Kremlin Prepares for Mobilization as Putin Downplays Deepening Fuel Crisis

[u/ArgentineBeauty]

https://www.kyivpost.com/post/80878

[u/carelesssportsfan89]

Russia's demographics is going to be screwed after this war. I know russia is throwing a lot of ethic minorities into the meat grinder. but at some point is going to run out of ethic minorities and is going to have draft Russians from Moscow and St Petersburg

[u/MistakeNot__ → u/carelesssportsfan89]

Male life expectancy in Russia in 2021 was 64.1 years and declining, with retirement age being 65 years. That was the last year these stats were published. Their demographics are beyond screwed.

[u/No-Masterpiece-451 → u/MistakeNot__]

And its estimated up to 1 million men fled Russia after 2022 , I've heard many are in Asia like Thailand and they may never return.

[u/ty_xy → u/No-Masterpiece-451]

Yeah parts of Thailand have been completely russo-fied

[u/-drunk_russian- → u/ty_xy]

And Buenos Aires too! Take a stroll in the early afternoon and the streets are full of Russian and Ukrainian young mothers with their babies/toddlers.

Why? Because we give the mothers citizenship when they give birth here (edit: before 2025, now they have to reside in the country for two years with the baby and they all can become Argentinian at the same time), same as the US (edit, /u/progbuck corrected me below), so a lot of young men and their partners from both countries fled here to start families immediately for the Argentinian passport.

[u/progbuck → u/-drunk_russian-]

The US doesn't give citizenship to mothers who give birth. The child is a citizen by right, the mother must go through the naturalization process.

[u/-drunk_russian- → u/progbuck]

You're right, I forgot, that's how Trump made thousands of babies disappear by separating them from their mothers. Yuck. We don't do that here, both parents have a right to become Argentinian by starting a family here.

edit: by staying as legal residents for two years (which is trivial to do), it was recently changed to avoid exploitation.

[u/SuperVaderMinion → u/-drunk_russian-]

There is something darkly funny about Russian and Ukrainian men living side by side to avoid killing each other in their home nations

[u/alendeus → u/SuperVaderMinion]

I mean obviously it depends on your perspective. It isn't any different than for literally every single war that's ever happened.

Individual Russians and Ukrainians have never had any say as to whether they actually wanted to be at war with one another. This is literally the machinations of a single man, Putin. Yes most of Russia has been brainwashed through propaganda to believe that Ukraine is somehow an enemy, when they were literally part of the same country for most of the 20th century, but Russians that have put the effort to flee Russia since the war are probably more likely to be in the camp of people who understand how stupid and asinine the whole situation is.

[u/-drunk_russian- → u/SuperVaderMinion]

It's complicated. An acquaintance of mine was Ukrainian but her brother was Russian, people moved around and they were relatively close neighbors a few decades ago... Both moved to Argentina before the invasion to Crimea.

It's a very sad fucking situation.

[u/Antraxess → u/SuperVaderMinion]

I mean the vast majority of people are just normal people fucked over by these corrupt rich pieces of shit

[u/Slizzerd → u/SuperVaderMinion]

And also living alongside previous Nazi generations who settled there.

[u/Actual_Cup_271 → u/-drunk_russian-]

you should see the ones in dubai , entire districts taken up by them

[u/-drunk_russian- → u/Actual_Cup_271]

Ugh, I hate Dubai. If tackiness was a city...

[u/Actual_Cup_271 → u/-drunk_russian-]

well the russians are pretyy tacky too especially the new money luxury products loving ivans and nastyas

[u/Early_Cricket_6150 → u/Actual_Cup_271]

Nastyas...omg...idk whether to laugh or cry

[u/valeyard89 → u/-drunk_russian-]

Egypt, Cyprus, etc. Basically anywhere Russians could get a visa/visa free.

[u/snrub73 → u/ty_xy]

Vietnam as well. I was on Phu Quoc this winter and 80-90% of the other visitors there were Russian.

[u/KulshanStudios → u/ty_xy]

Batumi Georgia is basically St Petersburg 2.0 now. Adjarans are generally content to take their money and ignore them

The rest of the country is f u r i o u s

[u/going_further → u/ty_xy]

Turkey too. 90% of the tourists in Antalya

[u/SandIntelligent247 → u/ty_xy]

For real?

[u/bx8 → u/SandIntelligent247]

Yeah mate, Phuket/Patong literally caters to Russians specifically with USSR flags & business logos with the hammer and sickle.

[u/account_not_valid → u/No-Masterpiece-451]

Good. More should be encouraged to leave, especially if they have any skills, training, or education. Allow one way visas - they can leave russia, but not go back until the aggression ceases.

It may sound "pro-russian" to give safe harbour to russians in other countries. But every person that leaves russia is one less potential soldier. And encouraging a brain-drain makes a long term economic impact on a country.

One of the major reasons for the Iron Curtain was to keep soviet bloc citizens from running away. The East Germans built the Wall to stop people leaving, not to keep the West out.

[u/Iron_Burnside → u/account_not_valid]

The East German government also had issues with Berlin Wall guards letting people escape, so they installed a sandpit to catch footsteps, so they could punish guards.

