Russia-Ukraine War (continuing)

I mean if its a high value target in a bunker then why not?

A bit on the Russian economy

Exceptionally interesting and not particularly optimistic quotes regarding the current state and near future of the Russian economy by Russian business leaders. The quotes presented here came from the “Russian Economic Forum 2024” that just ended in Chelyabinsk.

“You said that big business has a safety cushion and will be able to survive for a long time. In fact, under the current conditions, if we continue our investment program, we will run out of money within six months.We are presently closing current projects, and we are not even thinking about subsequent investments. The current interest rate on loans simply eats up all profitability.The enterprises represented here have up to 70% of the Soviet-era worn-out production capacities. But we cannot invest in their renewal and modernization. Loans are very expensive.”- Maria Ovechkina, Head of the Financial Resources Department of the Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works.

“We have basically run out of people. If we talk about the manufacturing industry, then companies say - people are leaving in droves, going to the military-industrial complex. Our problem today is simply to retain those who are there, who are left.We do not see any light in terms of the development of the labor market. The situation here continues to worsen... not stabilize, but worsen. Therefore, many are forced to pause the development of production capacities. There is simply no one to work there.”- Kirill Tremasov, Advisor to the Chairman of the Central Bank.

"Russian enterprises competing with Chinese ones are holding on with all their might. As a result of the [next] increase in the key rate, we will get a situation where key sectors of machine manufacturing will collapse. Already in the first quarter of next year, many companies - transport manufacturing and others - report a decrease in potential output of 30% or more. Why? Because no competitive business can work with loans at 27% per annum.”- Andrey Gartung, CEO of the Chelyabinsk Forging and Press Plant.“Whoever – unfortunately or fortunately – has a state defense order, is now subject to criminal liability for failing to fulfill it. Therefore, whether 20% or 30%, everyone will come and take out a loan. Well, so as not to go to jail.” - Andrey Klepach, Chief Economist of the state corporation VEB. RF.

“I apologize, but we know what kind of gift businesses will get for the New Year: a key rate of 23%.”- Alexander Shokhin, President of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs.

“We need to balance supply and demand. But if we balance it as a whole, then [this is what we will get]: by pressing the bank rate, consumer demand, and all production, we will only retain the production of basic goods and services. Those that can be created at this high rate... Ultimately, we may even cool inflation, but we will only be left with simple goods, without robotics and other high-tech industries.”- Ivan Kutsevlyak, First Deputy Governor of the Chelyabinsk Region.

“Since 2023, three to seven representatives of Chinese companies have participated in all tenders. They win 50% of tenders and bring orders but without production in Russia. To summarize, production is not developing: European suppliers have been replaced by Chinese ones with higher prices and lower quality.”- Olga Aleksandrova, Financial Director of the Uralkran Group of Companies.

https://x.com/NatalkaKyiv/status/1858732731485630935

Ah Mary Lou!

https://m.independent.ie/irish-news/ukrainian-embassy-disturbed-over-sinn-fein-manifesto-plea-to-stop-unlimited-supply-of-weapons-into-ukraine/a1499876467.html

….."he''😉 wrote a book about it.

Thanks for posting the link to the full article as I think the detail is important when a putin fan boy tries to be selective in what they quote from an article from a respected media source. The BBC article details an estimated land area grabbed by putin's terrorists in 2024 so far of 2700KM2 which is still less than half of a percent of Ukraine's land area. It might well be a multiple of what they grabbed in 2023 as the putin fan boy wanted to focus on but how many lives of his empire's young people has puitn destroyed to grab this land that he is likely to never be able to hold when faced by the millions of Ukrainians who will never accept moskovyte control of their country?

Well,that is a surprise,Captain is a citizen of the russian federation.

Who'd have thought it!!!😂

Big year ahead for Russia. Weaponry running low, economy is going to down the toilet, soldiers running low. The three day war is already three years old. Mad stuff.

Crazy losses on both sides. Harsh winter on the way too on the battlefield. .

Russia had 20% of the Ukraine in 2022 and today’s reports put the figure at 20%.

Even if the US support were to decline would an EU model of full support for 12 months not be enough to bring it to and end given Russias impending financial collapse. It was long stated a conflict beyond 30-36 month would push towards bankruptcy and here we are.

I guess with Germany - Boris Johnson and Trump we know the level of Russian infiltration in western administration which has created this situation in the first place.

I simply can’t see the Russian economy ranking next year.

They have vast resources and their oil and gas seems to be sustaining them quite ok.

Now if China and India stopped buying then Russia would be screwed.

They are screwed already if they need North Korean help

Venezuela has world’s largest oil reserves, countries with vast natural resources are not immune from economic implosions

Hell it’s almost a national pastime in Russian history

The EU will never support Ukraine. If the US reduces support then the EU will do the same. The US alone will determine the outcome of this war.

According to BBC and Forbes the numbers are quite limited and anyone who thinks they are some kind of game changer is likely to be disappointed yet again. They will help, but they will not turn the tide. The aim is simply to give Ukraine a better hand for a negotiated settlement.

It looks likely Dnipro was hit by a number of MIRV's from an ICBM this morning, obviously of the conventional kind.