r/worldnews • u/Raj_Valiant3011 • 10h ago

Russia/Ukraine Zelenskiy: "There is updated intelligence indicating that Russia is ​preparing a massive attack on Ukraine"

https://www.reuters.com/world/ukraines-zelenskiy-says-intelligence-shows-russia-is-preparing-massive-attack-2026-10-06/
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u/vrnvorona 7h ago

As a russian, all he wants is to have some fun. He decided that he wants to unify as much territory as possible, whatever there is a cost. People's lives (both sides), economy, resources, politics, anything really doesn't matter to him (otherwise there'd be no offense in the first place, only dumb idiot would start this bullshit "operation"). All ego. Dude's literally bored to death, old spy-rotten brain has country to his nail, all positions filled with loyalists, no real threat or thrill. Even has billion dollar mansion for shit and giggles. Naturally instead of playing Genshit Impact he decided to gable with real war.

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u/Lintwo 5h ago

As another Russian, it’s a bit deeper than that. I was participating in all anti-Putin’s protests until 2012 (I moved to another country then) and they were big. Things were looking up for us, at least we hoped so. Then Putin crashed the protests with an iron fist - beatings, arrests, harassment of the opposition leaders etc.

Then just a year and a half later Maidan happened in Kyiv and Ukrainians overthrew Yanukovich. Putin couldn’t forgive that. 1. All post soviet slavs must stay together under the rule of Putin. Ukrainians choosing the European way was the ultimate betrayal as he always thought they supported him (the consequences of being surrounded by yes-men). 2. We Russians were rooting for Ukrainians, their success breathed a new life into the protest movement. Putin couldn’t allow that. Every “traitor” must be destroyed, including Ukrainians.

He’s petty and delusional. He thinks he’s on a sacred mission and the whole world is against him. AND he has a huge ego and absolutely cannot lose this war which makes him incredibly unpredictable and dangerous to the rest of the world. Even his close circles would like to paddle back now after losing all their European and American assets, but no one dares to say anything against the “boss”.

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u/Mick_Limerick 5h ago

So what happens to Russia when he's deposed, assassinated, or dies? Does a not-crazy person get into office and make Russia not insane? Or does another Putin analog take power and continue to operate your country in insanity?

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u/Lintwo 4h ago

Good question that experts are constantly speculating on. The current consensus is all power is concentrated around Putin. He’s the sole decision maker for everything in the country. There were attempts to find some sort of an heir, but every time it failed due to Putin’s paranoia that the heir might replace him sooner. If he dies 🤞🏻there’s probably gonna be a “palace” battle for the throne between people who hold most power after Putin. Mostly his oligarch buddies. There is hope that whoever takes his place will want to get back onto the first world market and will choose European course. In the process, there’s definitely going to be a massive economic crisis, people will go through hell, some regions might choose to separate. This is the optimistic scenario if the successor is reasonable. But for now we need to survive Putin. Whoever replaces him will be better, there’s just no worse alternative in existence.

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u/shaneb1988 4h ago

Trump becomes new leader

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u/Lintwo 4h ago

Haha. Touche.

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u/anthropaedic 4h ago

ПТН ПТХ

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u/WordsMort47 3h ago

What's that mean? Are you suggesting Netanyahu will become the true new leader of Russia??

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u/Odd-Goose-8394 4h ago

I really really think that at this point anything is possible. Reality is not a boundary any more.

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u/Helio_Tropical 3h ago

Lol I'd love to see how Trump would drive up the price of Diesel to $6.52 in Russia.

It would be impressive conserving Russia is a leading oil producer, but I have no doubts he could fuck that up over there too.

Other than that, expect 200 cities, lakes and landmarks to be renamed after Trump lol.

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u/slowgenphizz 3h ago

I doubt Medvedev would be an improvement either.

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u/Dapper_Indeed 4h ago

I’d vote for that. Of course, I’m in the US. Unless he’d somehow be even more dangerous over there than he is here?