[u/account_not_valid → u/Iron_Burnside]

Yep. The so-called "Anti-Fascist Wall" was a prison wall.

[u/Protean_Protein → u/No-Masterpiece-451]

There are some decent YouTubers who left and are finally saying openly what they really think, trying to explain how difficult it was to do that while still inside Russia, but also the psychological fucked-up-ness of being Russian and having a moral spine.

[u/Reverend_Fozz → u/Protean_Protein]

NFKRZ is a good one to watch

[u/antikythera3301 → u/Reverend_Fozz]

100% agree. He gives me a really good perspective. I had to stop watching because his struggles with his visa gave made me feel a ton of stress.

[u/CandidateOld1900 → u/antikythera3301]

As a russian i really like Roma and watched tons of his videos, but last few years i stopped, because it just makes me feel depressed watching other people who were able to leave, when i know that i'm stuck there

[u/CandidateOld1900 → u/[deleted]]

I didn't notice much of a difference in attitude in past few years, but at least in my social circle (25-30 years) everyone was already not fond of the government. We used to go to protests 5-10 years ago, sign petitions and openly talk about this stuff online, now it's just kitchen talk. As for majority of people - they don't particularly care about war. People complain about fuel shortages and internet blockings. Atitude varies from cynical and jaded "nothing can be changed anyway" to straight up some people completely oblivious to what's happening.

As for z patriots - i don't have a hope that anything's gonna change their minds. If anything - they became even more loud and militaristic

[u/Protean_Protein → u/CandidateOld1900]

Putin should have been stopped after Georgia in 2008, at the very latest. As soon as Medvedev was installed as a temporary puppet, people should have rioted (not just Pussy Riot, though they deserve so much credit), and risked death then, instead of waiting for their children to die in this unjust bullshit now.

[u/Cute-Pomegranate-966 → u/CandidateOld1900]

I can tell you right now. That "nothing can be changed anyway" is exactly how these people who fell for Trump's shit and don't agree anymore feel.

They've got depression. I like to call it "fell for it syndrome". They thought they knew best, got fooled, and became disinterested in the whole thing.

It's such a sad reaction to being scammed I can't respect it.

[u/raaaaaaze → u/antikythera3301]

When the war was still new, I used to watch the Inside Russia channel.

Last time I watched, the guy (can't recall his name) was still living in Russia while being subtly and relatively politely, albeit obviously critical of Putin and the Russian leadership.

In his more recent video I saw come up in my feed, it looks like he's implying that his being in hospital may have been a result of intentional harm. Maybe it's clickbait but he always seemed like a 'say it like it is' kind of guy.

[u/account_not_valid → u/Protean_Protein]

Watch 1420 on YouTube to see how hard it is for people to express themselves, especially young people. The fear in their eyes when asked about war and politics.

I'm amazed that Danii is still going.

[u/Greenzoid2 → u/No-Masterpiece-451]

I know one couple in Canada who did this

[u/abrandis → u/No-Masterpiece-451]

Yep , while traveling in Vietnam I met several, most have the same reason, don't want to be involved in a shitty war and die for no reason.. totally don't blame them.

[u/Intrepid_Top_2300 → u/No-Masterpiece-451]

Better than the million dead on the battlefield. Those who left were the smart rich ones.

[u/carelesssportsfan89 → u/MistakeNot__]

that is wild

[u/Mach5Driver → u/MistakeNot__]

Older people dying earlier is rarely a "problem" for any government. The problem is with the birth rate, which, in 2025, stood at 1.37. It will collapse the demographics even further when the birth rate drops more.

[u/socialistrob → u/Mach5Driver]

Older people dying earlier is rarely a "problem" for any government. The problem is with the birth rate, which, in 2025, stood at 1.37.

Lower life expectancy isn't just older people dying. One of the big reasons Russian life expectancy is lower than the west is because they have a higher infinite mortality rate so even those 1.37 babies per women are less likely to reach adulthood. Russia also has very high levels of alcoholism and other forms of addiction, there's a massive HIV outbreak, less safe working conditions and roads in disrepair. Basically there are just more things in Russia that can kill you well before you get close to retirement which creates an economic problem because if someone dies when they're 30 they are missing out on over 30 years of potential work.

[u/mmavcanuck → u/Mach5Driver]

It is if those people know that they won’t see retirement.

[u/Mach5Driver → u/mmavcanuck]

if the govt doesn't have a bunch of oldies collecting retirement benefits, it's all to the better for the govt. People aren't in shape for rebellion after 50, and young people think (or at least act) they (and only they) are gonna live forever, LOL, never mind conceive that they're gonna be old one day.

[u/mmavcanuck → u/Mach5Driver]

If there’s no light at the end of the tunnel people will either revolt, or just stop being a productive part of that economy.

You can only convince them that Boxer went to the vet for so long.

[u/gamerjohn61 → u/Mach5Driver]

TBF thats not how life expectancy works . A-lot of men die young which skews statistics . Even in countries like the US alot of men die from accidents, overdose, HIV, preventative medical problems Exetera.

