Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman has said the “special military operation” is “going to plan” and life is now starting to return back to normal.

Maria Zakharova said the Russian President’s plan is working and all stated “goals will be achieved,” however western analysts have said Vladimir Putin’s plan is “not going to plan.”

Zakharova wrote on Twitter, “Exactly one month since the start of the special military operation in #Ukraine; it is going according to plan, and all the stated goals will be achieved.

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“Life is returning to normal in the territories already liberated from nationalists,” although it is not known what areas the spokeswoman is referring to.

NATO has estimated that Putin has lost up to 40,000 Russian troops who have either been killed, injured of captured over the past four weeks, so it seems clear his plan is failing.

Putin’s inner circle is collapsing around him after a high level Kremlin official defected on Wednesday and has lost at least 17 top military brass in Ukraine.

💬#Zakharova: Exactly one month since the start of the special military operation in #Ukraine; it is going according to plan, and all the stated goals will be achieved.

☝️ Life is returning to normal in the territories already liberated from nationalists. pic.twitter.com/QRdiA6lx1i

— MFA Russia 🇷🇺 (@mfa_russia) March 24, 2022

Putin has also started a witch-hunt of those who he believes are “guilty” of the stalled invasion in Ukraine and his Defence Minister Sergie Shoigu has disappeared and has not been seen for 12 days.

It has been said that Shoigu, 66, has vanished from view due to “heart problems” the Kremlin reports, and footage shows he was last seen 12 days ago, opposition media said.

The Kremlin website reported on 18 March that Shoigu had met with Putin to discuss the “progress of the special operation in Ukraine.”

Shoigu has been one of Putin’s more loyal allies, but there has been a strain over their relationship over the way the war is going and also with other security and top brass.