Russia-Ukraine War (continuing)

Oh no!

And during tourism season as well. That's a real shame.

Most people fail realize what a nuke is: an extremely complex machine that is incredibly costly to keep fully functional.

I'm sure I read somewhere over the last 2-3 years, that the U.S. spends more just to maintain its own arsenal of nuclear weapons, than Russia spends (or maybe was spending) on it's entire military budget!!

When you hear figures like that, you begin to wonder how capable the Russian nukes actually are…

If I had to guess, I'd say they might have kept maintaining maybe 5% of what they actually have, and thanks to corruption being standard across the board in Russia, even that could be a stretch!!

The EU should also stop giving out visas to Russians

Half a million shengen tourist visas for Russians in 2025 alone

Let them go holiday in North Korea

https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/russia-visas-travel-europe-schengen-b2989738.html

Yeah, the mind kinda boggles at that one. Kind of understand some being granted on compassionate grounds - but not 500,000 worth of compassion! Even before 2022 (or 2014) if there was one thing guaranteed to darken the tone of a place on holidays, it was the Russian tourists. Would be glad not to see them return at all.

At the current rate, all Ukraine has to do is stay in the fight for another 4 years and they'll have retaken most of the territory lost since 2022. As opposed to how long it would take Russia to take the whole of Ukraine.

Half a million less Russians in Russia is bad for the Russian economy and ability to recruit soldiers. We were all delighted when we seen the mass exodus from Russia when they announced construction. That's the only benefit imo.

They don't even need to take it all back either. Retake Kherson and Zaporozhye and you've got a massive island in crimea. The logistics Russia would need to ferry across would be off the charts and Putin will never surrender it. It's his prized possession.

If they're tourist visas you'd assume they're just heading for Spain/ France/ Italy and the coastal holiday hot spots? And returning per their visa terms.

I'd be shocked - and very concerned - if European countries were dishing out tourist visas to Russians and not monitoring/ enforcing compliance at a time when the same countries are banging on about the threat that Russia poses to them (which of itself raises the question as to why so many visas are being issued in the first place).

I believe the Estonians are less than pleased at how many Russian's cross the border there every day with tourist visas issued by Mediterranean countries.

Why did it take so long?

You'd think opposition parties like Sinn Fein and people before profit would be all over this.

What could this be in Belgorod?

Definitely not a fuel depot and there's smoke trails leading to the ground. Something big went boom.

I see the war as one man's personal crusade, myself. Putin views Ukraine's independence as a quirk of history, not because Ukraine is really a nation unto itself. So, when Ukraine started making noises about a greater deal of political alignment with Europe and the west generally, he found that to be utterly intolerable. To him, it is all de facto Russia.

But my point was that if the Russian military situation continues to degrade in the face of Ukraine's drone strikes, can Putin pivot to say that it was really about Donbas, and really just the bit that they hold, as well as establishing the land corridor to Crimea? Can he sell that to his people and inner circle? I don't know the answer to that, but it may be a question he has to ask himself at some point because time appears to be running out right now.

The fourth, which (alongside your option 1) I think he's clinging to now, being * try to fracture The West - pit US v Europe, pit Leftist Europe v Right Wing Europe - * maintain a chasm between The West and China/ India - * keep China close as an ally * destabilise Western economies - * encourage conflict elsewhere along the borders of the West.

What will do for Putin is an aligned and resolute West and a crashing Russian economy in contrast with the rest of the world doing fine.

Putin doesn't mind Russia's economy crashing if he can point to global turmoil… but if everyone can see that the only major economy suffering is Russia's, I think the chickens will come home to roost fairly quickly. It's why tarriff wars between the US/ Europe/ China suit him down to the ground. Ditto the situation in the middle east. Something kicking off in South America/ Eastern Europe would also make his day.

Pun intended but it blows my mind the Russians would stock weapons this close to Ukraine.