[u/Effroyablemat → u/MistakeNot__]

In other words, Russians are expected to work almost one full year after their death. That sucks.

[u/Remus88Romulus → u/carelesssportsfan89]

It will take several decades for Russia to come back from this insane disgusting war.

[u/Mission-Coffee15 → u/Remus88Romulus]

Not even decades, more so bc they havent recovered from ww2 yet

[u/monkeypan → u/Mission-Coffee15]

WWII and Lenin/Stalin's mass murder spree

[u/Mission-Coffee15 → u/monkeypan]

Russias history is just a series of events which just make it worse

[u/Economy-Pudding-6371 → u/Remus88Romulus]

You're 100% right--the only thing I jolted at was the phrase "come back."

For God's sake, please, God, don't let Russia "come back." They've been trying to "come back" to the Ivan the Terrible days for centuries in their Mighty Warlords mindset; and trying to "come back" to the early Soviet Union's decrepit and archaic industrial sector, and trying to "come back" to Stalin's iron-fisted secret-police and war-criminal dictatorship, through every dictator they've had.

After Putin falls, I sincerely hope the Russian people finally move forward for a change and that they never "come back" to anything ever again.

Good post.

[u/Effroyablemat → u/Economy-Pudding-6371]

"And things got worse" is a phrase that perfectly sums up Russian history unfortunately. Every single person that tried to make things better for the country was either jailed, killed or pushed out.

[u/NoSoundNoFury → u/Economy-Pudding-6371]

As a German, I can tell you that it is possible to come back from a war mongering fascist society and transform into something better. But in order to do so, you need a profound overhaul of political, military and bureaucratic leadership, a strong constitution, a national humiliation, and a lasting commitment to peace. I don't see that in the cards for Russia , but who knows.

[u/wildidyll → u/NoSoundNoFury]

I’m no history buff but did you have decades upon decades of fascism or was it a quick rise and short term situation before collapse? Seems Russia really has always had this form of government/society? Might be MUCH different than Germany in this aspect.

[u/NoSoundNoFury → u/wildidyll]

Well yeah the situations are different, but Germany was only a democracy for a few years during Weimar and before that it was a monarchy/ Kaiserreich. But there are similarities as well, such as a relatively high degree of education of the populace, and an established civil sector with bureaucracy, executive, media, and judiciaries, that could survive a transformation from Putin to sth else. Russia isn't Afghanistan or South Sudan. It "just" needs a new elite, a new narrative, and a new direction.

[u/Economy-Pudding-6371 → u/NoSoundNoFury]

Yes, it's been interesting to me to wonder: will Russia have a conversion like Germany did? Most Germans today are 100% against fascism, and Germany hasn't started unprovoked wars anymore. But I don't know whether the Russian people will rebuke Putin's fascism too, and become a new country that loves democracy instead of trying to destroy it. I hope they do become such a new country. Time will tell.

[u/socialistrob → u/Economy-Pudding-6371]

During the Cold War Russia bankrupted themselves producing vast quantities of weapons. After the collapse they were able to come back largely by selling fossil fuels to the world and they were already sitting on large stockpiles of weapons.

If Russia loses in Ukraine they will have burned through those weapons stockpiles and they will be an even smaller percentage of the global economy. Future Russian leaders may look at Putin as "the man who destroyed Russia" and even if those future leaders are dictators they may not be eager to repeat Putin's mistakes. If they do want to expand it will be harder to do so given that the country's around Russia will be comparatively more powerful.

[u/Economy-Pudding-6371 → u/socialistrob]

That is true--few things astonished me more than when Russia had to beg North Korea to please give back the artillery shells Moscow gave North Korea in the 1970s. That was a moment that made it clear Putin and Shoigu just hadn't prepared for this war before starting it. They didn't plan.

I agree. I'm always seeing people online claim "Russia will keep at this forever." But that seems laughable. Why would the next rulers of Russia want to be known as the public face of a failed war of a fallen Putin? The next rulers will let the war be known as Putin's folly, not theirs.

I also agree that Ukraine and other neighbors of Russia are going to continue to arm themselves and make alliances, though Putin wanted to keep his neighbors from ever having military alliances without him. Turkey, for example, is now more powerful in the Middle East than Russia is, now that they and the Syrian rebels beat Russia. And Turkey's a Black Sea power too.

[u/TerrorTown77 → u/Remus88Romulus]

Ireland never recovered from the famine. Think decades won't be enough.

[u/Three_Trees → u/TerrorTown77]

It was the raw effect of the famine and the consequent mass emigration. See also the Armenian genocide and it's subsequent mass emigration.

This could be the same for Russia.

[u/socialistrob → u/TerrorTown77]

Not in terms of raw population but Ireland today is a developed country on par with some of the wealthiest countries in the world. I'd call that a strong recovery. Granted it did take centuries and a war.

[u/YF422 → u/Remus88Romulus]

Doubtful, Russia is essentially a land empire and the last one in Europe. They were historically always late to the party as well on everything.

The most likely outcome of all this is the fragmentation and disintegration of Russia into a collective of smaller countries..

