Vladimir Putin's efforts to downplay Ukraine's invasion of Russia have severely dented his strongman image and make a mockery of the West's escalation fears, writes Peter Dickinson.

In the space of just two weeks, Ukraine has claimed more Russian land than Putin’s army managed to seize in Ukraine since the start of 2024.

Kyiv’s bold summer offensive caught the Kremlin completely off-guard and has transformed perceptions of a war that many believed was moving slowly but surely toward an inevitable Russian victory.

Rarely in the history of modern warfare has any military succeeded in pulling off such a stunning surprise.

  • @lennybirdEnglish
    26•24 days ago

    has transformed perceptions of a war that many believed was moving slowly but surely toward an inevitable Russian victory.

    I’m sorry, what the fuck? Who had those perceptions? Russia has been hemorrhaging losses and after years is still only around 18% of territory captured with +/- 1% shifts … A far fucking cry from the 3 day to 2-week operation to seize all of Ukraine that Russia thought they could easily do.

    So how the fuck could victory seem inevitable when Russia’s economy is in the tank, they are in no way better off than they were pre-invasion, and Ukraine is far closer to their goal than Russia is to theirs?

    • OptionalEnglish
      25•24 days ago

      Russian media (a.k.a. conservative media) has been portraying it that way since the start.

      For most people in Moscow, that’s all they know of it. Plus whatever - likely illegal - gossip they hear.

    • @[email protected]English
      9•24 days ago

      Right? Watch out for tankies though, they’ll tell you you are a moron and don’t understand how things work…