Putin is an idiot ; picking a fight with an opponent with 20 times more GNP makes imperial Japan, 1942, look smart

I knew that Putin, like Trump has tunnel vision. It now appears as though he is drinking Dugin's cool aid. That meme for an empire going out to Ireland

What we will see is Xi picking up the ruined fragments of the Russian federation. Maybe in 1 years time

Not smart, Putin

quote

Russia is struggling to find volunteers to fight in Ukraine as devastating losses and poor battlefield performance have lead to refusals to go into combat, a US official said.?

Ukraine's?punishing counteroffensive?in the northeastern Kharkiv region and the significant damage its forces have inflicted on Russian troops have led to a personnel shortage within President Vladimir Putin's military, a senior US defense official told reporters on Monday.?

"We're seeing the Kremlin increasingly straining to find new recruits to fill out their thin ranks, and the Russians are performing so poorly that the news from Kharkiv province has inspired many Russian volunteers to refuse combat," the official said.?

end of quote

I can see it now . Putin has the SVR and wagoner group organize execution squads to kill dragooned recruits to go to their deaths in Ukraine. Brace yourself it is coming

Meanwhile that will wind up being broadcast world wide, due to the prevalence of cell phones

It just takes one filmed massacre to go out, and then all hell will break loose world wide

quote

Russian stocks fell Tuesday on signs that President Vladimir Putin could escalate his war on Ukraine after his military suffered a stunning rout earlier this month.

New legislation in Russia's parliament would heighten punishment for military crimes, such as desertion, damage to military property, and insubordination, raising fears it could lead to a full mobilization later.?

Some hard-line lawmakers have been calling for an expansion of the military draft since it gave up huge swaths of territory in eastern Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Moscow moved to hold sham referendums to fully annex occupied territory in eastern and southern Ukraine. While annexation wouldn't be recognized as legal, it raises the prospect that any attacks on Russian forces there could be claimed as attacks on Russian soil, potentially escalating the war.

end of quote

It also raises the chance Putin will face internal rivals whom want him to go. No matter, sham referendums in say Kherzon will not be worth spit if Putin has oil refineries blowing up in Russia

Chance of that happening 100% unless Putin backs off. Not to mention the only reason why the NKVD was able to machine gun "volunteers" to death in WW2 was an absence of cell phones and the like to disseminate views of a massacre world wide

YES that is coming.

Not smart. Time for Putin to step down

quote

Putin's troops are performing 'so poorly' in Ukraine right now that many Russian volunteers are refusing to go into combat, US official says

Jake Epstein?5 hours ago

A senior US defense official said Russian volunteers are refusing to go into combat.

• The official said this is because Russian forces are performing "so poorly" in Ukraine right now.
• Western intelligence said previously that Moscow has been hamstrung by personnel issues.?

Russia is struggling to find volunteers to fight in Ukraine as devastating losses and poor battlefield performance have lead to refusals to go into combat, a US official said.?

Ukraine's?punishing counteroffensive?in the northeastern Kharkiv region and the significant damage its forces have inflicted on Russian troops have led to a personnel shortage within President Vladimir Putin's military, a senior US defense official told reporters on Monday.?

"We're seeing the Kremlin increasingly straining to find new recruits to fill out their thin ranks, and the Russians are performing so poorly that the news from Kharkiv province has inspired many Russian volunteers to refuse combat," the official said.?

The official also said the Wagner Group — a shadowy Russian mercenary group with close ties to the Kremlin — is having its own recruitment problems.?

Wagner, which has fought alongside Russian troops in Ukraine and has been?connected to atrocities?around the world, has tried to recruit over 1,500 convicted felons to fight the Ukrainians —?offering?freedom if they take up arms but death if they desert. However, many of these prisoners are?refusing?Wagner's offer, the official said.?

"Our information indicates that Wagner has been suffering high losses in Ukraine, especially and unsurprisingly among young and inexperienced fighters," the official said.?

In a recent?intelligence assessment, Britain's defense ministry said Wagner's push to recruit prisoners and shortened training courses at Russian military academies indicate "critical shortages" for Moscow.??

"The impact of Russia's manpower challenge has become increasingly severe," Britain's defense ministry said.?

As Putin's war in Ukraine nears its seven-month-mark, Russian forces continue to suffer widespread casualties as Ukrainian troops advance along multiple fronts.?Pentagon?estimates?from last month said Russia has?suffered?as many as 80,000 casualties and lost thousands of armored vehicles.

Russian troops have also been hamstrung by?exhaustion,?supply issues, and other?morale?setbacks. And the manpower issue is further compounded by the fact that Putin calls the war a "special military operation," instead of what it actually is, therefore avoiding a mass mobilization.??

Since the start of September, Ukraine has made significant advances to liberate territory occupied for months by Russian troops, who left behind?grisly scenes?in their retreat.?

In an attempt to hold on to captured territory, pro-Moscow separatists in the occupied eastern Ukraine's Donbas region announced on Tuesday that they would hold?referendums?on joining Russia, a move that both Ukraine and the West have decried in the past as a total sham.?

end of quote

whereas

quote

Russian stocks crash on signs Putin may escalate Ukraine war with military mobilization and Ukraine annexation

Brian Evans?2 hours ago

Russian stocks plunged Tuesday on signs that Moscow may escalate its war on Ukraine.?

• Lawmakers are advancing legislation to heighten punishments for military crimes, raising fears of full mobilization.
• Russian officials also announced plans to hold sham annexation votes in occupied parts of Ukraine.

Russian stocks fell Tuesday on signs that President Vladimir Putin could escalate his war on Ukraine after his military suffered a stunning rout earlier this month.

New legislation in Russia's parliament would heighten punishment for military crimes, such as desertion, damage to military property, and insubordination, raising fears it could lead to a full mobilization later.?

Some hard-line lawmakers have been calling for an expansion of the military draft since it gave up huge swaths of territory in eastern Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Moscow moved to hold sham referendums to fully annex occupied territory in eastern and southern Ukraine. While annexation wouldn't be recognized as legal, it raises the prospect that any attacks on Russian forces there could be claimed as attacks on Russian soil, potentially escalating the war.?

The ruble-denominated MOEX stock index tumbled 8.7% to hit the lowest point since August 16, while the dollar-denominated RTS stock index sank 9.2%.

Russia's potential move to annex occupied Ukrainian territory is a sign of a stark escalation of the conflict with Kyiv, dashing hopes that the war could find an end sooner than previously thought thanks to Ukraine's strong counter-offensive and steep Russian military losses.?

Putin is now seemingly doubling down on the Ukraine invasion with the potential legislation, further strengthening his grip on a war effort that seems to be slipping away in its sixth month.?

He also called for Russia's defense industry to increase its output of weapons. Meanwhile, Russia's finance ministry is considering?plans to raise taxes on energy exports, Kommersant reported, as the Kremlin looks to shore up its budget and war chest amid Western sanctions.

end of quote

Andrew Beckwith, PhD