For Those Who Might Be Wondering Why We Might Be In Ukraine

[ChloeTzang]

The Illusion of a Strong Russian Economy is Collapsing

The truth about Russia’s economy is a $446 billion fraud. This investigation exposes the secret off-budget debt Vladimir Putin uses to finance his war and reveals why that illusion is collapsing fast.

Since mid-2022, Russia’s corporate borrowing has surged by seventy-one percent. The Central Bank of Russia quietly recorded roughly $446 billion in forced loans directed toward war industries. This is not normal growth. A February 2022 decree ordered banks to issue “preferential loans” to military suppliers. Banks obey. The Kremlin spends. The illusion of resilience continues.

This shadow credit now equals almost the entire official defense budget. Inflation has climbed near ten percent. Food prices have quadrupled. Pensioners protest outside the Kremlin while real businesses collapse under interest rates above thirty-seven percent. The government claims a two-percent deficit, but if this hidden debt were counted, the real figure exceeds six percent of GDP.

These loans hide four converging risks: inflationary collapse, banking insolvency, industrial decline, and the post-war default wave when contracts end and firms fail. Each missile fired adds compound interest. Each drone strike drains another loan. The state is mortgaging its future to survive the present.

From recruitment failures in Yakutia to elite purges inside Moscow, the same arithmetic drives the crisis. Putin can silence dissent, but he cannot silence math. The numbers are unyielding: Russia’s economy is not strong, it is leveraged. The war is not funded by power, but by debt.

This is how empires end — not through revolution, but through receipts. Russia’s $446 billion war debt is the fuse burning toward the Kremlin.

 

[ChloeTzang]

Russia’s Oil Crisis Keeps Getting Worse​

Gasoline shortages from Ukraine’s strikes on refineries and pipelines are straining Russia's economy. In response, Russia has been discussing a strategy that exposes their weakness more than most people realize - price caps. This is more devious than most people realize. In this video, I discuss how rising gas prices in Russia are putting most families over the edge, and how the Kremlin's new strategy to shift blame exposes underlying weaknesses in the Russian economy.

 

[ChloeTzang]

Counterfeit gasoline is Destroying Russian Cars en masse​

00:00 Intro
00:03 How many tanks does Russia have left?
02:22 Russian economy
02:36 Seaborne crude exports increase
06:04 Truck traffic jams on the Moscow area gas stations
07:34 Russia-Kazakh border is a mess
09:40 Lukashenko forbid price increases
12:50 Russian state Duma members playing chess
13:27 Summary of a Russian economic crisis
21:20 Frontlines
21:33 Belgorod
22:38 Pantsir-S flies into high rise building
23:03 Crimea
25:17 Nizhni Novgorod
26:06 Sverdlov plant in Dzerzhinsk
26:56 Ural turbine plant - Yekaterinburg
27:56 Out of 100 troops only 6 survived
28:50 Pokrovske
31:59 UA drone hid inside the BUK

 

[ChloeTzang]

Key Allies Abandon Putin​

As Moscow scrambles to contain the fallout, fuel shortages spread, refineries halt production, and investors flee. The ruble weakens, state reserves shrink, and even Russia’s closest allies are turning away. Ukraine’s precision strikes and Western sanctions have exposed the cracks in Putin’s so-called “energy superpower,” leaving the Kremlin facing an accelerating economic and geopolitical collapse.

 

[ChloeTzang]

PUTIN FEARS COUP INSIDE KREMLIN​

Destruction of Belgorod dam cut off russian invaders from Vovchansk in Kharkiv region. Putin and Gerasimov in panic mode talk about Burevestnik missile test, unable to stop the explosions on the oil refineries, one more is off in Serpukhovo near Moscow.

 

[ChloeTzang]

Russia’s wartime economy is reaching a critical breaking point.