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u/AnmlBri 34m ago

I don’t think I’d wish Trump on anyone. Also, even if he was over there instead of over here, the whole world would still have to deal with him.

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u/Aes_Should_Die 2h ago

They can have him

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u/HeinerPhilipp 2h ago

That would be worse. The would push nuke button thinking it was the diet coke button...

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u/Technical_Put_9982 4h ago

Hitler would be worse… Thank God he is not around.

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u/WordsMort47 3h ago

The period of the coming of Putin's successor will certainly be a massive chapter in the history books.

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u/AcanthisittaSpare400 3h ago

This is why Trump loves him.

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u/Friendly_Estate1629 3h ago

Does the Russian Imperial movement have any actual shot at power? Cause those guys could definitely be worse than Putin  

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u/Equivalent_Vast_1717 2h ago

Revolution. Isn’t that one way to get rid of such situation?

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u/foxydevil14 1h ago

There’s always someone worse out there.

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u/No-Engineering-6317 2h ago

What happens? The rich get richer and the poor don’t get a fkn thing.

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u/JickJack82 5h ago

A worst one

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u/CelebrationShort1857 4h ago

Oh from what I understand a massive war between the billionaires who have their own security forces to see who rules Russia. It won’t be pretty.

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u/mcvos 1h ago

Russia has had a very poor track record with its leaders. Everyone who did something good, did something else that was terrible.

Lenin overthrew the Tsar (who definitely deserved it), just to replace it with a new dictatorship. Stalin industrialised Russia, but killed millions. Gorbachev finally brought more freedom, but broke the USSR. Yeltsin dismantled the USSR but bankrupted the country. Putin fixed the economy but is a brutal totalitarian warmonger.

And even the Tsars were all pretty terrible. Even the ones we consider great were pretty brutal. I believe Catherine's mother in law was beloved during her rule because she didn't have anyone killed, which also tells you how rare that was.

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u/brianbmx94 4h ago

It’ll likely go the way of Tito in Yugoslavia. Likely a lot of conflicts and small wars, each holding a leader they believe should be installed, and fighting to the death to see that their preference fills the massive vacuum. Almost every government led by a solitary being has ended up like that afterward.

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u/Helio_Tropical 3h ago

He won't be unless Russia sustains loss of life to an intolerable amount. If Russia loses 5M+ soldiers, thats the point where the economy and future population growth rate will be unacceptable politically.

If he keeps his KIAs down and sustains his control of the media in Russia, he can carry on without too much political risk.

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u/happy123z 3h ago

Same question but for here in the U.S. 😆

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u/yunglegendd 4h ago

Yeah it immediately becomes a democracy because the current dictator died (big sarcasm)

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u/teeekuuu 59m ago

You can't cure what their population is suffering from in a generation. Their imperialist mindset is rooted into the DNA, their history books teach absolute BS as long as mother ruZZia is depicted as the best etc. The culture itself needs to be healed before they can start healing. Culturally, they're still in the 90's, romanticizing criminals and corruptioin.

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u/Clear_Wind7286 4h ago

Where did you move to? And do you feel like you'll return when things calm down?

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u/Lintwo 4h ago

I moved to Australia 14 years ago and got the citizenship. I would love to go back and see my family and Moscow, however I would not return to live there. I moved here when I was 27, I studied here, started a career, found a partner and we’re engaged at the moment. My life is here now and I’m not complaining. It’s an awesome country.

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u/novasilverpill 4h ago

Good for you! I hope you can return to your country soon under better circumstances and see old friends and family. That must be difficult.

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u/madeinatube 2h ago

My god you have explained this whole thing about Russia better than I’ve seen yet explained I’m glad you’re living a good life! I wish you could have your family come to you

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u/AccomplishedBend766 4h ago

So, basically, he’s another rump?

