Russia - threadbanned users in OP

It's strongest because the import is over but export is doing mostly fine. There is lot less demand for currencies on MOEX. Trading volumes are about 10% of pre-war period. Also it's nearly impossible to withdraw USD/EUR in ATMs in Russia.

The sanctions are effective. They aren't powerful enough but they are definitely effective.

Citizens of Russia do feel sanctions. For example many cancer patients died without chemotherapy. The consumer inflation is there.

Unfortunately, SWIFT is not the only way to transact and many countries are willing to transact with Russia using alternative ways, including russian QPS (quick payment system). Also so far most of the russian banks are still connected to swift. That's not a north korean level yet.

Ol' Putin seems to have to work hard at hiding the shakey-shakes in his latest vid where he is made to wait.

He can't sit still...like he has the DTs after a hard night on the turps....

Sanctions hurt both Europe and Russia, there is no question of this. The question is who is hurting more, and who can tough it out? You would suggest Europe suffers more, but I would disagree. European GDP is taking a 1-2% haircut thanks to sanctions. Russian GDP will decline by a magnitude of that (ballpark 10%) as a result of their huge dependence on exports of energy and natural resources.

Europe would certainly have a low tolerance for suffering than Russia, but do you really want to be in Putin's shoes, presiding over a country with a substantially reduced economy, not to mention having to deal with tens of thousands of dead soldiers and pariah status in the world?

I think it's telling that the first deal that Putin suggested to the West was in exchange for easing of sanctions on Russia.

If sanctions were so ineffective, why would Putin be asking for relief on them?

Why? There is a non-zero probability of that happening. Though low.

BIDEN needs to parachute into Chechnya and lead an insurgency. russia won’t be able to handle a war on two fronts.

I think they are fine tuning the sound effects.

If the Antonovsky bridge is destroyed, The Russians can still reinforce kherson by the bridge at Nova Kakhovka.

If Ukraine destroy both bridges well then they have no chance of ever recapturing the south, they will likely try to attack between Kherson and the aforementioned bridge to cut them off, and then will be reliant on capturing the bridge before its destroyed by the russians either.