I've heard this from a couple of different sources now, but so far there's no confirmation.
Because of the failing effort in Ukraine, and trouble at home, Putin is having to divert resources.
- Manpower: drafting more guys, but sending them to bolster internal security forces to make sure the growing unrest in Russian cities across the Federation can be contained if not quelled.
- Weapons: he's stopped exporting - tanks in particular - so he can send them to Ukraine (a triple whammy):
- He'll end up donating them to the Ukrainians because his guys have a tendency to ditch their tanks and other armored vehicles, sometimes at the first sign of trouble.
- It's a sign of persistent problems both with operations in Ukraine, and with Russian manufacturing.
- If he's not selling his goods, he's getting less income to finance his war.
Unconfirmed, but wow.
Putin will not survive this war.
Russia failed in Ukraine by vastly overestimating its military power and greatly underestimating Ukrainian military power. The weakness of the Russian military is corruption and cheapness. US fighter crews get over three times the flight hours. Fuel gets misplaced nobody wants to spend on capabilities that will go unused.
ReplyDeleteIn contrast to Russia's military weakness Putin controls all the power domestically. All channels of communications, all media,
all print or broadcast are under his thumb. He has vast army of domestic police and means to ruin anyone, assuming he doesn't want you dead.
Amazing how many 'accidents' happen to people critical of the administration.
There is no doubt in y mind Putin could isolated the country and claim aliens took over everywhere but Russia. Or claim that the Ukrainian Special Operation simply never happened. There would be some objection, at first, but in a year or two everyone would agree that it was a plot line from a bad movie.
There is no limit to the control when you control literally everything inside a bubble.
Is true. Putin took the #2 army in the world and turned it into the #2 army in Ukraine.
DeleteThanks for the visit.