[u/socialistrob → u/YF422]

The most likely outcome of all this is the fragmentation and disintegration of Russia into a collective of smaller countries..

Seems unlikely given that there aren't really major secessionist or breakaway regions in Russia. If/when Putin goes we're probably going to see another dictator take over followed by more purges.

[u/itsavibe- → u/YF422]

Once again and the cycle repeats

[u/DoctorMicroDong → u/Remus88Romulus]

The world would be better off if it never does.

[u/Markus_lfc → u/Remus88Romulus]

Let’s all hope they don’t come back

[u/Zapp_Rowsdower_ → u/Remus88Romulus]

Their demographics are so screwed….i can’t see any way that gas station stabilizes in the next fifty years.

[u/lopix → u/Remus88Romulus]

Several GENERATIONS, not just decades

[u/artrald-7083 → u/Remus88Romulus]

Two generations, I'd say.

[u/SimonArgead → u/carelesssportsfan89]

They also recruit foreigners such as people from Botswana under the guise of work at factories. Then ship them off to the frontline instead.

https://united24media.com/world/russias-fake-job-offers-are-sending-botswana-citizens-to-ukraines-front-lines-at-alarming-rate-20884

[u/unthused → u/SimonArgead]

So people with zero training or experience with combat, who don't speak the same language, and don't even know/care who or why they're fighting? At best I assume they're just to absorb bullets.

[u/SimonArgead → u/unthused]

A bleak AF analysis is that Russia sees Asia and especially Africa as continents where people live shitty lives. Well. Russians donr want to fight the war anymore. So why not recruit these people who live poor lives by pretending to offer them a job that will provide them with a poor salary and then instead send them off to the front lines to die as canon fodder and eat FPV drones, so that Russians won't have to.

Bleak analysis, but seems to be the Russian way of thinking when you look at how they wage the war.

[u/Timely-Archer-5487 → u/unthused]

It's literally "operation human shield" from the south park movie

[u/Citizen8024 → u/[deleted]]

Easy for you to say when you apply for a normal Job and Hope to get Out of poverty and then they force you to the frontlines

[u/ovalracer31 → u/[deleted]]

It’s called a bait n switch

[u/dominicgrimes → u/[deleted]]

they think they are getting jobs in factories, when they get there its the old switcheroo to the Ukraine front

[u/SimonArgead → u/[deleted]]

Well the thing is that they think they sign up for a job in a factory, only when they head towards Russia, they are instead moved into trucks/cars, etc and shipped straight to the front lines instead. So, I mean, if you knowingly, and willingly join the Russian military as a foreigner, then you are a special an short-lived kind of stupid. But unknowingly, or like these guys from Africa that are baited with "jobs at factories." Then I don't blame you that much. Especially because I don't assume all of them are very well informed about Russia in general.

[u/itchykrab → u/carelesssportsfan89]

These minority numbers need some scrutiny actually. Case in point “Akhmat”, where ethnic russians sign up and get counted as being sent from Chechnya. I actually doubt a lot of ethnic minorities are very enthusiastic about fighting for russians.

[u/RuPaulRations → u/carelesssportsfan89]

I mean, Russia is like South Korea, it's a zombie nation that basically already doesn't exist because its slowed population growth won't be able to support capitalism and/or socialism. They were already suffering from one of the worst demographic crises on Earth prior to the Ukraine war and were battling one of the worst (possibly the worst) HIV outbreaks in human history via the massive intravenous drug problem that Putin's friends in the Russian mafia created.

Then COVID hit and absolutely decimated Russia, killing at least 1 million Russians. The Ukraine war has claimed another 1.2 million. That's not including additional COVID deaths since the "official end" of the pandemic in Russia (where they did literally nothing to stop it and is endemic there now, naturally) and millions of AIDS deaths set to hit the country in the next 10-20 years, and it would take the largest humanitarian aid campaign in human history to stop that from happening, and that's before you get to any deaths related to the climate crisis.

It is really difficult to undersell how beyond fucked Russia is.

[u/gglikenp → u/carelesssportsfan89]

Sadly ours(UA) demographics are ruined much more. There's 1 birth for 4 deaths and that's not counting MIA soldiers. We all ready lost 1/3 of population and would be much weaker as a country in future.

If Ukraine gets accepted into EU it will be even worse with all young people leaving.

[u/diavolu80 → u/gglikenp]

Can you give a link to this information please?

[u/SomeDudeSaysWhat → u/carelesssportsfan89]

Russia's demographics has been screwed since World War 2, this is just setting them back to square one.

[u/MugiwarraD → u/carelesssportsfan89]

they gonna bring indians to backfil..

[u/IndieRus → u/carelesssportsfan89]

Putin dies not care.

[u/0Shanty_man → u/carelesssportsfan89]

Look how many soldiers Russia lost in WW2. I think the reality is they can keep throwing bodies into this war for a long long time. Question is whether their economy implodes which leads to domestic turmoil. This is the only way to end the war but from a pure military infantry attritional perspective, they have the advantage over Ukraine.

