It’s baffling why Trump and European leaders fail to see the obvious—Putin has no real army, no weapons, no military industry, and no capacity to mass-produce arms without Western components. In fact, Russia lacks any substantial industry. Everything, from printer paper to high-tech machinery, has always been imported.

Even before the invasion of Ukraine, Russia’s military was the butt of jokes. Online Russian-speaking forums were always filled with stories about corrupt officers and commanders stealing anything that wasn’t nailed down. The army was ridiculed for its incompetence, bureaucracy, and its ranks filled with aging officers clinging to outdated ideas.

Sanctions have significantly limited Russia’s ability to produce arms domestically, forcing the country to rely heavily on foreign suppliers for drones, missiles, and ammunition, particularly from countries like Iran, North Korea, and China.

Russia has turned to old stockpiles of Soviet-era weapons and repurposed outdated military systems due to the collapse of its modern production capabilities, especially since many of the weapons and components it produced over the last 20 years relied on imported Western technology, which is now inaccessible due to sanctions.

Even Ukraine, despite the war, has managed to develop its own drone production. Meanwhile, Russia is still buying drones from sanctioned Iran and relying on North Korea for ammunition and soldiers. But now, even North Korea’s supply is running thin. What’s next? Will Putin resort to buying more North Korean soldiers? The situation is nothing short of humiliating.

Russian soldiers have been widely reported looting in Ukraine, taking anything of value from homes, stores, and even civilian vehicles. They have stolen electronics, personal items, food, and even medical supplies.

In some cases, they have been caught on video brazenly looting and selling stolen goods. This looting, often accompanied by acts of violence, is part of the broader pattern of misconduct and lawlessness that has characterized the Russian military’s presence in Ukraine.

Russian looters in Ukraine

Russian looter with a stolen TV

Russian generals are not only mobilizing criminals with the promise of a pardon but also sending wounded and concussed soldiers back to the front lines—some on crutches, others suffering from HIV, hepatitis, or severe mental disorders. Unstable and unpredictable, these soldiers could turn their weapons on their own troops at any moment.

Is this really the so-called ‘second strongest army in the world,’ a title the Russian military has long been considered to hold? Soldiers in slippers, with wooden inserts instead of Kevlar in their body armor, armed with rusty rifles, and looting in Ukraine?

Many mobilized soldiers are forced to buy their own gear, only for it to be confiscated by their own commanders. These commanders extort soldiers at every turn—demanding bribes to avoid being sent to certain death, to secure a transfer to a hospital, or sometimes for no reason at all.

Russian soldiers abuse their own, forcing them to sit naked in dugout pits for days, subjecting them to beatings and sexual violence, and handcuffing them without food or water for 24 hours or more.

Ramzan Kadyrov and the commander of the “TikTok” army, Apti Alaudinov

The only well-equipped units in the Russian army are the so-called ‘TikTok troops’ of Ramzan Kadyrov. Their primary role is not to fight but to act as a barrier, preventing anyone from retreating from the front lines. They don’t engage in real battles; instead, they film staged videos for TikTok, pretending to storm abandoned houses and buildings.

Apti Alaudinov, one of Kadyrov’s top commanders, often speaks about the so-called bravery of his “TikTok troops,” but his statements are nothing short of absurd. His men are busy staging dramatic videos, pretending to storm abandoned buildings for social media clout.

It’s laughable to hear Alaudinov praise their “heroism.” His speeches, full of grand declarations, sound more like desperate attempts to justify their existence rather than an actual testament to military prowess. True bravery isn’t measured in TikTok views.

The reality? These so-called warriors serve as enforcers, making sure no Russian soldier dares retreat—because if they do, they’ll be shot.  There have also been multiple reports of Kadyrov’s men raping Russian soldiers.

Complaints about these incidents are ignored by Russian command, leading some victims to take their own lives. Meanwhile, Kadyrov’s troops continue making TikTok videos, racking up views.

Russian military handed over a stolen Chanel handbag to Russian singer Chicherina

What happened to all those ‘mighty’ tanks Putin boasted about? From the start of the war, captured Russian soldiers repeatedly told the same story—how their tanks broke down, got stuck in the mud, or simply stopped working.

