🇺🇦 Without diving into history, Russia has this innate ability to keep going no matter what the cost. For example, in WWII, they had no problem sending millions of people at Germany with no boots nor weapons, with the idea that they’d eventually break through. This meat grinder mentality has been going on for two hundred years. So Russia has staying power against what others would see as insanity. The problem is what happens when America decides it’s not willing to give Ukraine $40 billion to keep Russia out? What happens when Europe is done accepting migrants and is done supplying weapons? What if Ukraine simply runs out of people to fight? Russia will keep going, even if it means complete destruction of their population and economy, and sending untrained conscripts with no boots nor weapons…but Ukraine might not be able to sustain that.
🇺🇦 Russia won Mariupol, but at a loss of 7-to-1, which are egregious losses. But Russia can theoretically sustain these losses, while Ukraine has a population limit.
🇺🇦 And if Ukraine fails this war of attrition, and they simply run out of fighters, then Russia will control Ukraine’s resources.
🇺🇦 When that happens, then the Russian-Belarusian-Ukrainian conglomerate will be first in natural gas in the world. It will be first in uranium, first in neon, first in nickel, first in wheat, first in fertilizer, and first in potash.
🇺🇦 Consulting company McKinsey & Company worked with Russian weapons maker as it advised the Pentagon
🇺🇦 Russia’s counsellor to the United Nations in Geneva has defected. Boris Bondarev is the most senior diplomat to defect since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began in February
🇺🇦 Russia's economy is imploding. Economists forecast a GDP collapse of -30% by end-2022. That’s not just a stock market correction, that’s gross domestic product. By comparison, America’s GDP fell by 4.3% during the Great Recession in 2008. More info…
🇺🇦 Russia has stopped publishing economic data, but tracking the exports from 20 countries to Russia gives a clue. Those exports are down over -50% in April 2022 from a year ago
🇺🇦 Another pro-Kremlin journalist, Alexander "Sasha" Kots accidentally exposed a Russian mortar carrier, which Ukraine subsequently destroyed.
🇺🇦 UA forces liberated a total of 24 settlements in Kharkiv Oblast during the latest counter-offensive
🇺🇦 In the Kherson region, RU is focused on building secondary lines of defense to prevent UA from counterattacking. They’re digging in which is why there is no news of any troop movements.
🇺🇦 Because Russia cannot cross the Siverskyi Donets River, the envelopment has stalled.
🇺🇦 Russia is concentrating on the Izyum axis to cut of UA resupply route.
🇺🇦 Six Soviet-era Russian tanks have been destroyed in the last 24-hours. It has been revealed that Putin is now relying on the more than 60-year-old T-62 main battle tank after Ukraine destroyed many newer models.
(Thanks Rob B)
📢 Countries apply to be in NATO. NATO doesn’t seek to expand. Saying NATO is encroaching on Russia is Kremlin messaging. Russia has three primary propaganda efforts directed at the West, and that’s the first.
📢 Yes, Ukraine has a nazi problem, but it’s a very small percentage of the country, and not representative of the whole. Using a small group to smear the entire group is called “guilt by association.” Russia has three primary propaganda efforts directed at the West, and that’s the second.
📢 If you ever hear anyone say “What about America…” in an effort to redirect attention away from Ukraine and onto the west, that is called “Competitive victimhood” and the associated meme is *always* created by Russian-backed media. Russia has three primary propaganda efforts directed at the West, and that’s the third.
⚠️ Note: I got lazy with my citations and I apologize. My top sources are: Current and former military planners, singularly-focused pundits, and all manner of vetted open-source intelligence. Top cited open source pundits and sources include: CP Scott, Institute for the Study of War, Kyiv Independent, Aaron Parnas, John Aravosis, Malcontent News, and mainstream news with high levels of journalistic integrity and track records. Sadly I can’t source private individuals, of course.
⚠️ Speaking of sources, thanks to all of you who have forwarded me tips. You’re the private individuals I wish I could source publicly
⚠️ These posts are not affiliated with my employer, nor done during my employer’s time. Every item I report is from my own research, my own opinion, and written during my own time.
⚠️ Note: War happens fast and even high fidelity news needs a ton of corrections after the dust settles. Also, I’ve been spoiled by social media’s format where I can update the final product every time I find a typo. That poses a problem because…
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