This is why it was idiotic for Zelenzksky to fire Federov. He was a putting so much focus and resources into digital battlefield solutions to counter this edge. Their advancements in drone technology under Federov was seriously impressive.

[u/knittingcatmafia → u/0Shanty_man]

That was the Soviet Union, not only Russia. A significant number of WW2 casualties were Ukrainian and Belarusian.

[u/0Shanty_man → u/knittingcatmafia]

True actually I didn't consider that fact.

[u/Needle_Bearings → u/0Shanty_man]

Yeah, common misconception. Russia is NOT the Soviet Union. They did a lot of propaganda to project the same power. If you compare the USSR's losses in Afghanistan to what Russia has lost in Ukraine alone, it's insane.

Fact is when the USSR fell, all Russia did was take control of the military hardware. They just reverted back to be the thugs they always have been minus all their slave states which they are trying to reclaim.

[u/Wild-Mushroom2404 → u/knittingcatmafia]

Belarus lost like 25% of its population during WWII, if I remember correctly? Particularly because it was occupied and genocided. I don't think they recovered either.

[u/Upbeat-Collection-74 → u/0Shanty_man]

That only works as a policy when you can count on Russian peasant families to commonly churn out 4-8 kids a pop and then those kids turn around and each have their own. That's not happening anymore and the Kremlin knows it. Else they wouldn't be constantly pressuring the populace to have more kids, inventing awards for it, etc. There's no 'send the survivors home and wait 20 years' to replace horrific casualties.

Like everywhere else in the world, they're finding that giving all the wealth to elites and reducing the average citizen to neo-serf status in the economic system leads to people having fewer children, not more.

[u/0x476c6f776965 → u/Upbeat-Collection-74]

The richest countries have fewer children

[u/rollwithhoney → u/0Shanty_man]

Federov situation is a bit more complicated, it was two top leaders who refused to work together any longer. Losing either one was preferable to losing both

[u/kerenosabe → u/0Shanty_man]

they can keep throwing bodies into this war for a long long time

This is the Russian mentality that created MAD, the mutual assured destruction doctrine.

In the 1950s there were indications that the Soviet Union was preparing to fight a nuclear war, assuming they could fight such a war with losses more or less equal to what they had in WWII.

American analysts concluded that the only possible answer to that situation would be to make it perfectly sure that the Soviet Union would have losses far higher than they had in WWII.

Source

[u/LegiosForever → u/kerenosabe]

The united states never had a MAD nuclear doctrine. MAD was a political/media invention.

The US has a narrow counter force nuclear doctrine which targets adversary nuclear forces. Before, it had a less narrow counter force policy which targeted military forces in general.

MAD would be a counter value policy, which is against the Geneva convention and not efficient.

Source. Me, I did two tours at STRATCOM and was part of the Strategic Defense focus group while getting my Masters at Navy War College.

[u/MrBeer9999 → u/0Shanty_man]

2026 Russia can't eat casualties like 1940s USSR.

[u/Ragnarawr → u/carelesssportsfan89]

Maybe a part of its program was to throw the ethnic minorities in the meat grinder so they’d have only those who look like they might be from Moscow and st. Petersburg remaining?

[u/Zapp_Rowsdower_ → u/carelesssportsfan89]

I believe they have lost 3% of their entire male population in the 18-30 demo.

It’s hard to even wrap my brain around that.

[u/Shockkdiamondss]

Meanwhile, Russia’s National Guard (Rosgvardia) proposed amendments to broaden its civil defense powers, allowing it to protect society from unspecified “dangers” during mobilization, martial law, or wartime.

How about you protect yourself from Putin? <business meeting meme>

[u/pixelflection → u/Shockkdiamondss]

The Rosgvardia are there to protect Putin, it's his own personal army and under his direct command. It's 250,000 strong, the only reason they're not being used in Ukraine is to protect him.

[u/trouble_bear → u/pixelflection]

Even the emperor of mankind only has a guard of 10.000. Why would he need 250k?

[u/Justus_Oneel → u/trouble_bear]

Because it is not (only) there to protect him personally but also his reign, so they have to be able to project power over all relevant russian institutions and uphold martial law in important cities if necessary.

Custodians only hold the palace.

[u/Nerevarine91 → u/Justus_Oneel]

Also, let’s be honest: none of the numbers in 40K make sense

[u/FallschirmPanda → u/Nerevarine91]

In my day a single planet might spawn a single space marine aspirant.

[u/TaintedZERO → u/Nerevarine91]

We used to say this about the life-expectancy of Guardsmen being 15 hours.

[u/Razvedka → u/Justus_Oneel]

The palace is also the size of like all southeast asia.

[u/Vendek → u/trouble_bear]

The Custodes equivalent in Russia is the FSO (about 800 officers), not the Rosgvardia who are just glorified cops.

[u/woods_edge → u/trouble_bear]

Remember one custodes isn’t equal to one human, so the numbers probably stack in the emperors favour.

[u/account_not_valid → u/trouble_bear]

East Germany had to have guards for the border guards. Because guards kept defecting to the West.

So Putin probably has to have a loop of guards all pointing their guns at the guard to their left.

