Putin's 'parallel army' is now all that protects him.

As the allied forces converged on Berlin in 1945, 

"Huge numbers of underage males were removed from school in early 1945, and sent on what were essentially suicide missions. Hitler Youth activities often included learning to throw grenades and dig trenches, bayonet drills and escaping under barbed wire under pistol fire; the boys were encouraged to find these activities exhilarating and exciting." (Wikipedia)  

Fast forward to 2026 and Konstantin Samoilov informs us that,

• 
  "Russia's Minister of 'emergency situations', Alexander Kurenkov, stated that the units of  the Federal Fire Service  are staffed by only 65 1/2%. The situation is most acute. ... 105 thousand firefighter jobs not filled.
• Kurenkov also said that military service conscripts (18-year olds) will be used by the Ministry of Emergency Situations as firefighters." (Inside Russia: 23 February 2026: YouTube) (my emphasis)

 

 Excerpt from: Inside Russia: 23 February 2026: YouTube

Furthermore, as reported by a Frontline and Times News reporter (left), 

"[Ukraine Army Chief] General Oleksandr Syrskyi (right) said that they killed or wounded 32,000 Russians alone last month. ...  At the moment, that is MORE THAN Russia's recruitment rate" (Frontline and Times News: 21 February 2026: YouTube) (my emphasis)

 

 Frontline and Times News: 21 February 2026: YouTube

As Arcady Ostrovsky (left) also explains,

"This is an economy that in order to continue expanding on the military and on the war have to extract money not just from the ground, but from the people ... from its future. 

So it's a kind of mortgage war ... and it is consuming itself. And this is why Russia is struggling to replenish the troops ... " (The Economist: 21 February 2026; YouTube) (my emphasis)

 

 The Economist: 21 February 2026; YouTube

And as reported by  Liliana Oleniak (left),

"Russian President Vladimir Putin is creating the informational conditions for the resumption of limited, staggered conscription of reservists. In this way, Russia is trying to compensate for its losses in the war against Ukraine, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

Analysts note that a series of recent decisions by the Russian authorities indicate preparations for the conscription of reservists." (RBC-Ukraine: 19 February 2026) (my emphasis)

Liliana Oleniak goes on to report that,

"The Kremlin is likely pressuring Ukraine to immediately concede to Russia's long-standing demands in peace talks in order to secure its military objectives without having to make uncomfortable sacrifices." (ibid Liliana Oleniak)

The demonic daily bombardment by Putin of Ukraine's civilains and its energy infrastructure, even as the so-called 'peace talks' between Ukraine and Russia are taking place, is a poweful indicator of just how paranoid Putin is, and how fearful he is of totally lossing power and, in the process, possibly his life. 

Is it any wonder that, as Kathrine Frich (left) reports,

"Putin builds 'parallel army' to protect himself, defense expert warns.

But after internal unrest, elite tensions and the shock of the 2023 Wagner mutiny, analysts say the Russian president may be increasingly focused on safeguarding his grip on authority.
… 
William James Dixon, a fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), told the Kyiv Post that a recent Kremlin decree appears to bolster Russia’s National Guard, known as Rosgvardia.
… 
According to his analysis, Rosgvardia now operates under “general operational control” of its director, Viktor Zolotov, who reports directly to Putin. (Dagens.com UK: 21 February 2026) (my emphasis) 

As with the implosion of Trump's "tariff " Foreign Policy, Putin's 'parallel army' is now all that protects him. 

  

 (to be continued)