Russia - threadbanned users in OP

You'd be better off just leaving the country. Hurts them in every way. Many good Russians left their homeland because they couldn't support the system.

Ireland is not a neutral country. We are militarily not part of any alliance. But we are and have made it very clear we are very much part of the democracies of this world and stand against the oppressive authoritarian dictatorships of which Russia is one.

Its Russia, and forget all that you have considered "normal" here in Ireland, or indeed the west generally. Its hard to fathom just how deep the corruption is unless you have actually been there and experienced it yourself. So, maybe the journalist / bystander gave the policeman some rubles, and then later the policeman had second thoughts about it and took a pic of the journalist / bystander, just in case...you never know.

There will not be any workers going on strike in Putin's Russia, because Putin will consider strikes as an anti-Russian activity, and if there are not any laws presently, (I'm pretty sure that there are) Putin will introduce new laws PDQ, overnight if needed.

I really don't get how some people pretend the current model of the Russian war economy is sustainable.

Russia's GDP is completely average for a country of its size.

Sure, their form of Government means they can pump money into military funding in a way that democractic countries cannot.

But it's finite. There is only so much pushing around of roubles you can do on a limited economy for so long. What are they spending now on military. 30%? That's completely, 100%, unsustainable in even the medium term.

This wierd persistent myth that they're some sort of superpower is perplexing.

I would say the fact they're 2 years into a war against their poor neighbour and faring badly is more or less the ultimate fact of the matter that can't be danced around. I note China, despite its support in some aspects, is shocked at the terrible performance of the Russian army. I say shocked, but to some degree, I would say delighted.

Putin is still going because he has no other choice, no more than Hitler felt he had no choice after 1943. That's pretty much it. There isn't a future for Putin if he admits defeat and withdraws in humiliation. But of course there is a future for Russia, and obviously, a better future.

But Putin won't allow that. Like Hitler he'd likely be content to see Russia burn and spin his tale of woe, betrayal, blame his generals, blame the people, before he'd admit that he made a monumental, for the history books, blunder by invading.

Also the west is never going to supply Ukraine with actual war-winning weapons. It's pretty obvious that the strategy is for Russia to burn out and retreat of their own accord and admit defeat.

Ukraine suddenly getting an influx of war-winning weapons is a receipe for nuclear disaster by a vengeful maniac and not really sure why people don't get that. The goal is for Russia to reach collapse stage and be forced to withdraw.

Not very nice for the people and soldiers of Ukraine but it's realistic.

Willy OAM - quite the update, not looking for Ukraine here , there could be a couple of thousand prisoners when the dust settles here.

A lot of Ukrainians will have died too for the futile defence. And the same thing was said after Bakhmut, that Russian manpower loss was unsustainable and there'd be no repeats. And look.

Anyway, the whole thing is terribly sad, while I'm sure Putin and his gang of criminals sleep soundly in their beds, the most prominent opposition leader murdered alongside all the dead Ukrainians and their own soldiers, none of whom matter a damn to them.

You can use the term collapse in resistance in place of withdrawal if that is what you prefer. The losses in putin's forces in Ukraine did spike yesterday and the day before so that would fit in with a major assault somewhere along the front lines. Hopefully Ukraine having being defending this area for ten years against attack from putin's forces means their withdrawal plan was well prepared and their fall back positions are capable of containing any further attacks. I would trust the judgement of the armed forces of Ukraine that if this area is no longer worth keeping in the face of repeated assaults then a withdrawal might allow more damage to putin's war machine.

Is it really so difficult to just assassinate Putin?

Surely if a proper effort was made to off him it could be done and it would help end the war.

He's an idiot.. Touting the line "but other people did bad stuff as well " regarding Navalny

Did they leave men and equipment behind ?

Hopefully not.