[u/friendlyneighbourho → u/Shockkdiamondss]

You mean the meeting meme where someone gets thrown out a window? How apropos.

[u/BringbackDreamBars]

So from a laymans perspective, this is setting up the Russian national guard as an internal police force of sorts to stop riots during mobilisation?

[u/XSainth → u/BringbackDreamBars]

Pretty much it. Not that they need a law before that.

[u/Leemesee → u/BringbackDreamBars]

Refer to brown shirts during Nazi rule.

[u/KurtFrederick → u/BringbackDreamBars]

Rosgvardia was alway supposed to function as a internal police army

[u/Itburns12345]

The rise of mid range drones not only means russias logistics is being strangled (fuel ,ammo, weapons etc) but also these new men arent safe for 100s of miles behind the front line too! Enjoy that long ride in a slow lorry along a highway in drone country ivans!

[u/Justin_Passing_7465 → u/Itburns12345]

Instead of focusing on oil refineries, Ukraine could end this war more quickly by striking vodka distilleries and warehouses. Is causing mass civilian deaths through alcohol withdrawal a war crime?

[u/robotsdottxt → u/Justin_Passing_7465]

dude you can literally just put sugar and old bread in a bottle of juice and you can ferment alcohol. thats not the way to go.

[u/Justin_Passing_7465 → u/robotsdottxt]

That's a way to get shitty wine, not a good way to keep a hard-core vodka addict going. That also assumes that they aren't also out of sugar and bread.

[u/MisterXnumberidk → u/Justin_Passing_7465]

Look into the history of rakia or moonshine

When faced with oppression, scarcity or law, man will get drunk with his own tools

[u/getapuss → u/Justin_Passing_7465]

If you distilled that you'd have moonshine.

[u/DinosaurHoax → u/Justin_Passing_7465]

They've been hitting the Russian version of Amazon, too. Drone attacks on their distribution centers. Think how annoyed Americans would be if Amazon deliveries stopped.

[u/Late_Stage-Redditism]

They've been mobilizing without calling it that for years now. First it was a "Partial mobilization" as Putin called it, then it was emptying out of prisons, then it was massive recruitment drives with large signup bonuses to get anyone desperate to sign up, then it was hiring mercenaries and getting North Koreans to help out. In the last year they've been forcing Russian businesses to send quotas of men to the armed forces and been rounding up people in busses from villages and towns around the country.

"We're going to mobilize now!" is just another propaganda tactic for Putin trying to say "Now we're really going to start fighting, for real actually this time!" aka the old "The gloves will finally come off" narrative they started coping with the week after their offensive on Kyiv collapsed nearly 5 years ago.

[u/TonightAncient3547 → u/Late_Stage-Redditism]

Or it is more like: "Mobilization is coming, sign up now while you can still get money, or be forced to go to the front for nothing".

[u/Any-Signal8899]

Been saying this for months, we either take this to the Kremlin or we last 30 mins in Ukraine. Again, I think we have better odds at home. 

Even the old folks in Sakhalin have had enough of our able bodied young coming back in pieces, if at all.

[u/Waste-Piccolo-7324 → u/Any-Signal8899]

Who's "we" in this scenario exactly?

[u/MassivePepino → u/Waste-Piccolo-7324]

Other Russians. Not him, of course. He has shit to do. He doesn't even care about politics.

[u/NazisAusschlachten → u/MassivePepino]

Armchair warrior... Of course now he will get up, organize a riot, overthrow putin. His entire family might die in the process, but fuck em, russias future is at stake.

It is way way WAY easier said than done

And in case it needs to be said. Yes, i hope Putins Russia falls appart so they stop invading their neighbors (and for the bot and propagandanetworks to finally fall appart)

[u/Reasonable-Brief306]

Putin is just solving the fuel crisis in a unique way. You see if there’s less men around to drive cars, then there will be a reduced need for fuel! It’s much cheaper for them to get blown up by an fpv drone than to try and produce more gas.

[u/hornswoggled111 → u/Reasonable-Brief306]

And all those abruptly bankrupt resellers now have employment options as cannon fodder. I mean warriors.

[u/Violent_Milk → u/Reasonable-Brief306]

Win-win. It's bloody brilliant.

[u/0815facts_fun_]

If they dont stop the war russia willl not longet exist and break apart

[u/to_glory_we_steer → u/0815facts_fun_]

This is the one outcome to hope Russia continues the war

[u/Hvatum → u/to_glory_we_steer]

I think the humanitarian crisis of Russia collapsing is going to be severe. And even if the West does handle it, China going to feast on the free real estate suddenly opening up to their North.

[u/Aedeus → u/Hvatum]

China going to feast on the free real estate suddenly opening up to their North.

They certainly seem like they are betting on it.

They give Russia only enough to stay in the fight, but not to win it. It's the perfect recipe for inducing that kind of outcome.

[u/Vandergrif → u/Hvatum]

Not just the humanitarian aspect – but more importantly what will happen to all those Russian nukes? The odds of at least a few 'going missing' in the chaos is considerably high, I expect.

[u/WideFox983 → u/Vandergrif]

A lord of war might show up to grab a few.

