Russia - threadbanned users in OP

What a great place

I'd say that their thinking hasn't changed since Putin invaded and they started seeing their assets being whittled away, but they are powerless to do anything about it. It's when the Silovicki start getting hurt financially that you might see something happening to Putin. Until then, Putin is well protected by layers of intermediaries whose health and wellbeing is directly linked to Putin's health and wellbeing.

For those wondering what this Siloviki is .. Putins INNER CIRCLE - the security men around Putin, most of whom rose up through the ranks of the KGB as he did and have a hawkish, Cold War mindset.

Who are they? Article has picture an bio of each Siloviki member ( this article is from 2022 but I would say much has not changed )

Interesting WHAT IF article describing what happens IF Putin leaves this world. The system in place in russia should this happen;

Should the 69-year-old die or otherwise leave office suddenly, the Federation Council has 14 days to call presidential elections, and if it does not, the Central Election Commission would.

In the meantime, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin would become acting president. However, Mishustin is not seen as being particularly close to Putin, nor a credible candidate for any election.

Instead, Stanovaya believes Putin’s departure will leave a power vacuum between business interests, security officials such as Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu and other factions of the elite.

@pixelburp And you would wonder IF A COUP from within the Siloviki most likely .. What would the attitude be toward the war in Ukraine? Same, worse or the new top person ( most likely man ) stops this war as could have a different mandate

As that article mentions:

According to reports in independent Russian media outlets, members of the Russian elite were surprised and felt anxious when Putin announced the Ukraine invasion on February 24, declaring the “special military operation” a necessary step.

.... Nevertheless, Putin’s refusal to acknowledge a link between economic woes and sanctions is reportedly alienating business-minded officials, while others criticise him for not waging war actively enough.

According to some reports, a few Kremlin insiders are quietly discussing who may come after Putin.

So other than PUTIN who else is on the ballot?

AL JAZEERA have a live page on this event:

Just noticed the camera on the soldiers helmet too. So authorities are watching and recording everything in the vote centre.

The state is like a tightly screwed shut pickle jar. Which begs the question - Why bother with the sham elections at this stage?

They've gone a long way from what would be considered normal behaviour and legalised behaviour in a vote centre such as a country like Ireland where pictures are prohibited inside and posters have to be a certain distance from a centre.

No wonder Donald Trump loves Putin and his way of running a country. Any gobdaw with paid for guns and muscle can rule a country indefinitely then.

As regards the French, to be blunt the Foreign Legion provides a degree of flexibility to the country. Compared to the casualty aversion of other Western countries. Considering recent withdrawals of the French from parts of Western Africa, imagine they would be the unit of choice for any intervention.

In terms of Russian losses, think the number is less than 400,000. Still unimaginable for the Twenty first century. There's also the matter of materials. The Russia is going to run out of x by month blank articles are fairly careless journalism. The Russian are feeling the strain none the less. Attacking positions with Chinese golf carts and 1960s era armour is certainly not a good sign from their perspective.

2M reservists figure was dreamt up by Konoshenkov, Shoigu, or maybe Solovyev. 400k casualities are reported by Ukraine but a number not that far off confirmed by other sources.

If Russia has 1.3m or whatever it is in the army, plus reserves, where the hell are they and why the hell were they sending prisoners, Napalese, Indians, auld lads, etc to Ukraine?

1.3 million what? Vodka drinking untrained people with an AK47 , the 2 million reserve would probably get their 2 weeks ak47 training before been dumped in a field somewhere.

id say a lot of the older generation would be capable or have experience, not the younger.

the first foreigners I saw come to Ireland was probably back in 2000, about 10 Ukrainian men were brought in the factory.

some of them were in Afghanistan , one was a mig mechanic, and all of them had driven tanks or some sort of vehicle and had been trained/ experience with weapons. I don’t imagine it’s like that nowadays.

Western armies , have lower numbers but are professional, have much better training , equipment and morale.

Worth remembering that it's only a fraction of the armed forces who are actually at the front line at any one time. There's also a huge logistical operation behind that which needs manning. Think of all the things that those on the front line might need and then think that none of that stuff spontaneously happens.

As for the Nepalese, Indians, auld lads etc., it's long appeared to be Putin's strategy to toss 'expendables' at the guns first and foremost, as their loss won't be so bitterly felt by the ordinary Russian people. I don't know precisely what state Russia's professional force is in, but it's got to have taken a battering over the last few years. They'll be looking to preserve whatever's left of that, plus keep the political backlash against the war to a minimum by not sacrificing the young men of the urban centres until no choice is left.

again - in theory. Prigozhin's drive to Moscow indicated it could not be the case. Easy boarder crossings into ruSSia suggest the same. Remember - everything the world knows about 'mighty ruSSian army' is what they showed us in a form of cartoon drawings. 😁

Citizens giving their votes in this sham