Anne Applebaum
This is very good, on Russia's military failures. But it also doesn't suggest they will stop fighting anytime soon
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/12/16/world/europe/russia-putin-war-failures-ukraine.html
How Putin’s War in Ukraine Became a Catastrophe for Russia

Secret battle plans, intercepted communications and Russian soldiers explain how a “walk in the park” became a catastrophe for Russia.

The New York Times
Dec 17, 2022 at 12:57pmWeb
Show threadAndrew 🌻📈⚛🃏📢🗽 XylanderDec 17, 2022
@anneapplebaum For Russia, this is the last war for the next 30 years - they are running out of arms and people.
Russia lost 1.5 mln to COVID, 200k to Ukraine war and 1 mln to last year emigration. From this and the economic crisis the birth rate is collapsing. For the next war, there will be nobody to show.
Show threadJohannes RohrDec 17, 2022
@duremar @anneapplebaum But let's not forget that #Ukraine is paying a much much higher price still. It needs and will continue to need every bit of support in can possibly get. And we MUST do what we can, that Russia pays for all of it, directly or indirectly.
Show threadMilo's MusingsDec 17, 2022
@anneapplebaum Time is on Putin's side. He just needs to outlast US support and he knows it.
Show threadMatěj Cepl 🇪🇺 🇨🇿 🇺🇦Dec 17, 2022
@MilosMusings @anneapplebaum It is not. He is running out of the material (remember, they are using stuff from 1960s now, how long will they need to replenish it?), his economy is slowly collapsing (you know those talks that sanctions will take time to bite … yeah, that’s now), and with the rate of 500+ dead soliders a day, they will eventually break. Not mentioning, we still don’t know how well they are really prepared for winter. #Ukraine
Show threadhrobak67NafoFellaDec 17, 2022
@anneapplebaum Most likely, Putin is like all other despots, he will NEVER give up, until forced to. That means someone in 🇷🇺 removing him from power. Our best chance to make that happen is to convince the people in 🇷🇺 that there is no future for them as long as Putin is still in power.
Show threadMatěj Cepl 🇪🇺 🇨🇿 🇺🇦Dec 17, 2022
@anneapplebaum I have one problem with the article: despite being published now, they still have not noticed and considered appointment of Sergey Surovikin. Did he manage to consolidate the army? Or is it still as disorganized as before? We don’t learn from the article. #Ukraine
Show threadhanahelenaDec 17, 2022
@anneapplebaum or suggest what would make Russia stop the war. Can't help but think just as our so called intelligence missed that the Russian military was dramatically undermined by kleprocracy that we r also missing some obvious evidence of what will cause Russia to cease and desist
Show threadAlexander RutholDec 17, 2022

@anneapplebaum
Losses mean nothing to russia.

Which is why the Sullivan-Scholz-Macron plan to freeze the conflict by only giving Ukraine defensive weapons is doomed: when the frontline stops moving, russia will continue using its long distance weapons to destroy Ukraine.

Sullivan & co are mistaken, there is no third outcome, only russian defeat or Ukrainian defeat.

Show threadLaureDec 17, 2022
@anneapplebaum #ukraine #UkraineNews #military #russia
Show threadBkatzenbergDec 18, 2022
@anneapplebaum definitely worth the read.