Russia’s wartime economy is reaching a critical breaking point. Years of sanctions, war spending, labor shortages, and collapsing oil revenues are eroding the financial systems that once kept the country stable. Reserves are dwindling, inflation is rising, fuel supplies are strained, and public frustration is growing.

 

[ChloeTzang]

Ukraine Let Russia Refill Its $16B Feodosia Oil Hub — Then 560 kg Warheads Erased It from the Map​

When Russia thought its southern logistics were secure, Ukraine waited. For weeks, satellite surveillance tracked shipments as Russia quietly refilled its $16 billion oil terminal in Crimea — a facility fueling both Black Sea naval operations and front-line armor. Then, in the early hours of October 6th, a coordinated Ukrainian strike unfolded. Decoy drones drew out Russian air defenses. Minutes later, the real payloads — 560-kilogram warheads carried by long-range one-way drones — struck the heart of the terminal. What followed was one of the largest non-nuclear fireballs ever recorded on the peninsula.
In this video, we break down how Ukraine’s engineers, intelligence units, and drone operators pulled off the operation that crippled Russia’s main fuel hub in Crimea — and what it means for the Black Sea front going forward.

 

[ChloeTzang]

 

[ChloeTzang]

Slovakian Wolf 25 AD Air Defense System Already Deployed in Ukraine​

Slovak company DefTech announced that the Wolf 25 AD system has been adopted into service with the Armed Forces of Ukraine and has been deployed. The system underwent combat testing before deliveries began.
Initial assessments by the Ukrainian military were positive, and the company expected to receive an order for the system soon. The Wolf 25 AD will become another air defense system or tool for countering very short-range drones chosen by Ukraine. In early August, DefTech published new photos of the system and confirmed it had successfully passed tests in Ukraine and been adopted by the Ukrainian army.

The number of units sold has not been disclosed. The company noted interest from other export customers without naming them, and the Slovak army may also consider purchasing the system in the future.

The system is equipped with a turret from the Slovenian company Valhalla Turrets. It features an Oerlikon KBA 25×137 mm automatic cannon, capable of using two types of ammunition and multiple firing modes — from single shots to bursts at up to 650 rounds per minute. For engaging air targets, Proximity Fuze (PX-HE) ammunition is available, detonating within roughly 1.5 meters of the target. Alternatively, the cannon can fire high-explosive fragmentation incendiary (HEI-T) rounds, semi-armor-piercing high-explosive (SAPHE), fragmentation-armor-piercing sub-caliber (FAPDS-T) shells, or armor-piercing feathered sub-caliber rounds, depending on the mission. Armor-piercing ammunition is particularly important: sub-caliber shells have high initial velocity and a flat trajectory, critical when engaging distant, fast-moving targets. Fragmentation rounds sometimes fail to inflict sufficient damage, whereas armor-piercing rounds produce through-penetrating effects.

The 25×137 mm caliber was chosen deliberately: it offers effectiveness close to that of the larger 30×173 mm round while being lighter, cheaper, and allowing for greater ammunition storage. It is also widely available, with multiple manufacturers and higher production volumes.

The turret includes a Lotus Lite electro-optical system with thermal and daylight cameras. The core of the system, however, is the AESA AMMR radar with software-defined functionality, capable of simultaneously tracking up to 150 targets in real time. Detection ranges include:

Fighter jets — up to 20 km
Helicopters — up to 12 km
Missiles — up to 10 km
Lancet drones — 8–10 km
Reconnaissance drones — up to 5 km
Microdrones (FPV or commercial quadcopters) — up to 5 km
These radars are also used in the Skynex, Skyranger 35, and Skyranger 30 systems. The Wolf 25 AD is equipped with four radar panels providing 360-degree coverage. The AMMR radar can also calculate the coordinates of enemy artillery, mortar, and missile impacts.

The radars feature advanced ECCM to counter electronic warfare, allowing the Wolf 25 AD to operate in areas with intensive electronic activity. They can track moving targets, enabling the system to provide air cover for advancing equipment columns.

