Drax Fella

Rep. Jim Himes: We're giving Iranians billions of $ by letting them sell oil to China, which they use to buy drones from Russia. And, we're allowing Russia to sell oil so they can fund attacks against Ukraine and our own troops. You couldn't make this up in a Hollywood script.

Russian "Z-war correspondents" are starting to lose their cool. They're already lashing out at each other during live broadcasts. The "SMO" is going according to plan...

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, on behalf of Donald Trump, expressed regret that the Saudi authorities signed defense agreements with Ukraine without consulting the United States, which had been Saudi Arabia’s main ally. In response, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman noted that the U.S. had failed to fully protect the Kingdom from Iranian strikes, and therefore Saudi Arabia made a decision that could quickly strengthen its defense capabilities. The Crown Prince also stated that his country will continue to be guided by its own national interests when making decisions regarding its defense. This was a slap in the face to Trump from Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in response to Trump’s crude and scandalous public statement that “…now let the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia kiss my ass and be polite to me from now on.” Thus, Trump’s reckless and irresponsible remarks have effectively put U.S.–Saudi relations on pause. The Saudi Crown Prince proved to be more diplomatic than the American president and, notably, did not respond to Rubio by saying that Trump should “kiss my ass” and behave politely toward him in the future 😉

I’m not buying the explanation that Russia’s internet lockdown is just an "anti-drone measure." Yes, there is an anti-drone logic behind it, but it seems much more like part of a stricter mobilization model: first, the state suppresses communications and limits access to keep people within a controlled digital environment, and only afterward will it conduct a new wave of mobilization with less chaos and less room for resistance. Russia is preparing for a larger war and a broader mobilization. For the process to go smoothly, the regime needs to reduce information leaks, make summonses digital and unavoidable, and narrow the space for evasion and escape. That’s why Russia has already launched electronic summonses - to make it harder for men to avoid conscription. We don’t know exactly where the Kremlin will deploy the next wave of cannon fodder. But we do know that Putin is already expanding the army to 1.5 million active personnel, and the Kremlin has openly justified this by citing threats on the Western flank and the need to create new structures in the northwest. Analysts have noted that Russia cannot start a second war without withdrawing forces from Ukraine. However, for a limited local operation - for example, in the Baltic region - Russia might need roughly 60-90 thousand troops for a second theater. Not "another Ukraine." Not hundreds of thousands in the first wave. Just 60-90 thousand, if they are supported with drones, artillery, air defense, electronic warfare, engineers, and a functional command structure. For a wider multi-vector operation - around 100-140 thousand. So, for a localized crisis, Russia doesn’t need "a second army like in Ukraine." It needs a second strike package sufficient to break the first hours of defense. It’s important not to measure Russia with the old yardstick - number of divisions, tanks, or conventional mass. Russia can enter differently: fewer people, more drones, electronic warfare, long-range fire, mining, and targeted suppression of command. Estonian intelligence reports directly that Russia is deploying a new branch of unmanned forces, expecting around 190 battalions of unmanned systems. The Baltic Fleet already has a regiment of unmanned naval strike systems. Meanwhile, production of large-caliber ammunition has increased more than 17-fold since 2021. This is preparation for the next war while the current one continues. To field such a second strike package without reducing pressure on Ukraine, Russia, in my view, would need a new mobilization wave of roughly 180-250 thousand people. In a stronger scenario - 250-350 thousand. That’s why digital control over society is so important for the Kremlin: it makes a new mobilization more manageable. These are estimates, but if the Kremlin launches a strict mobilization model and a new wave of conscription, it could achieve early operational readiness for a local operation in 12-18 months, reach a plateau of sufficient readiness in 18-24 months, and achieve more sustainable capacity in 30-36 months. This is much faster than the reassuring "6-10 years" Europe often cites for preparation, because "6-10 years" refers to a large war with NATO, not a short, high-intensity shock. Russia’s ability to rapidly form new structures is already evident - for example, the 44th Army Corps was built in 7-8 months. Finally, the war in Iran drastically lowers the cost of a major war for the Kremlin and brings it closer. Russia is the main beneficiary of chaos in the Middle East: Brent is around $103 versus the $59 per Urals assumed in the Russian budget. Cuts to expenditures of 10% can be postponed. Moreover, as The Independent notes, the oil price surge effectively breaks the logic of exhausting the Russian budget: an extra $6-10 billion in less than a month already covers the estimated $6.6 billion monthly cost of compensations and recruitment replacements. So, as of now, war is becoming cheaper for Moscow, and new escalation is closer than ever.

Mobile internet in Russia is becoming increasingly restricted. This is happening even in major cities - Moscow and Saint Petersburg. Social media platforms are being shut down, and Telegram is being slowed. Russians are being pushed onto the state-controlled platform MAX, which is under full government control. Why is the Kremlin lowering an iron curtain now? There are no mass protests, the opposition is silent, and everything remains strictly controlled. One possible reason why Russia is now building a digital concentration camp and restricting the internet is a future mobilization. Through the war in Iran, Russia has received extra oil revenue and feels more confident. But it understands that this situation may change. Russia also has no significant successes on the front. Each month, Ukrainians continue to kill increasing numbers of Russian soldiers. To replenish cannon fodder, it is highly likely that Putin may take the unpopular decision to start a mobilization. As a result, emigration sentiments are already increasing in Russia, because Russians have a fair sense that the iron curtain will be lowered completely. Europe must be extremely vigilant and strengthen border controls, as many Wagner mercenaries, FSB agents, and sleeper cells may attempt to enter. And in general, this rule always applies: the more oil money Russia has, the more it wants to wage war. 📹: Russians are making comical Reels about the lack of internet.

“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” Winston Churchill The combat losses of the enemy from February 24, 2022 to March 29, 2026.