foreign bank accounts yet

— Farida Rustamova (@faridaily_) March 6, 2022

And as the situation continues to deteriorate in Ukraine, many top Russian officials realize this is a colossal blunder. It appears that most are trying to get through the situation as best as they can.

“No one is rejoicing,” one source described as “close to the Kremlin” told Rustamova, per Lozovsky’s translation. “Many understand that this is a mistake, but in the course of doing their duty they come up with explanations in order to somehow come to terms with it.”

Others are even more detached, Rustamova writes.

“Some officials aren’t associating themselves with what’s happening at all, viewing Putin’s decision as a historical choice over which they have no influence, and the meaning of which no one will understand for some time to come.”

Rustamova also interviewed another source who was granted anonymity and that person said Kremlin officials were “carefully enunciating the word clusterf*ck” when discussing the invasion.

The noted journalist also writes that every source she talked to believed Putin wouldn’t follow through on invading Ukraine, with most thinking he was hoping to gain leverage for concessions, such as declaring Donetsk and Luhansk “people’s republics,” Insider reports.

“Everyone had some scattered information that did not provide an answer to the main question: Will we start bombing or not?” another source with Kremlin ties told Rustamova.

But that’s not all. Putin is keeping tight-lipped about the situation, only sharing the information with a small circle of advisors.

“Most likely, my sources say, only the narrowest circle had been informed: Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov, and the leaders of the counterintelligence service,” she writes, per Lozovsky. “For example, the head of the presidential administration Anton Vaino, whose role, unlike his more influential predecessors, is more akin to a private secretary, is not informed about such decisions, my sources say.”

Another source whom Rustamova describes as “a good acquaintance of Putin’s” told her Putin’s mood is growing increasingly darker.

“Here he is in a state of being offended and insulted,” the source told her. “It’s paranoia that has reached the point of absurdity.”

If I didn’t know better I’d think they were talking about Donald Trump. Perhaps he and Putin really are two peas in a pod. But Putin is far more dangerous and I don’t know about you, but I definitely don’t have a good feeling about this.