 

[ChloeTzang]

How Many Used JAS 39 Gripen C/D Fighters Could Ukraine Receive if Deliveries Start in 2026?​

It is quite possible that Ukraine will receive not only new Gripen E fighters but also used Gripen C/D aircraft, given the very tight schedule for the first deliveries Ukraine and Sweden have signed a declaration of intent to procure Swedish Gripen E fighters, with plans to equip the Ukrainian Air Force with more than a hundred new aircraft. This would mark a truly historic milestone for Ukraine's military and a decisive step in rearming its fighter fleet. However, in the short term, Ukraine may also receive several used aircraft of earlier variants. At least, that is the cautious conclusion that can be drawn from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's statement, in which he said: "We expect 150 such aircraft for Ukraine, and the first should arrive next year."

At the same time, Defense Express notes that a firm contract for Gripen E deliveries has not yet been signed. Given that the time frame of just over one year is extremely short for manufacturing and delivering the first aircraft, it is reasonable to assume that the agreement with Saab on supplying Swedish fighters may include a clause on the transfer of used aircraft. Even Sweden itself officially received its first Gripen E only this year, despite placing the order back in January 2013. According to the initial plan, deliveries of 60 aircraft were to take place between 2018 and 2027. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson has previously emphasized that, in the event of a contract with Ukraine, the first Gripen E fighters could be delivered within three years.

Currently, Saab's production rate at its Linköping plant stands at only 12 aircraft per year — roughly one per month. And although there are plans to localize production in other countries and gradually increase output (Saab recently confirmed it is considering establishing a new Gripen production facility in Ukraine), a rapid production ramp-up appears unlikely. Therefore, a realistic scenario would be one in which Sweden begins transferring used JAS 39 Gripen C/D aircraft next year — as these are gradually retired from service and replaced by new Gripen E fighters entering the Swedish Air Force. This would allow Ukraine’s combat aviation to field one or two squadrons of older, yet still highly capable, Swedish fighters even before the new Gripen E fleet arrives, and full logistical support is established. Moreover, as early as 2024, Sweden announced that one of its defense aid packages for Ukraine included spare parts and components for the JAS 39 Gripen, sufficient to maintain up to 14 aircraft.

Earlier this year, Swedish officials also stated that they had abandoned the idea of "cannibalizing" existing Gripen C/D fighters to produce Gripen E variants — another clear signal that these older aircraft could eventually be transferred to Ukraine once phased out of Swedish service. Of course, another possible scenario is that Gripen E deliveries to Ukraine will be prioritized, should Sweden agree to give up part of its own production slots and reach an understanding with other customers. According to open-source data, the Swedish Air Force currently operates 96 JAS 39C/D Gripen fighters.

https://en.defence-ua.com/weapon_an...eceive_if_deliveries_start_in_2026-16265.html

 

[ChloeTzang]

Russian forces hunt down their own soldiers trying to surrender near Orikhiv

Russia’s elite VDV paratroopers faced annihilation near Orikhiv after 22 of 26 assault vehicles were destroyed in a single day. As survivors attempted to surrender, their own command turned drones on them, with footage showing Russian kamikaze drones ignoring Ukrainian soldiers to strike surrendering Russian troops instead. A failed attack exposed the true state of Russian units, with elite VDV branding not being able to mask inadequate planning and logistics. (Just as a comment, there are no "elite" Rusian units left. The trained soldiers and junior officers who were the corenerstone of these "elte" units are all dead - all that remains is the "elite" label, but in actual fact, they're o different now from other units - the expertise has all gone).

As Russian paratroopers saw what awaited them with such a plan, many decided just to surrender to avoid a certain death, only to immediately become priority targets for their own drone units that received the command to chase and eliminate all deserters.