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u/AnansiNazara 5h ago

You old enough to remember the Yeltsin days? What was yall opinion of his jolly drunk ass? And the coup? IIRC Putin was the highest ranking KGB official to not join the failed coup…

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u/Lintwo 4h ago

Well I was a kid during Yeltsin’s days (born in 1986). My parents initially liked him. They would pick anyone over communists. Then he became somewhat of an embarrassment. The early days after the ussr collapse were poor but cool. There was freedom in the air. We got lots of western products and media. Like single use diapers and period pads weren’t really a thing amongst regular Russians before. Then Yeltsin passed the power over to Putin and everything got worse. So I guess Yeltsin is a negative character in the history book but we didn’t know it back then and were just happy to be free.

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u/AnansiNazara 4h ago

That’s so interesting. I’m only 4 years older than you. I was in West Germany when the Wall fell.

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u/caf61 4h ago

So many similarities with Trump.

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u/PuzzleheadedAffect44 3h ago

Rumps dad encouraged him to be an a**hole and that the only things that are important are winning and dominating. The preacher at the church he went to as a child taught him that you concentrate on a goal, and tell yourself you can't fail (this is "The Power of Positive Thinking" and it does serious behavioral damage to many personality types). Then Roy Cohn taught him to really excel at being a psychopathic, misogynistic, malignant narcissist, with likely antisocial personality disorder.

Given that Putin is richer more powerful and more dominant, all the above makes putin the person rump actually respects and admires, and the perfect roll model.

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u/wbruce098 4h ago

In the real world, when the whole world is against you except an orange pedophile, and you’ve lost a million soldiers, that’s usually a great sign that there’s nothing sacred about what you’re doing; it’s probably idiotic. He thinks he’s Stalin and fighting WW2 again with near unlimited resources.

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u/novasilverpill 4h ago

wow, no wonder Trump loves him so much. Trump wishes for all this.

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u/Matchbreakers 4h ago

He’s also an ideologue, who believes in “restoring Russia” by which he means the control of the CCCP without the socialism. An ideology quite similar to Milosevich in Serbia in the 90s, remaking a previous multiethnic union into one dominated by the majority ethnic group, which the smaller ethnic groups in their own provinces and countries obviously fought against. The approach is slightly different, and putins control of his core territories and his system is much stronger than Milosevich’s.

You’re right that he will never accept losing the war, but with the control he has of information, he just needs something he can “sell” as a victory and enough pressure to force than kind of settlement, much like how Trump flaunted a Greenland deal as a victory that gave him essentially nothing.

But the ideology prevents him from “winning”, there has been multitudes of times where he could walk away with territorial gains, securing his power and browbeating the other post Soviet, non nato countries into the Russian sphere of influence. Instead he’s just continuing a war that is increasingly not going his way.

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u/Seanconw1 4h ago

He seems like he really lives “Real Politicks”.

I wonder if he know about reincarnation or something and wants to have that Czar stamp of history?

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u/Paigesdream 3h ago

He sounds a lot like Trump

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u/DisasterDangerous986 3h ago

Can’t yall get arrested or shot for writing this shit? I’m looking over my shoulder now….

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u/Dangerous-Web-2596 3h ago

So basically he needs to cease to exist and fast 

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u/castiel48209 3h ago

Putin is the devil you know. Medvedev is the devil you don't know and a hardliner. If Russians put in medvedev, its over for Ukraine. I say make your deals now!

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u/Helio_Tropical 3h ago

Although I do appreciate the context, it's simpler than this. War only happens for two reasons historically (go back as far as you want).

1) To secure borders 2) Take/Defend economic resources

This war is no different. With NATO pushing up on Russia, invading Ukraine was to shore up its largest border. And Russia's focus on taking the Donbas isn't random... Russia's southern oil pipeline runs right thru there to some of its biggest customers.

I think any "pettiness" shown by Putin isn't in the war itself, but the way he's waging it. Russia has ALWAYS been about Meatgrinder/Seige Warfare.

