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.

  • @[email protected]English
    56•20 days ago

    Oh wow, I knew the offensive was going well but I didn’t realise it was going that well. Great news for Ukraine, sounds like an admission that it’s going to be really tough for Russia to regain control of “the situation” .

  • @lennybirdEnglish
    26•19 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•19 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•19 days ago

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

  • @psycho_driverEnglish
    17•20 days ago

    Maybe no one on his staff has told him yet for fear of windows.

    • OptionalEnglish
      4•19 days ago

      Pooty Poot: How’s the situation in Kursk?

      Assistant Poot: . . . uh . . . -Good. Mmmhmm. Yep. Good.

  • MushuChupacabraEnglish
    11•19 days ago

    I think that Vladimir Putin is getting very close to falling out of a window.

  • @[email protected]English
    10•20 days ago

    Ah yes. The “stick your head in the sand” defense. Works so well against facts: global warming, covid, getting your ass kicked.

  • @AceticonEnglish
    9•19 days ago

    Russian region of Kursk is big vacation destination with it’s many rivers and carefully made decorative broken bridges.

    It is normal that many Ukrainian tourists come to see beautiful Kursk.

  • HubertManne
    4•20 days ago

    woohoo. trumps loser cooties just keep going. Anyone who has ever had anything to do with him will keep getting the loser vibes he gives off.