Russian VDV forces were redeployed to the Zaporizhzhia front to pin Ukrainian defenses in Zaporizhzhia as part of a combined operation. The hope was that this would split Ukrainian attention in the south, while another operational grouping would try to outflank Ukraine’s defense lines from the east and force penetration into the Dnipropetrovsk region. The Russian push towards Orikhiv consisted of a multi-wave assault against Mala Tokmachka, aiming to punch through and consolidate the area. Geolocated footage shows Russian forces advancing with 26 tanks and infantry fighting vehicles over the course of the day, but despite their efforts, 22 of them were destroyed by the Ukrainians by nightfall. Most of the soldiers were also eliminated, with survivors left abandoned by their own command, as a target for the Ukrainian drones clearing the fields.

Many Russians join the VDV forces believing they would be treated as elite warriors, trained, equipped, and celebrated. The reality is far more different from what was portrayed; paratroopers were thrown into the meat grinder in sequential waves, watching comrades engulfed by explosions as their own turn soon approached. Rather than a coordinated, overwhelming thrust, units were fed into attritional assaults by several vehicles at a time, with little hope of success and zero plans to evacuate potential survivors. The psychological effect was catastrophic for the VDV recruits, as elite status evaporated into a sense of being expendable. Faced with annihilation, a growing number of Russian soldiers chose surrender over certain death.

A video from this direction shows a Russian paratrooper walking out of ruined positions to lay down arms, guided toward Ukrainian rear areas by two Ukrainian soldiers who accepted his surrender and took him as a prisoner of war. This possibility gave the Russian soldier a rational survival choice if only he had not been spotted by his own comrades. Soon after, two Russian FPV drones attacked the group, shockingly ignoring the Ukrainians but focusing on the Russian soldier who had surrendered, with the only goal to punish their own for choosing to live. This ruthless Russian field response is intended to deter deserters by a brutal order. When Russian reconnaissance identifies their own troops moving to surrender, Russian FPV drones and artillery units are ready to act and strike the surrendering soldiers. Footage from Stepnohirsk shows another VDV soldier holding his arms up in surrender, but then quickly turning around and pleading with the approaching Russian kamikaze drone trying to kill him, to no avail.

The two videos filmed and published right after the major Russian assault show that these are not isolated battlefield incidents but part of a growing set of evidence that such punitive measures have been adopted by the Russian officers to prevent mass capitulation. If the Russian command allows surrenders, discipline will collapse further, desertion and refusal will spread, leading to uncontrollable manpower losses. To prevent this, the officers try to reestablish deterrence through public and private punishment but at a steep cost. n Ordered executions of surrendering soldiers may slow the spread of capitulation, but they also confirm to recruits that the officers care little for their survival. Potential volunteers or contract recruits watching these developments are also less likely to sign up, creating longer-term recruitment and readiness problems for an army already strained by huge losses.

Overall, what began as a plan to use the VDV as a fix for a stalled offensive has become a symbol of the systemic problems of the Russian army. Elite units are treated as expendable, led by a command that is willing to kill its own to slow down the collapse and avoid getting punished themselves by those higher in the hierarchy. The surge in surrenders and desertions is a significant indicator that cannot be ignored. When soldiers choose captivity over direct orders, the war of attrition is destroying the loyalty that the Kremlin still needs to sustain its campaigns.

https://euromaidanpress.com/2025/10/27/frontline-report-2025-10-25/

 

[Rebel5soul]

All while the Russian economy continues its collapse and protests are starting even in Moscow. The Russian display of incompetence has been stellar.

 

[rachaelwillguideyou]

For the same reason the United States antifa stormed Normandy.

