I was quite amused by the Russian ambassador to the UK claiming that "we haven’t just started yet to act very seriously". No, they've lost all those men and all that equipment for funsies.
Well, if Russia was ok with the massive losses the Soviets took in WW2, they could win, I guess.
They're still trying saber-rattling, but the only thing they've got left is the nuclear option, and they know that would result in Russia becoming an enormous glowing parking lot.
They can't.
And their weaponry was still somewhat era-appropriate, now we're talking 2 generations behind and with a far stronger propaganda/media apparatus on the opposing side.
There’s a phrase I didn’t expect to read anytime soon.
Yeah, I'm shocked too.
Well, Western Russia anyway. Apparently once you pass the Urals it's very, very Empty. Apparently a massive percertange of Russians live west of the Urals, concentrated in a few big cities like Moscow and St. Petersburg.
Oh sure, I was being a bit flippant there. I don't seriously think they are willing to sustain the sort of casualties (or proportion of it) as in the bloodiest conflict in human history to get Ukraine.
I mean, they paraded a single T-34 through red square a couple weeks ago. That alone tells me the Russian military isn't remotely serious.
Arguably Russia had no choice at the time. They were fighting an enemy that flat out wanted to genocide or enslave the entire country and pressed all the war to Moscow, killing, raping and burning everything in the process. Those 20 million dead soviets in WW2 weren't just soldiers, they were civilians as well, because the Nazis had no fucking chill. It was very much a existential war for the USSR.
Oh absolutely. Easy to get people behind you when the alternative is being conquered by Nazis for reals.
www.theguardian.com
TBF, its not above Russia to bomb their own territory to drum support, so it might be legitimate that Ukraine wasn't involved. It might also be something that upper echelon didn't know of and was down by lower rank people.Large-scale drone attack hits Moscow for first time in Ukraine war
Rare strike on Russian capital unnerves Muscovites who had been told conflict would not threaten them
The first significant drone attack on Moscow, targeting primarily wealthy civilian areas. Building damage but no casualties reported (yet). Russian state media claims 8 drones involved; Russian social media claims closer to ~30. One drone was identified as Ukrainian-manufactured.
Ukrainian gov denied involvement, which... uhrm, breaks credulity.
Thus far, there has been (ostensibly) high support for the war among Russians, though it took a hit during the partial mobilisation drive. Presumably Ukraine has concluded that support for war will remain high in Russia as long as Russians do not actually feel the effects of war: they can support it destroying homes and schools 500 miles away, but wouldn't be comfortable with it impacting their own lives. This may be a move calculated to address that psychological gap.
Lavrov, Peskov and others are clutching their pearls, conveniently overlooking the fact that Russia has launched far more extensive bombing raids 16 times this month alone already.
I'm skeptical that Russia would do that. My guess is some form of Ukrainian cell or Russian anti-Putin group, potentially with some indirect Ukrainian support. The drones may also near Moscow itself, as it is probably very easy get stuff into Russia.
Indeed. That’s even how Putin came to power to begin with. He needed to be seen as a strong leader so “”Chechnya” bombed civilian areas to justify a big war for Putin to win.