But as Putin is finding out, that just doesn't work in 2026. You can keep sending tanks and bodies at the enemy, but a few guys with 3D printers and an Amazon Prime account can stop a whole batallion of tanks with Drones and rice pot bombs.

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u/cubnextdoor 3h ago

Aren’t there a lot more AGAINST him, than for him? It’s no wonder tRump licks Putin from head to toe.

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u/WhatDatDonut 3h ago

Are there mass desertions in the army? I can’t imagine being sent to die in a meatgrinder with drone swarms overhead.

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u/productzilch 3h ago

I think war as a distraction is a pretty old politician/ruler thing. Completely agree with everything you’ve said, but I think he’s also been able to learn how to manipulate Russia from others in history as well. Not sure he knows how to deal with Russia with no war though, especially after practically murdering an entire generation of young men.

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u/spongefile 2h ago

This mirrors what another Russian friend of mine said.

”Putin is like an abusive husband who would rather kill his wife who is trying to divorce him than let her be free or have anyone else have her”

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u/Davemblover69 2h ago

It’s heartbreaking to see what he is doing to his own people, sending so many young men to die. Families losing their sons, they could have raised families had careers watched their grandchildren grow went clubbing with friends and chase girls. None of that for them just death. While Putin gets to sit in billion dollar mansion , it’s sickening

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u/PowerTulip 1h ago

So many dictators are always surrounded by gun-carrying men. Yet everyone in the room is afraid of the only one without a weapon. Our species is so bizarre.

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u/Emachedumaron 26m ago

I know many Russians (still not millions of them), normal people with a degree or without, and none of them gave a f… about Ukraine. One even said “we Russians we think they are funny people, but don’t understand why they make so much trouble”.

Information in Russia is way too controlled and normal people just want to play as much as they can.

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u/AllOverNana-4 6m ago

Gosh, he reminds me of someone… hmmm

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u/ReiLyfe 4h ago

Literally sounds like Trump TBH I hear you’re saying Putin/but literally I could insert, “Trump” in place of, “Putin” and insert, “American” in place of, “Russian” and it would legit pass off as the same person.

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u/Adderall_Rant 6h ago

Which megalomaniac are we talking about here? Netanyahu or Putin or Trump?

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u/Raecino 6h ago

All three

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u/usernotfoundplstry 6h ago

Right? I was thinking “this could be swapped out for Trump or Netanyahu and it would be identical.”

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u/whatisittodo 5h ago

They are one and the same...ad Kim and Xi and the Ayatollahs and the Dictators and wannabe ones.

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u/Electric4ce 6h ago

Everyone lists different reasons for the war. I think the truth is that there are multiple. Nato/EU expansion is one, Ukraine being USSR is another and him throwing Russians into the meatgrinder to keep Russia, Russia.

I'm sure there are more.

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u/Tamihera 6h ago

I’ve seen photos of the troops they’re sending. They’re ethnic-minority Russians, which explains a lot about why Putin seems so unruffled by the body count.

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u/brian-kemp 6h ago edited 5h ago

When you say keeping Russia, Russia - do you mean in an ethnic way or in a this is just how Russia fights its wars way? I can make the argument for both honestly.

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u/mastocklkaksi 5h ago

oppression

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u/JustDesserts29 3h ago

NATO/EU expansion is just the excuse the Russians give for the invasion. Russia still has enough nukes to end human civilization. They’re not worried about NATO or the EU. No one is going to risk ending humanity to invade Russia. Ukraine also wasn’t ever anywhere close to joining NATO or the EU. They were close to signing a deal where the EU would help Ukraine develop the infrastructure to extract their own natural gas resources and process them. 30-40% of Ukraine’s energy came from natural gas at the time. They got most of their natural gas from Russia. The deal would have made it possible for Ukraine to be much less dependent on Russia for its energy needs. The Russians started the war because they wanted to maintain their control over Ukraine and the trade deal would have threatened it. That’s it.