 

[ChloeTzang]

Belgorod Dam blown....Russian units being flooded out LOL

00:00 Intro
00:21 Belgorod Dam
04:12 Which units
04:45 Putin's reaction to the ban of Russian toilets
06:24 Report from UA 16th army core
11:39 Ukraine
11:42 Putin ordered Pokrovsk taken by mid november
13:48 5 armoured vehicles drive into the mud
16:08 Burning Russian equipment
19:06 Topography
20:16 Russians hit an "IRIS-T
22:25 Kucheriv Yar cauldron liquidated
23:30 Buy Me a Coffee Members + Comment
25:08 Russia
25:17 Moscow air defence ring
27:01 Drones still flew in - oil depot burning
28:08 Russian military industrial complex expects a downturn
30:06 This all signals the weakening central power
31:40 Symptoms of this is the rise of organised crime
32:46 Arson more common
33:51 Lithuania closed border with Belarus

 

[ChloeTzang]

Ukraine Strikes Belgorod Dam Multiple Times - Flooding, Cutting Off Russian Forces​

This update analyses the recent HIMARS strikes on the Belgorod reservoir dam, leading to significant flooding that has potentially isolated Russian forces in Vovchansk, Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine. The attack has caused heavy outflow from the dam, with reported damage to technical facilities and Rosgvardia casualties, directly impacting Russian logistics and frontline operations. Downstream along the Siverskyi Donets river, multiple Russian brigades, including the 128th, 116th, 68th, and 136th, face severe risks of personnel and equipment inundation. OSINT analysis, including Sentinel-1 SAR imagery, confirms the visible flooding, indicating a deliberate tactical move to disrupt Russian supply routes and operational capabilities in the region. This video explores the wider geopolitical implications and immediate impact on the ongoing Ukraine War frontline.

The dam has burst. The Russian army is drowning. Skabeeva burst into tears.​

 

[ChloeTzang]

Ukraine Just Made CRIMEA Defenseless… ​

Ukraine’s elite “Ghosts” special operations unit has carried out another precision strike, this time on October 26, targeting multiple Russian radar systems across the Crimean Peninsula. According to the GUR’s official statement, three key radars — the 96L6 of the S-400 “Triumph,” P-18 “Terek,” and 55Zh6U “Nyebo-U” — as well as a BK-16 landing craft were struck in coordinated drone attacks. These high-value assets, worth hundreds of millions combined, form the backbone of Russia’s early warning and air defense systems.

The latest operation follows a series of similar drone-led assaults throughout October 2025, including confirmed strikes on October 20 and 23–24 that destroyed Nyebo and Buk-M3 systems across Crimea, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia. With each radar eliminated, Russia’s situational awareness in occupied Crimea continues to deteriorate, opening the skies to further Ukrainian offensives and exposing critical military positions once shielded by radar coverage.

 

[ChloeTzang]

Ukraine STORMS Through Russian Positions…​

Ukraine’s forces are turning the tide in Donetsk. After months of brutal stalemate, they’re breaking through Russian defenses and reclaiming key villages in the Pokrovsk-Dobropillia corridor. This video explains how Ukraine’s lightning offensives, drone dominance, and battlefield precision are inflicting catastrophic losses on Russian troops — and why these victories could reshape the entire war. Watch to see how Ukraine’s strategy is shifting momentum and redefining the fight for Donetsk and the future of the war.

 

[ChloeTzang]

Putin Lashes Out In Desperation As Russia's Empire Implodes​

Despite crisis on every front, Russia begins pouring weapons into Venezuela in a last ditch effort to prop up Maduro, even while Russia's own economy continues to collapse, a food crisis looms, increased US sanctions begin to bite, and anti-regime sentiment grows. Meanwhile, Ukraine ramps up strikes on Russia's energy industry and the Russian stock market goes into freefall.

Reports of a bomb or explosion in Moscow

 

[ChloeTzang]

KREMLIN IN PANIC: COUP, BELGOROD DAM OPERATION, MOSCOW EXPLOSIONS​

 

[Rebel5soul]

The narrator has itemized the Russian loses without giving the same data for Ukraine. IF Ukraine found a particularly vulnerable area in the Russian lines and was able take said position with little or no losses, good on them.

