Putin is now experiencing the sheer panic of defeat.

The last week has seen Ukraine's "drone army" attack and destroy arms depots critical for Putin's continued bombardment of Ukraine's civilian population and critical winter infrastructure.

As Ciaran McGrath reports,

"Russia’s ability to wage war - and repel occupying Ukrainian troops in Kursk - has almost certainly been badly compromised by a drone attack on an strategically crucial ammunition depot, a UK Ministry of Defence bulletin has claimed.
...
The MoD said: "This depot is a storage site of the 107th Arsenal of the Russian Main Missile and Artillery Directorate and almost certainly housed munitions varying calibres for frontline use, as well as missiles and glide bombs used by nearby airfields.

"Ammunition procured from North Korea was also reportedly stored here." 

...
Renovated in 2018, it is one of Russia's largest strategic ammunition depots directly supporting its operation in Ukraine, storing more than 30,000 tonnes of ordnance, the MoD statement continued.

"The explosion at Toropets was recorded at 2.7 on the Richter scale, equivalent to a mild earthquake, with fires covering a 6km-wide area. " (Express: 21 September 2024) (my emphasis)

Irish Examiner on Microsoft Start: 21 September 2024

 Max Hunder (left) and Tom Balmforth (right) also report that,

"Ukraine said on Saturday it had hit two Russian munition depots overnight, in attacks that illustrated its growing capability to strike targets deep inside Russia.
Russian officials acknowledged the Ukrainian attack on one of the depots in southern Krasnodar region, saying it was carried out with drones. They introduced local emergency measures to mitigate the effects of the assault.

A statement by Ukraine's military general staff said the munitions depots were at Tikhoretsk in Krasnodar region and Oktyabrsky in the western region of Tver." (Reuters: 21 September 2024) (my emphasis)

As was to be expected, in retaliation, Putin's "forever" use of the nuclear option was once again paraded on the international political scene.

That Soviet dyed-in the wool Russian foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov (left), announced after the destruction of Putin's arm depots that (cf video below),

"Russia is ready to act if long-range missiles strike Russian territory.

I assure you that we have weapons that will have serious consequences for the patrons of the Ukraine regime." ....

I'm convinced that in such situations, those making decisions understand what we are talking about. No one wants a nuclear war" (video below) (cf also: Times of India: 20 Septembe 2024)

Times of India on Microsoft Start: 21 September 2024

Unfortunately for Lavrov, as Ciaran McGrath reports,

"Satellite imagery has appeared to show a massive crater at a Russian missile test centre after a nuclear-capable RS-28 Sarmat exploded in a humiliating blow for President Vladimir Putin.

The weapon - known in the West as Satan-2 - is regarded by the Kremlin as a powerful tool within its arsenal. However, the latest incident is believed to be the fourth successive failure, calling its reliability into question." (Express: 22 September 2024) (my emphasis)

Furthermore, as reported by Fingerlakes 1,

"Iran has supplied Russia with close-range ballistic missiles but withheld mobile launchers, according to U.S. and European officials. The delivery, which Washington accuses Tehran of sending for use against Ukraine, raises questions about when the missiles will become operational." (Fingerlakes 1: 21 September 2024) (my emphasis)

Added to which, Richard Ashmore (right) now reports that,

"The sleeping giant of public opinion could become the biggest threat yet to Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine as a shock new poll reveals half of Russians want their soldiers home.

The results of the survey come after a difficult few weeks for Putin who has been humiliated by Ukrainian forces staging a series of daring attacks on targets inside Russia, including an audacious counter-offensive into the Kursk region last month.
...
The US news site says a new poll conducted with ExtremeScan, which quizzed 800 people between September 10 and 17, found 49 percent of Russians supported withdrawing soldiers from Ukraine and starting peace talks." (Express: 21 September 2024) (my emphasis)

It should therefore come as no surprise that,

 "Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy (left) said on Saturday that the end of the more than 2-1/2-year-old war with Russia depended on the "resolve" of Kyiv's Western allies in providing needed weaponry and permission to use it.

Zelenskiy, speaking in his nightly video address, thanked his military for a new strike on an arsenal in Russia, though he did not identify the location.

He also said his meetings next week in the United States were "crucial" to ensuring that Ukraine had the defense capabilities it needed. (Ron Popeski and Oleksander Kozhukhar: Reuters: 21 September 2024) (my emphasis)

One can begin to imagine the panic of 'cold sweats' of defeat that Putin is now experiencing in his bunker.

No amount of lists of countries “showing destructive behavior contrary to Russian spiritual and moral values” that he is now waving about will relieve him from the sheer panic of defeat that he is now experiencing.

As Philip Chrysopoulos reports,

"Russian President Vladimir Putin made a list of countries “showing destructive behavior contrary to Russian spiritual and moral values,” with Greece and Cyprus among them.

Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin approved the publication of Kremlin’s list of the 47 countries. The list does not include European Union members Hungary and Slovakia and NATO member Turkey, according to TASS Russian news agency." (Greek Reporter: 22 September 2024) (my emphasis)

Hindustan Times on Greek Reporter: 22 September 2024

Putin is now experiencing the sheer panic of defeat.

 

 

 

(to be continued)