1/ Russia faces "tectonic events" in the near future due to Ukraine's seizure of the initiative in the war, which presages an "impending disaster", according to a gloomy commentary by Russian journalist and warblogger Maxim Kalashnikov. ⬇️
2/ Kalashnikov draws attention to the convergence of several unfavourable trends for Russia – economic, military and industrial – which he says are seriously threatening a Russian war effort that is faltering and weakened by chronic corruption, inertia, and backward-thinking.
3/ He writes:
"We are on the eve of a new upheaval. Anyone who studied dialectical and historical materialism ... knows that the number of changes always leads to a qualitative leap. Or a collapse.
War in early summer 2026 is the threshold of the latter. What do we have?"
4/ "1. Bogged down in positional warfare on the ground.
2. The enemy seizing the initiative in the "lower sky" and successfully disrupting logistics in the frontline zone, Crimea, and other new territories of the Russian Federation.
5/ "With the prospect of troop stability being undermined, with a fuel crisis in the rear of the troops and in our part of Novorossiya. With a clear threat of a food supply crisis for the cities.
6/ "3. Attacks on Russian oil refining facilities, with the threat of a growing fuel crisis in the old territory of the RSFSR [Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic].
7/ "4. Attacks by heavy Ukrainian drones from NATO member Baltic states, targeting oil export infrastructure. This is accompanied by the Russian government's obvious fear of counterattacks, which only makes the Baltic states more brazen.
8/ "5. The growing crisis in the Russian economy, the widening budget deficit, and the distinct prospect of a collapse of public finances. This pushes the Russian elite toward explosive, forced decisions.
9/ "That is, toward devaluing the ruble, forcing the conversion of household bank deposits into government bonds, or plugging the budget hole with a 10-trillion-ruble bond issue.
10/ "Ultimately, this means devaluing the ruble and melting bank deposits. This leads to the devaluation of enterprise working capital and a decline in domestic production.
11/ "This is precisely what allows us to conclude that the enemy has imposed its initiative on Russia, and we are on the verge of a major "explosion." And so far, there's no sign of the authorities taking action to prevent the impending disaster.
The situation is alarming.
12/ "Voluntary contributions from the oligarchy in 2026 are unlikely to yield much. They will only provide 300 billion rubles, while the current deficit is already 8.4 trillion ...
The resources for waging war in the mercenary style have been completely exhausted.
13/ "That is, just one infantryman costs the economy 15-20 million rubles (including allowances from the Ministry of Defence and the region, the first year of maintenance, and debt write-offs).
14/ "In other words, one mercenary [i.e. contract] soldier costs the same as an armoured vehicle, a squadron of drones, a decent electronic warfare system, or an anti-aircraft rapid-fire rifle.
15/ "And since the infantry suffers enormous losses from drones, vast resources are not being spent on developing combat robotics, reviving the Air Force, or producing high-precision weapons. War is becoming archaic and mega-costly.
16/ "And the longer it goes, the more expensive it becomes. Economic collapse is approaching.
Apparently, the current model of warfare is the maximum a raw materials-based bureaucratic system can provide.
17/ "It's plagued by corruption, inertia, and a deep-seated hatred of highly developed industry, all things engineering and scientific. In other words, it's a war waged with extremely expensive manpower from the lower classes.
18/ "It doesn't achieve air superiority with the help of a developed air force (manned aircraft and UAVs in a single system).
19/ "It also doesn't focus on the enemy's air defences, nor does it destroy its central control centres and strategic control centres, bridges and railway junctions, fuel and energy complexes, and communications hubs. It doesn't even mine the approaches to its ports.
20/ "Such a control system would never use nuclear weapons against its main adversaries. It's incapable of even launching a conventional response against targets even in the Baltics (third-rate NATO members).
21/ "It can't recreate a modern air force and instead conducts air offensives.
All of this predetermines 'tectonic' events in the near future. So let's get to work, fellow patriots, preparing for the fight for the survival of the Russian Federation. We can't lose." /end
1/ Russia's attempts to block Telegram and force the population to switch to the state-approved messenger app MAX have simply resulted in the population adopting VPNs en masse. Ordinary Russians describe how they are evading the government's blocks. ⬇️
2/ VPNs are a booming business in Russia, with a massive increase in downloads over recent months. Circumvention is routine, even for pro-regime loyalists. According to one Russian citizen, "even the vatniks at work have VPNs."
3/ Readers of the Russian news outlet 'We can explain' (MO) have been describing how they get around the government's restrictions and are continuing to use Telegram. (Ironically, many state-owned businesses and government entities are doing the same things.)
1/ Outgoing US DNI Tulsi Gabbard's release of "evidence of US biolabs" around the world, with Ukraine singled out in her statement, is being widely cited by Russian commentators as proof of Russia's propaganda conspiracy theories on the topic. ⬇️
2/ Many Russian warbloggers and commentators have reported the release. A number have taken the opportunity to highlight how, in their view, Gabbard has vindicated Russia's claims about "Ukrainian biolabs" which were supposedly being used to develop biological weapons.
3/ Among them is Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, whose department has been a key player in promoting those claims. She applauds Gabbard's actions:
1/ Donald Trump's weak and vacillating approach towards Iran is being watched with keen interest in Russia as a lesson in how to bend America to its will. Russian political scientist Yuri Baranchik recommends that Russia should step up hostile activity against the EU and US. ⬇️
2/ Writing on his Telegram channel, Baranchik asks: "What can we learn from the Iranian experience?
Iran just gave the world a masterclass in how to negotiate with the US from a position of strength."
3/ "Tehran didn't just negotiate its own terms; it dictated 14 points of its negotiating position to Washington, including lifting the blockade, withdrawing troops, unfreezing assets, and $300 billion for economic and infrastructure reconstruction.
1/ Ukraine's attacks on Russia's oil refineries are reportedly pushing them into a crisis, with a loss of control over fuel supplies and a lack of effective anti-drone defences. Russian oil giant Rosneft is reportedly pushing for nationalisation. ⬇️
2/ Russia's oil refinery ownership is dominated by a handful of large vertically integrated companies. State-controlled Rosneft and Gazprom Neft control the largest and most modern refineries, along with a number of private companies including Lukoil, Surgutneftegas, and Tatneft.
3/ All of these companies' refineries have come under repeated and highly costly attacks from Ukrainian drones, which have caused increasing shortages of fuel across western Russia. There is said to be a critical lack of coordinated efforts to defend the refineries.
1/ Many of the Russian soldiers seen daily being blown up by Ukrainian drones are there not because they're trained infantry, but are specialists or even officers who are being sent to their deaths as a punishment. A Russian colonel says he's never seen anything like it. ⬇️
2/ An 'old recruit' who has survived two years' service in the Russian army writes to warblogger and journalist Maxim Kalashnikov to relay his experience of how the army is routinely sending men to die in assaults for displeasing their superiors, regardless of their expertise:
3/ "About a month ago, I managed to meet with an officer from our artillery battalion. We started serving in it at the same time. I was dropped from the unit to the hospital earlier. He displeased his superiors and ended up in an assault unit. He wasn't alone, though.
1/ The Russian government claims that Ukraine's drone attacks against Russia are for political rather than military aims, given the supposed impossibility of a Ukrainian victory. A Russian warblogger warns that this is a dangerous illusion resulting from distorted information. ⬇️
2/ Svyatoslav Golikov, author of the 'Philologist in Ambush' Telegram channel, writes:
3/ "The official domestic information space is circulating the idea that enemy air strikes on critical infrastructure, primarily fuel and energy facilities and logistics,…