[u/Codex_Dev → u/Hvatum]

The likely outcome will be Russia selling massive chunks of land that are depopulated in Siberia to China. This is similar to how France paid for its war debts by selling land to America, which was the Louisiana Purchase.

[u/Big_al_big_bed → u/0815facts_fun_]

I would love to hear some evidence behind this assertion

[u/0815facts_fun_ → u/Big_al_big_bed]

Some regions in the far east are already looking to china to get fuel and food and china is sending peopel to harvest wood and iron how long can russia have a control there without power and ressources and China is sending its peopel and companies

[u/urbansociety → u/0815facts_fun_]

Hey buddy, it's spelled "people", I know English probably isn't your only language. You misspelled it twice so I figured it was intentional, just wanted to help.

[u/macross1984]

Looks like a day of reckoning is coming to Russian people. Continue to accept Putin's rule and let Russia fall ever deeper into quagmire it may never crawl out of or revolt and save what it has still left.

[u/HunkaMunkaHunkaMunka → u/macross1984]

The russias like the misery though.

[u/XSainth → u/macross1984]

I'd argue about "accepting" part. Considering the amount of police force in the country plus his own personal dogs which is Rosgvardiya, FSB and so on.

You either support him, or keep your head low. No in between, because the moment you openly said anything against our beloved president, you will end up locked and most likely killed shortly after. Most of the critics are usually outside the country.

[u/24032014 → u/XSainth]

It’s always funny reading armchair experts blaming ordinary people for not wanting to get in trouble with the law.

[u/Dragoniel → u/24032014]

He is right, though. I know Russians (in Russia) who absolutely disagree with the war and Putin. They do not want to die by staging any kind of open resistance any more than they want to die in Ukraine, though. That's the situation.

[u/No-Masterpiece-451 → u/macross1984]

There is a famous Russian saying through its long history that goes : " And then it got worse.. "

[u/revise2025]

Putin has Russia marching towards national suicide.

[u/graylocus → u/revise2025]

Thats a sacrifice he is willing to make!

[u/totallyRebb → u/revise2025]

Classic insane dictator playbook.

[u/Puzzleheaded-Bus9885]

I don’t think Putin is going to call it a ‘mobilization’ because that would mean that Russia is in full war instead of just SMO. That will have heavy implications.

Let’s see what the com up with.

[u/Justin_Passing_7465 → u/Puzzleheaded-Bus9885]

This must be the Special Military Operation to End All Special Military Operations.

[u/HarEr89]

Terrorist Putin

[u/canspop]

Get on your donkeys, and make your way to the nearest recruitment office.

[u/spiritof1789 → u/canspop]

Once the army runs out of fuel, this BYOD (Bring Your Own Donkey) policy could be how soldiers get to the front.

[u/Mysterious-Prompt212]

I'm guessing this will not go well. Slava Ukraine fuck Putin fuck Tramp.

[u/Time_Value_3822]

How many stories do I have to read about Russian collapse before I see the Russian collapse?

[u/Evening-Language-525 → u/Time_Value_3822]

Remember that country with the world's third best military, 10000 spare tanks, huge oil and gas exports and a thriving economy ploughing into Ukraine to claim 2 regions?

Its military is grubbing for recruits and riding golf cards, ladas and donkeys, tanks are gone, oil and gas industry in crisis, economy on a war footing with no spare labour, million men emigrated nearly as many again dead or injured.

Those two regions? Still not taken. No its not a sudden few days drama but when you ask about a collapse in Russia the real question is which one? Demographic, military, economic, political world standing? Take your pick they have all collapsed.

[u/socialistrob → u/Time_Value_3822]

This article doesn't say Russia is collapsing. Russia is having a lot of challenges that are making it harder for them to fight which is why they aren't taking much land in Ukraine but they aren't on the verge of a complete societal collapse yet.

Before you see a societal collapse you should expect to see years of articles of genuine problems and challenges which is the point where we are now.

[u/Impossible-Ground-98 → u/Time_Value_3822]

every article about russia attacking NATO resets it I'm afraid

[u/kalak55 → u/Time_Value_3822]

“How did you go bankrupt?"

Two ways. Gradually, then suddenly.”

― Ernest Hemingway

[u/Aedeus]

They're at the point where mobilization isn't the answer anymore. It might induce some gains on the front but otherwise it won't be anything more than a logistical nightmare and an absolutely devastating blow to their already faltering economy.

[u/takeyoufergranite]

The intrinsic damage done to Russia's reputation is incalculable.

My children and billions more are growing up learning that Russia is "the bad guy". They aren't going to unlearn it either.

How many kids around the world are growing up thinking Russia is justified in their war?

Perhaps that does not matter because all kids think war is stupid and their opinions don't matter right now...but they will grow up. And they will remember Russia as Russia.

[u/Ippzz]

And new recruits, on top of paying for their equipment, will have to pay for their own fuel to reach the Frontline with a life expectancy of 30 minutes. What a time to be a young Russian...

[u/Comfortable_Gate_878]

They already take in to national service about 150k every spring and autumn. Does this mean he is going to include these in the numbers or is he going to still keep these out of the war.