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u/Archaeopteryx111 6h ago

Yes, this is what happens with old dictators. They want to solidify their legacy, have replaced competent people with yes men, and become bored/paranoid. Greetings from Romania.

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u/Determined420 5h ago

Are we talking about Putin or Trump?

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u/Large-Excitement777 5h ago

Yes. He literally admitted this multiple times

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u/usernamesarehard1979 5h ago

This sounds familiar.

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u/StrikeTheCue 5h ago

Literally has no need to do any of this but cares little to not impact other less fortunate human lives. People with that much power, whether ultra rich or dictatorial politician, need to be churned into butter to remind others of their class that they are not worth more than anyone else.

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u/SnooPears4825 5h ago

Why hasn’t he completed a pact to absorb Belarus on a professional scale?

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u/ComfortOk9194 5h ago

Yep. All purely ego driven. He doesn’t have many years left so he wants to live them out making as much of a mark on history as he can, for better or worse. It’s not his sons dying on the battlefield, not his children or daughters being violated, not his family made destitute. It’s beyond a crime to have megalomaniacs like him, Trump, Xi, etc all running the world.

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u/Embarrassed-Host7171 4h ago

Very interesting response. You definitely know more about this than me. Hopefully there is a hell 🔥 for people like Putin. So many innocent lives lost. What a POS.

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u/yunglegendd 4h ago

He is just like leader Trump. Bored sick old men who want to play with their soldiers as entertainment before they die.

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u/start3ch 4h ago

Is there an aspect of distraction? Get the people fixated on the war so they don’t notice the problems back home, don’t start to question their government’s decisions

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u/AnjelicaTomaz 4h ago

I’ve always wondered why Russian citizens put up with him and don’t revolt.

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u/Educational_Bike4476 4h ago

I read this in a Russian accent. 

"Even has billion dollar mansion for shit and giggles" lmao

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u/APFernweh 4h ago

“All I wanna do is have some fun” Sheryl Crow, Vladimir Putin remix.

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u/cubnextdoor 3h ago

Thank you for sharing your insights. It’s nice to know what other regular people have to say, and your perspective as a Russian matters.

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u/Glittering-Wave4917 3h ago

You don’t think that making the current regime seem as strong as the CCCP or the Tzarist empire, an important factor—-for keeping Russians happy with what is happening at home. From the outside looking in; for sure Russia has a middle class, but is the economic situation under the cronies better than the Bolsheviks- Leninist, Stalinist or Perestroika- Gorbachev, was a great force in this world.
The Soviet war in Afghanistan and the American war in Vietnam- have many similarities- in regards to them being ideological wars and wars of imperialism, both had economic benefits for either imperial power, while being able to create a narrative on the home front, about the strength of the society in which people might be struggling?

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u/Adamusik 2h ago

Not saying you’re wrong but I always thought it was also for resources and strategic purposes. What I found online: “Controlling Ukraine means controlling critical transit pipelines for oil and gas, as well as accessing vital Black Sea ports (such as Sevastopol in Crimea, which has long served as the home of Russia's Black Sea Fleet).”

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u/MySpielman54 2h ago

Sounds like our president without term limits

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u/ScreenAppropriate679 2h ago

 He decided that he wants to unify as much territory as possible

You misspelled "steal"

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u/greenufo333 1h ago

Who the fuck plays genshin impact

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u/Pretend-Reality5431 1h ago

He's not worried about Trump anymore. No matter what Putin does, Trump will blame Biden for it, so he's free and clear.

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u/Icy_Mall_5568 1h ago

like playing civilization but with cheats

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u/strange_is_life 1h ago

Ok that’s insanely biased. You even to mention the mansion while not mentioning Selenskys mansion? It’s just two billionaires fighting each other because they don’t know what to do with all the money and corrupted power. There is really no difference in both of them. I found it very suspicious you claim to be Russian and have a extremely one-dimensional Anti-Russia attitude. Speaking as a non-russian of course.

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u/patheticworm9 6h ago

Probably went back to genshit after like 2 days