BUT

Ukraine should be playing defense not offense. Let Putin's desperation cause him to order attack after attack breaking his Army on the Ukraine positions. The historical formula for attacking a defended position is 5:1 to have a reasonable chance of success.

I understand the impetus for Ukraine to try to regain territory but breaking his Army to achieve those goals will yield just the opposite result.

 

[ChloeTzang]

The narrator has itemized the Russian loses without giving the same data for Ukraine. IF Ukraine found a particularly vulnerable area in the Russian lines and was able take said position with little or no losses, good on them.

I wouldn't ever expect Ukraine to share their losses until after the war is over...Russia likely has no realistic idea and there's no need to help them

BUT

Ukraine should be playing defense not offense. Let Putin's desperation cause him to order attack after attack breaking his Army on the Ukraine positions. The historical formula for attacking a defended position is 5:1 to have a reasonable chance of success.

I understand the impetus for Ukraine to try to regain territory but breaking his Army to achieve those goals will yield just the opposite result.

This seems to be part of Ukraine's strategy - evolving their strategy for successfully attacking the Russian - these are localized counter attacks where the Ukrainians can take out the Russians with drones, pin down the remainder, go in hard and fast and wipe them out with minimal casualties on their side. Around Pokrovsk it seems the casualties are VERY one-sided - I saw 20-1 number a while ag and apparently it's improved over the last week (for the Ukrainians). When I find a good sumary of the tactics, I'll post it.

But these aren't large-scale attacks - this is like WW2 where large scale attacks only result in huge casualties. If I can make a comparison, the Russians aren;t quite dloing the over the top charge them hurrah! human waves - but they are continuousy feeding ill trained troops om hoping thatnone or two can occupy a basement or a position and then they filter more tropps up tp join them. Maybe 1 in 20 survive the 20-40km move from the rear to the front line positions, such as they are, with drones overhead and targeting them all the time. Once the #'s build up they make another move - there's no attempt to evacuate the casualties and anyone trying to surrendere is targeted by their own drone units. Their casualties are horrendous and there's no consideration of losses - only gaining the objective, whatever that might be.

By way of that WW1 comparison, the Ukrainians are working more like the German Stoßtruppen - short sharp attacks coordinated closely with support units for specifc objectives, minimal casualties. and then they go to ground.

 

[Rebel5soul]

Understood, but I also understand that there is also strong incentives to push harder.

 

[ChloeTzang]

Understood, but I also understand that there is also strong incentives to push harder.

Yes, and I think as the Corps structure settles down, more assaut units are trained, more equipment comes on line (they're all getting new IFV's over time - a Brigade a month is being equipped with Ukrainian-made BTR4's, new Lynx's and Fuchs, as well as CV90's, a constrant trickle of refurbished Leopards, more and more artillery, air defences against drones, more aircraft, taking out Russian logistics constanty). 20% of their units are probably up to the level of the Azov brigade - and the corps they lead is rapidly improving which will improve that - and that level is what they need to get their entire Army up to. The Corps structure is helping achieve that but it all takes time - and Syrskyi doesn't seem to be that eager to fritter away his men the way the Russians are

 

[ChloeTzang]

 

[Rebel5soul]

Yes, and I think as the Corps structure settles down, more assaut units are trained, more equipment comes on line (they're all getting new IFV's over time - a Brigade a month is being equipped with Ukrainian-made BTR4's, new Lynx's and Fuchs, as well as CV90's, a constrant trickle of refurbished Leopards, more and more artillery, air defences against drones, more aircraft, taking out Russian logistics constanty). 20% of their units are probably up to the level of the Azov brigade - and the corps they lead is rapidly improving which will improve that - and that level is what they need to get their entire Army up to. The Corps structure is helping achieve that but it all takes time - and Syrskyi doesn't seem to be that eager to fritter away his men the way the Russians are

If you look at the recruiting, pay, and combat wound bonuses the Russians are offering to bolster their ranks it's easy to see that there's a financial advantage to killing them off as soon as possible.