Dacha harvest time is coming to a close. Only there's been very little gasoline/petrol/diesel. I've seen figures claiming dachas usually provide 80% of Russian fruit and 66% of Russian veg... and we potentially have elderly people stranded in rural areas with no heating now.
In fact, I'm going to call it: Russia is a failed state. The ongoing crisis at petrol stations shows that the Russian state is no longer able to maintain order. There seems to be no realistic prospect of order being restored.
Stu Brady@stubrady.bsky.social · 2mo agoRussia is in the midst of a financial crash and a logistical crash, has had most of its refineries wiped out and is rapidly losing its sphere of influence, and mainstream western media is behaving like it's just another week like any other. Mind boggling.
Russia is in the midst of a financial crash and a logistical crash, has had most of its refineries wiped out and is rapidly losing its sphere of influence, and mainstream western media is behaving like it's just another week like any other. Mind boggling.
The situation for Russia is *even worse* than I realised(!) Some recent terminal strikes have hit the export of mazut. This is residual oil after refining (in old soviet refineries). When it cools it "waxes-out" and the refinery cannot dispose of its waste. Ukraine has ruined these refineries.
Given NORSI, maybe I should revise that downward to ~60 days.
Unsure if I’m missing something but if Russia really is adopting Euro-2 petrol and diesel en masse with a moderate base of civilian vehicles that cannot tolerate its extended use, I estimate ~120 days until it’s obvious that the wheels have started to “fall off” if you’ll forgive the mixed metaphor.
In case it hasn’t sunk in for anyone out there: Farage was too embarrassed to turn up to the declaration for the by-election *he triggered*. If that doesn't strike you as pathetic, it should do, because it is.
Zelensky is a wartime leader watching his people suffer and die under Russian attacks every day. To be lectured and lied to by Trump and Vance, as they defend the war criminal dictator committing these atrocities, is unimaginable agony. An everlasting shame for America.
Jim Sciutto@jimsciutto.bsky.social · 2y agoTrump has not uttered a critical word about Putin but he and his VP publicly belittled the leader of the nation Putin invaded.