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Empty gas stations, empty barracks: Russia’s silent defeat
Azernews ^ | 8/23/2025 | Qabil Ashirov

Posted on 08/23/2025 6:56:17 AM PDT by marcusmaximus

It is a curious thing when a superpower begins to run out of the two things it needs most in war: fuel and men. Yet that is precisely what seems to be happening to Russia in Ukraine. After more than two years of fighting, Moscow’s once-vaunted war machine is showing unmistakable signs of exhaustion.

When Russia launched its invasion in February 2022, it relied heavily on professional soldiers but the disastrous battles outside Kyiv and Kharkiv shattered that backbone. Thousands of seasoned fighters were lost, and the logistical chaos that followed forced Russia into an embarrassing retreat from northern Ukraine.

The Kremlin’s answer was Wagner. The mercenary army, battle-hardened from Africa to the Middle East, became the spearhead of Russia’s offensive. For a time, Wagner succeeded. In the brutal fight for Bakhmut, it won headlines, captured territory, and gave Moscow its only significant victory of 2023. Yet those same battles consumed Wagner’s ranks, and the rebellion that followed sealed its demise. The Kremlin had sacrificed its sharpest blade.

Since then, Russia has leaned on a far weaker substitute: poorly trained volunteers and mercenaries recruited from among ordinary citizens. These men have been thrown into grinding assaults in the south and east. For a while, they produced modest gains. Some analysts even warned that Ukraine’s lines were close to breaking, or that the war was sliding toward stalemate. The pressure on President Volodymyr Zelensky’s government was intense.

-snip-

Today, Russia faces a crisis that no artillery barrage can solve: firstly its own fuel shortage. Videos emerging from Crimea show gas stations with long lines and dwindling supplies. In Moscow, the government has gone so far as to ban price hikes at the pump—an extraordinary intervention that signals just how tight supplies have become. Exports of gasoline have also been restricted.

(Excerpt) Read more at azernews.az ...


TOPICS: Chit/Chat
KEYWORDS: 2022; 2023; baghdadbob; dailyzeeperporn; marcusclownshoes; marcusridiculous; marcusridiculouse; maxiclown; peacebyeaster; propaganda; putin; qabilashirov; russia; telltheputin; tellyourmom; wagnergroup; yourputinhas0days; zeeperporn; zeepharder
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To: Drew68

Seems I keep reading this same article.“
And it has been running for years


21 posted on 08/23/2025 7:34:34 AM PDT by iamgalt
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To: piasa
It is pretty obvious Russia’s not doing well when they beg North Korea and Iran for help.

Eventually, the Russian army will get exhausted and then Putin will agree to the ceasefire.

Ukraine is not going to surrender. This is an existential war for Ukraine.

They know that the Russian occupation is going to be brutal so that's why they're resisting.

22 posted on 08/23/2025 7:37:06 AM PDT by MinorityRepublican
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To: Drew68

I’m guessing that you won’t provide links to any of those published articles.


23 posted on 08/23/2025 7:37:39 AM PDT by Farmerbob
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To: marcusmaximus

If Ruzzia so weak, why doesn’t Zelensky go on Offense and Push
Ruzzia out of its Territory?


24 posted on 08/23/2025 7:38:32 AM PDT by tennmountainman ( (“Less propaganda would be appreciated.” JimRobr 12-2-2023 DITTO)
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To: marcusmaximus

Back in the 80’s the Russian military doctrine was very top-heavy. By that I mean that at the squad/platoon level there was very little independent thought/action. If the leadership was killed the subordinates would not generally act on their own.

In the NATO forces, this was not the case. If a leader was taken out, someone would step up and carry on to the mission’s conclusion.

I wonder if that doctrine has changed in the Russian military? I understand that the Ukrainian forces have changed their system to more reflect the Western model.

These fundamental differences between the forces would account for much of the stalemate that is going on in Ukraine.


25 posted on 08/23/2025 7:39:34 AM PDT by Vermont Lt
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To: tennmountainman

If you want a serious answer to this question it lies in the constraints put on the use of Western Weapon systems. Ukraine has been told it cannot use long range systems to hit Russia’s cities beyond the Uke borders.

