Russia has lost 87% of troops it had prior to start of Ukraine war, according to US intelligence assessment
Russia has lost a staggering 87 percent of the total number of active-duty ground troops it had prior to launching its invasion of Ukraine and two-thirds of its pre-invasion tanks, a source familiar with a declassified US intelligence assessment provided to Congress told CNN.
Still, despite heavy losses of men and equipment, Russian President Vladimir Putin is determined to push forward as the war approaches its two-year anniversary early next year and US officials are warning that Ukraine remains deeply vulnerable. A highly anticipated Ukrainian counteroffensive stagnated through the fall, and US officials believe that Kyiv is unlikely to make any major gains over the coming months.
The assessment, sent to Capitol Hill on Monday, comes as some Republicans have balked at the US providing additional funding for Ukraine and the Biden administration has launched a full-court press to try to get supplemental funding through Congress.
To be honest, I didn't think Russia would make it to two years. I expected riots, revolution, putin getting killed, etc. It's pretty insane how indifferent the majority of the Russian population is. That makes it even more scary.
They did protest. And everyone was arrested. Then they protested the arrests. And everyone was arrested. Then people just silently stood in groups holding blank signs. And everyone was arrested.
So only another military coup could free Russia from Putin's firm grasp.
But that's why he kept his own military led by weak leadership. And the only paramilitary group he allowed to gain strength ended up attempting a coup against him.
And what a whimsical coup it was
Yeah, that was a wild couple of days. Not that Prigozhin and his merry bunch of neo-Nazis would have been that more tempting as leaders of Russia. So the prospects for Russians have usually been "and then it got worse" so it's hard to blame them for not putting their necks on the line for the next despot.
Can't imagine why a fucking Nazi mercenary marching on Moscow couldn't gather grass roots support for the revolution.
They weren't attempting a revolution, if anything, it was a coup. You don't need grassroots support for that.
And yet, that was apparently his plan.
And it was actually a "coup" against the Minister of Defense which really cranks up the whimsy.
Only a very small minority did protest, that's why it didn't work.
That's because Russian "law enforcement" is actually terror, they do everything for the large part of citizens to be too afraid to even speak up not to mention doing anything.
FTFY. ✌🏽
Maybe, but there are at least places where law is virtually non-existent, those places work on the power of customs and traditions not on terror. Not saying that I prefer unwritten laws, that seems too complicated to be realistically used by a large enough society. Also, I personally don't equate police not held accountable and terror.
If you "don't equate police not held accountable and terror", you're white AF.
Law and law enforcement are two entirely different things.
Could you elaborate on the first item?
The way I see it terror is always directed towards/against something. It's not just the atrocities committed by someone it's mainly instigation of fear to blackmail people to act according to someone's will.
Uncomtrolled police force leads to it becoming the organized crime itself, to corruption, to overuse of power, and other bad things, but it doesn't seem to be directed in itself. So this may be an instrument of terror but it doesn't necessarily imply the terror itself is what I was trying to say.
Terror is not only an active verb. The more insidious and pervasive representation of this is systemic, violent racism by authority figures and the historical lack of justice against said bigotry.
In practice, police forces are organized crime with a badge. In theory, and I mean in the most fairy tale way possible, they're shining paladins of virtue. If you're still gargling that Kool-Aid, no one can help you, but if you want to put down the pitcher, just say the word.
It's identical in the US. 4 years of Trump and all we got was a pro Trump attempted coup.
Trump is too narcissistic and up his own ass to deliberately export pure sadistic evil the way Putin does.
The Kurds beg to differ
Yes. He fucked that up... We fucked that up. But I do believe it was out of complete incompetence and absolute density and maybe indifference.
They don't know the war is going badly. They don't know what Western society knows about the war. They're fed state approved propaganda and nothing more. They're also plastered constantly which kills motivation for political upheaval.
Protest is met with swift arrest and long prison sentences.
Well you know how it is. Everyone who knows what's going on left, everyone else just watches TV and believes them because why wouldn't they.
While the army may be extremely disorsgnized, unfortunately, putin has made internal security extremely solid. Add to that the fact that a great amount of people in russia are politicaly passive or pro Z, I don't think a revolution is coming from the people anytime soon.
Give it time. It took 3 years of war for the 1917 revolution to start.
I feel like Ukraine needs to take the fight to Russia for that to work, but that runs the risk of galvanizing the population against Ukraine as well
One thing I would add is that the Russian people do want change but any attempt at changing the leadership is met with poisoning and/or long prison sentences. I would highly recommend reading about Alexei Navalny or watching the fascinating documentary