Russia’s hawks claim that it is fighting with one hand tied behind its back. They want a nationwide mobilization, a set of wartime emergency decrees, and an economy on a war footing. They demand carpet bombings of Kyiv, Lviv and other cities, and annihilation of civilian infrastructure such as power plants, railway lines, bridges and dams across Ukraine. Some even call for blowing up nuclear power plants and using tactical nuclear weapons. Anything less would be cowardice or treason.
The truth is that Russia is not able to do such thing anymore. They simply lack of the very much needed resources and firepower. When Putin manages to push for a major escalation in the war, he and his army in Ukraine get confronted with more weapons – and more advanced weapons than they currently use from the US, NATO and several European countries specifically. And Ukraine gets better by the day to fight a modern war, while the Russians …
Putin made one major mistake, strategically speaking. He didn’t realize that Russia’s industrial base was too weak to support his military adventures. As his promises of international greatness clash with reality on the battlefield, he faces discontent and accusations of defeatism and, worse, treason.
What good do his many billions if he can’t buy any spare parts for his advanced weapons, thanks to the sanctions?
But after years of relentless propaganda, Russians still see their country as a military superpower. And all of a sudden it can’t defeat Ukraine, which in their imperial arrogance they have always treated with disdain and taught to regard as a failed state. Faced with this unsettling disconnect, jingoist right-wingers, who used to applaud Putin’s invasion, have changed their tune.
Wim's Blog 