Dave, a week or so ago I supplied METAR with a video of Russian troops - make that ex-Russian troops - flying the new blue-white-blue flags of solidarity with Ukraine. These same troops are still in Ukraine and fighting on the side of Ukraine against Russian troops they were once part of.
Since Mad Vlad has not declared this a war (there is much speculation he will do so on May 9th) veterans and enlistees are refusing to fight inside Ukraine by the tens of thousands. Deserting Russian troops are also a problem. At this moment, the majority of these refuseniks are out and about (if still inside Russia) and have yet to be locked up.
Imagine you’re a young Russian, 18, worrying that Putin will declare war on May 9th and a national emergency. You’re at home on or after Putin declares war and you hear pounding on your door and the military drags you out of the house and to the nearest Army base.
As you suggest, some of these youngsters might take matters into their own hands beforehand as did young men in Belarus who blew up rail lines and bridges to hamper Kadyrov, Russian, and some Belarussian troops from entering Ukraine from the North back in Week 1.
Next Monday might break Russian society if Vlad formally declares war. There has certainly been a wave of Russian exiles who left the Motherland in these past 10 weeks. We even had Russian immigrants try to sneak into America via the Florida Keys.
https://twitter.com/peregreine/status/1522316802629455873
537) #StandWithUkraine #DefeatPutin
Zhukov and other experts told Newsweek a war declaration would allow Putin to mobilize reserve troops into Ukraine and draft conscripts. The move would also allow him to wield more control over citizens within Russia.
More from the Newsweek article I linked to on Twitter:
https://www.newsweek.com/vladimir-putin-war-declaration-russ…
“The Russian president will have the power to cancel elections and referenda; shut down the activities of political parties; ban all public gatherings, political demonstrations and labor strikes; restrict the ability of people to freely travel within the country; prohibit Russian citizens from leaving the country; prohibit people from moving to a new address; implement curfews; confiscate private property; implement total censorship; and halt the activities of any international and foreign organizations operating in Russia,” Zhukov said.
Simply put, Zhukov said a war declaration “would place Russia several giant steps up the totalitarian ladder.”