In a typical convoy of ten tanks, six or seven would fail before reaching their destination. Even during Russia’s Victory Day parade in May 2024, tanks were almost completely absent. If Russia can’t even showcase tanks for a parade, what does that say about its true military strength?

So, where is all the money that was supposed to fund the military? Stolen. Instead of investing in industry, infrastructure, medicine, and science, Russia’s elites spent billions on palaces, villas, yachts, and luxury properties around the world.

History has a sense of irony. In 1917, after the Russian Revolution, the aristocracy fled, abandoning their wealth. Learning from that, Putin’s inner circle preemptively moved their assets abroad, preparing to escape if necessary. But now, the tables have turned—they are trapped in Russia while their wealth is frozen under sanctions.

The logical step would be to confiscate these frozen assets and use them to fund military aid for Ukraine. What could be simpler? But the West, bound by its legal frameworks and an almost obsessive commitment to due process, hesitates.

Meanwhile, Putin tightens his grip on Russia, jailing elderly people, women, and even teenagers for the most trivial dissent. People receive prison sentences of 5 to 10 years for something as minor as liking an anti-war comment online or holding up a blank piece of paper in protest. The country is ruled by informants, where even private conversations can lead to arrest.

The increasingly bitter population reports on each other—colleagues at work, neighbors, relatives, even parents and their own children. Teachers report students for their drawings, anti-war comments, or simply for having blue-and-yellow profile pictures on social media.

The father of a 13-year-old girl was sentenced to two years in prison because of her drawing. The school principal reported it after being tipped off by a teacher. The drawing – featuring the phrases “No to war” and “Glory to Ukraine”, by Alexei Moskalev’s daughter Masha – was reported to the police in 2022.

Pediatrician Nadezhda Buyanova sentenced to 5.5 years in prison

Another example is the case of a 69-year-old pediatrician sentenced to 5.5 years in prison. Her crime? Someone reported her for saying that a Russian soldier was a legitimate target for the Ukrainian army.

These are real facts. Real prison sentences. And this is the 21st century.

What is the purpose of these arrests? Are these political prisoners meant to be used as bargaining chips for Putin to trade for Russian criminals caught in the West? And how many have been tortured or killed in Russian prisons over the past three years? The West knows about Navalny, but he is not the only one.

Are Western leaders incapable of hiring translators to comb through Russian forums and social media to grasp the full extent of the situation? The level of brainwashing among Russians is staggering. Their hatred for the West, their insults toward Europeans and Americans, and their delusions of grandeur are terrifying. They believe they are destined to ‘dominate’ the world, yet they smuggle iPhones and gadgets through gray-market imports.

Propagandists openly call for the extermination of all Ukrainians. Russian state TV runs non-stop propaganda, filled with open threats—promises to sink Britain, erase Europe, and reabsorb the Baltic states into a new USSR. It’s absurd, yet millions believe it.

Former murderers and rapists who miraculously survived the war and were granted their freedom are now celebrated as heroes of Russia. They visit schools, telling children that the best path after graduation is not university but a military career. Weapons, shrapnel, and other ‘war trophies’ are now even brought into kindergartens, where patriotic lessons have become a mandatory part of the curriculum.

They buy into grotesque conspiracy theories: that Ukrainian children are being sold for organs in Europe, that U.S.-backed bio-labs are creating super-soldiers, that demons control Ukraine. And the brainwashing gets worse every day.

For two years now, Russian schools have forced students to attend propaganda lessons, drilling into them the idea that the entire world is against Russia. Textbooks have been rewritten to reflect this delusional narrative.

And what is Europe doing? Paralyzed by fear of ‘escalation.’ Meanwhile, the American president is preoccupied with profits and deals—afraid that Russia might loot everything without him.

Instead of isolating a rogue state filled with people indoctrinated to hate the world, Europe hesitates. Meanwhile, Trump talks about making deals with Putin, pulling him out of isolation, and giving him the resources to rebuild his war machine. In five years, a new generation of even more radicalized, angry Russians will be ready to fight—not for money, but for ideology.

The West still has a choice. But time is running out.

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