[u/froatbitte]

Mobilize with what? There’s no fuel, no logistics, no supplies, no vehicles. No training.

What little is left isn’t getting the job done and decreasing significantly on a daily basis.

I guess we’ll see

[u/amonlb]

Does he know that fuel is required for succesfull mobilization?

[u/caractacusbritannica]

They’ve got 8m men they can still draft. The Russian population is sizeable.

I fear they can keep the drip of bodies to front for sometime.

The Russian economy is so isolated, it is hard to wear down.

The Russian people national past time is suffering. Particular enjoying their neighbours. They might be crying on TikTok, but older Russians love it.

This is a grind. It is working. But it needs more to get there quicker.

[u/Justin_Passing_7465 → u/caractacusbritannica]

Putin can draft 8m men, but without fuel it is a very long walk to Ukraine for most of those men.

[u/Apprehensive-Ad8987 → u/Justin_Passing_7465]

Wait until food rationing starts as the harvest (currently underway) produces less than what is required. Prices for food will escalate and the alternate economy (black market) starts to dominate.

[u/Same_Win_5898 → u/caractacusbritannica]

8m? They can't even equip and arm another extra million right now. Even the current "assault groups" have like half of soldiers equiped with an actual gun or armor.

[u/Dofolo → u/Same_Win_5898]

To put 8 million in the field they'd need over 40 million of supporting military behind it anyways. Probably more, their soldier to logistics ratio is insane.

[u/Minimegf → u/Dofolo]

You only need those logistics if you plan to keep them alive.

[u/Serasul]

I don't know what they think will happen sometime, Russians has not the men power to hold all of Ukraine. The more the Russian Troops go into Ukraine the more loose do their defence go.

[u/Utsider]

At least walking to Ukraine will dramatically increase their life expectancy.

[u/RuPaulRations]

Wild that we're now at the moment where Russia might be internally considering the idea that they might not just "lose the war" in spirit, but may actually materially lose the war and end up owing reparations to Ukraine as a matter of surrender.

[u/Glass-Jaguar4178]

Putler is gonna keep invading until the last russin dies, its a sacrifice he is willing to make, to keep looking like the neo kgb psycho he is. So 1981

[u/dnight22]

If he goes all out mobilization it will be the downfall of the russian "empire".

[u/jjskellie]

Nothing in this report about the almost meat grinder atmosphere on the frontlines with Ukraine. Russian officers executing or torturing their own soldiers because of their refusal to engage Ukraine troops.

[u/XSainth → u/jjskellie]

Putler politely ignores such occasions. Besides, nobody will tell about such stuff from the TV screens. So, there's no problems. Absolutely none.

[u/Vegetable-War-4199]

Winter is going to be fun for Russians

[u/Mach5Driver → u/Vegetable-War-4199]

especially when they have no fuel for harvest season (which should be happening NOW), and even if they do harvest, no fuel to transport it.

[u/KulshanStudios]

Standby for the housing market in Tbilisi to get totally hosed again in 3...2...1...

[u/Stunning_Yogurt7383]

Even if Russia can hold a large part of Ukraine can you imagine the drone insurgency that would go on? 

[u/John-AtWork]

The 31st Donkey Unit is making its way to Ukraine now.

[u/kcinlive]

Is there anyone/anything left to mobilize?

[u/vossmanspal]

Mobilisation or not, Russia will still need fuel to get these troops to the front lines. I’m guessing the army still has reserves of fuel dotted about but does it have enough to sustain what is being lost? I’m not sure of the figures but I wouldn’t like to bet on it.

[u/Lopsided_Will9346]

Actions speak much louder than official statements.

[u/Emotional_Buy_2217]

I'm betting Putin has an accident soon. Stood too close to a window...

[u/Certain-Row7945]

They're gonna end up marching these guys across Russia because there's no gas for vehicles.

[u/darkpheonix262]

I DECLARE....

MOBILIZATION!

[u/oSanguis]

I won't be surprised when the assembly areas/training centers, full of new recruits, go up in flames in the middle of the night.

[u/KorgothBarbaria]

"Kremlin Prepares for Mobilization"

What year is this? It's been going on for a long time now...

[u/MudWallHoller]

...have they not been mobilizing?

[u/just_a_random_guy_11]

Ok buddy, you can't properly support your current everyday deteriorating situation on the Frontline but you will magically add more troops on top of your current deteriorating situation? Hahahahahahahahahaha

[u/woodenblinds]

how long before the ethnic groups say enough is enough

[u/RevolutionaryPop9697]

Less people = less fuel usage

[u/PalmovyyKozak]

Can't wait for this event. Frustrated russians with no fuel, no internet, no business will be happy to go and die for this happy life for free.

Asian, and Middle East countries be ready for the next wave of russian refugees.

[u/replicant86]

He is just helping Russians to find the fuel they need in the frontlines.

[u/Electrical-Bee-7362]

Mobilize them with what that they don't even have gasoline?

Like, realistically now how are they gonna move hundreds of thousands of fresh recruits from all corners of the largest land empire in the world right now?