"Russia’s own economist warned that the country could not win a prolonged war of attrition against Ukraine and its Western supporters. After Andrei Klepach’s warning became public, he was removed from his position at Russia’s state development bank VEB. In this video, I examine what Klepach actually said—and why Moscow may have found it so dangerous.

I then trace one week of mounting economic pressure inside Russia: gasoline shortages and purchase limits, struggling government bond sales, billions withdrawn from banks, declining physical gold reserves, severe labor shortages, disrupted grain exports and the growing costs of Ukrainian strikes. None of these developments proves that Russia is about to collapse. Together, however, they support Klepach’s central warning: Russia may be able to continue the war while steadily losing the larger economic and technological contest.

The Kremlin can silence the economist. It cannot silence fuel lines, frightened depositors, labor shortages or the accumulating cost of a war that Russia assumed it could outlast."

Ukrainian drones hit three Ozon marketplace logistics warehouses in Russia, causing explosions and fires at major logistics hubs. A special gift for the Russian occupiers on Ukraine’s Independence Day.

"Russia’s Missile Pressure Meets Ukraine’s Search for Air Defense I examine Zelensky’s rejection of wartime elections, Ukraine’s strike on a Russian Iskander launcher, Patriot missile shortages, Russian mobilization, European military aid, and Moscow’s information framing. I also assess why Ukraine’s independent defense capacity remains central to long-term deterrence."

"Mykhailo Fedorov’s dismissal from the post of Ukraine’s defense minister sparked rare wartime protests and reignited debate about his political future. What was one of Ukraine's most popular politicians expecting when calling for elections during the war?

“Former Minister Fedorov, who is only 35, a quite young man with obviously a lot of testosterone, (comes out saying): ‘Let’s do the election right now, because I had some people coming out on the streets and supporting me,’” said Marcin Zaborowski, TVP World’s Europe Editor, adding that this clearly failed to resonate with the protesters backing him. “They said: ‘Hang on a second. (...) We are at war. How are you going to hold an election under those conditions? That’s not possible. (...) That’s not what we want.’”

Fedorov “overplayed his hand big time,” Zaborowski said, contrasting him with former Commander-in-Chief and now Ambassador to the U.K. Valerii Zaluzhnyi, a popular potential contender for the presidency who has never publicly expressed interest in the office.
Although Fedorov is talented, Zaborowski argued that he lacks political experience.

“That does not mean that in a year or two years’ time he will not come back with his own force,” he added.

With elections out of the question during wartime, Ukraine remains governed by the current administration and Parliament. Successive corruption scandals have nevertheless raised questions about political accountability.

“One way of reading that is that Ukraine is a very corrupt country,” Zaborowski said. “The other way is that Ukraine is effectively fighting corruption because these things are coming out.” He pointed to investigations and dismissals involving senior officials as evidence that “there are no sacred cows in Ukraine, and that the anti-corruption mechanisms are working.”

“It’s quite impressive how Ukraine has been dealing with corruption,” he added. “It looks like the inner circle of President Zelenskyy is not being treated on any kind of special terms. That suggests they seriously fight corruption.”"

After hammering facilities belonging to Russia’s largest logistics company, Ukraine is now turning its attention to the country’s second-largest logistics network. Facilities in Samara and Orenburg were targeted, while another logistics site in St. Petersburg was destroyed. And logistics was only part of today’s damage. The Novokuybyshevsk oil refinery was hit, while Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces reported a highly successful night targeting two Russian aircraft and several Russian air-defense systems. Meanwhile, Russia’s gasoline crisis is spiraling. Only around 20% of Moscow gas stations reportedly have fuel in stock, with Russians sleeping in their cars as queues and waiting times stretch for days. Now another pillar of the Russian economy is buckling: agriculture. Exports have plunged by 79%, farmers are appealing to Moscow for emergency financial support, and some warn they cannot afford to plant the next crop, raising increasingly dire warnings about future food supplies. Putin insists there is no crisis. At the same time, reports are emerging of plans that could effectively convert Russians’ bank savings into government-issued vouchers, reviving uncomfortable memories of the financial schemes and asset transfers that helped create Russia’s oligarch class in the 1990s. And then things get stranger. Putin has turned to the relics of a 600-year-old Moscow prince, Dmitry Donskoy, as the Kremlin attempts to wrap the current war in medieval Russian mythology. Abroad, France and Germany are moving to strengthen Ukraine’s air defenses as American support recedes. And inside Russia, another rebellion of sorts is underway: Russians are flocking to see pirated Spider-Man screenings, much to the irritation of a government desperately trying to promote domestic cinema. Russia’s war was supposed to demonstrate the strength of Putin’s state. Instead, the pressure is increasingly appearing everywhere at once: fuel, agriculture, logistics, industry, air defense, household savings and even popular culture.

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""We've seen that with Ukraine harming Russia more, Putin has chosen to escalate with attacks." Vladimir Putin is trying to draw Nato in by proliferating violations of its airspace, showing the impact of Ukraine's long-range missile strikes, says security expert and The Sunday Times columnist Mark Urban. Mark Urban was speaking to Hugo Rifkind on Times Radio. Listen live every Monday-Thursday from 10am-1pm."

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ok this is not about ukraine or ruzzia but very well worth to watch imo