Last night Putin gave a speech where he announced the conscription of reservists with “special training” to participate in the Ukraine “military action” (still not calling it a war).
Simultaneously, the Duma (Russia’s parliament) has increased the breadth and penalties of laws regarding those who desert or shirk their military duties.
At the same time, the Russian- backed governments of many of the Ukrainian territories which Russia has occupied have announce imminent “referendums” which could authorize them to request Russian annexation of the areas. Once this takes place, any attack by Ukraine, in an effort to reclaim their land, could be deemed an attack on the soil of “Mother Russia” with an appropriate response. While other nations have condemned this approach, it gives the Kremlin cover to use more aggressive arms to “defend itself”.
Putin reiterated that its nuclear triad stood ready to defend his country against the West after Biden said there would be consequences if Russia deployed tactical nuclear or chemical weapons.
Putin additionally said: “After the Kiev regime actually publicly refused a peaceful solution to the Donbas problem today and, moreover, announced its claim to nuclear weapons, it became absolutely clear that a new next large-scale offensive in the Donbas, as it had already happened twice before, was inevitable.”
It is unclear what Putin is referring to with his mention of Ukrainian nuclear weapons.
This war will be lost by Russia because idiotic dictators print money.
When you see a powerful man think loser. I do not care if he is in the streets of NYC and eventually gets shot or sitting in Moscow making plans for no one.
Do not under estimate the Russian public. You can not find a more cynical group of people.
No nuclear weapons, no battlefield wins, no amount of ammunition will win this war.
Putin will lose this war all on his own in Russia.
No oil or NG sales matter. No embargos or boycotts or sanctions matter.
Just one blowhard who will meet himself on the way out.
BTW supply side econ is mostly monetary policy and a denial of most Americans…I am speaking our policies here at home for a moment. Demand side econ is far less monetary policy and taking care of Americans. I guess being against taking care of Americans was fashionable. It is considered by a majority today to be unforgivable.
all military service contracts currently in force (usually 3 to 12 months) are extended indefinitely.
Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said (video, Sputnik report) that 300,000 reservist will be mobilized. Conscripts and people currently studying will not be send to Ukraine.
He also said that, so far, 5,937 Russian soldiers have died during the war in Ukraine. (This number does not include the militia of the DPR and LPR, or the Wagner group, who have done most of the frontline work and thus have had higher losses.) Shoigu puts Ukrainian losses at some 62,000 killed and some 50,000 wounded. (I regard this as a low estimate.)
Russia’s total military reserve, people who have previously gone through military training, is 25 million. It also has the equipment to arm those forces.