Ukraine has decent missile manufacturing systems. I am sure they would love to rain missiles down on the interior of Russia. Biden wouldn’t let them, fearing a wider spread of the war.

If we don’t see movement in the next couple of weeks, I think that type of change is what Trump was alluding to last week.

We’ll see….


26 posted on 08/23/2025 7:44:01 AM PDT by Vermont Lt
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To: Jane Long
---- "You left off the repeated Putin is dying of ______ cancer :-) "

?blockquote> Oldies but goodies....

‘Cancer-stricken’ Putin HUMILIATED as planned ‘victory over Ukraine’ parade is gutted by a third after massive losses
Posted on 5/7/2022, 4:19:03 PM by marcusmaximus

Russian President Vladimir Putin suffers cardiac arrest in presidential bedroom, an insider group reveals
Posted on 10/23/2023, 7:01:02 PM by marcusmaximus

Wildest Vladimir Putin missing theories from body doubles to corpse stored in freezer
Posted on 11/20/2024, 5:44:50 PM by marcusmaximus

Vladimir Putin's furious denials of health scares as Zelensky declares 'he'll die soon'
Posted on 3/27/2025, 7:27:35 AM by marcusmaximus

27 posted on 08/23/2025 7:46:25 AM PDT by Worldtraveler once upon a time (Degrow government)
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To: marcusmaximus

No doubt Russia has suffered severe consequences, which you can either say are out of all proportion to the mission, or perhaps it demonstrates the value of the prize to Putin.

Either way, no democracy would sustain such losses in an offensive operation without giving up.

Even the Soviet Union finally abandoned Afghanistan.

However, dictatorships can sustain such a war because they suppress dissent and they don’t care as much about the negative effects.

To stop Putin, Russia needs to suffer military defeat, or he needs to see his own position threatened.


28 posted on 08/23/2025 7:47:32 AM PDT by Williams (Thank God for the election of President Trump!)
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To: marcusmaximus
It seems to me that all nations have procedures in place that give priority to their military in the use of resources over the civilian populace.

Perhaps, just perhaps, this is such an instance.
Perhaps, just perhaps, there are mitigating circumstances...

Ukraine has been conducting regular drone attacks on Russia's oil and gas infrastructure since the start of the war.

Perhaps shortsightedness is the answer. Pushing an agenda might be another answer.

29 posted on 08/23/2025 7:48:26 AM PDT by philman_36 (Pride breakfasted with plenty, dined with poverty and supped with infamy. Benjamin Franklin)
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To: Jane Long
---- "You left off the repeated Putin is dying of ______ cancer :-) "

Oldies but goodies....

‘Cancer-stricken’ Putin HUMILIATED as planned ‘victory over Ukraine’ parade is gutted by a third after massive losses
Posted on 5/7/2022, 4:19:03 PM by marcusmaximus

Russian President Vladimir Putin suffers cardiac arrest in presidential bedroom, an insider group reveals
Posted on 10/23/2023, 7:01:02 PM by marcusmaximus

Wildest Vladimir Putin missing theories from body doubles to corpse stored in freezer
Posted on 11/20/2024, 5:44:50 PM by marcusmaximus

Vladimir Putin's furious denials of health scares as Zelensky declares 'he'll die soon'
Posted on 3/27/2025, 7:27:35 AM by marcusmaximus


30 posted on 08/23/2025 7:52:14 AM PDT by Worldtraveler once upon a time (Degrow government)
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To: Drew68

Exactly.

Don’t talk, don’t say the same things over and over again, just do.
If Ukraine has weakened Russia so much, when are they going to take ground?

Neither side is close to victory. Millions more are going to die if they can’t make it stop.


31 posted on 08/23/2025 7:52:42 AM PDT by Pete Dovgan
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To: Drew68
---- "Seems I keep reading this same article."

Different titles, but here's one from two years ago.

No one is going anywhere anymore: fuel has completely disappeared at gas stations in Russia Ukraine Today, 22 August 2023
It is well observed that many sides -- not just two -- employ propaganda for their own aims.

The empty gas station meme is at least -- as above -- two years old. And young again....

32 posted on 08/23/2025 7:57:17 AM PDT by Worldtraveler once upon a time (Degrow government)
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To: marcusmaximus

Woo-hoo! Final,y! Ukraine has won. Putin defeated. Ukraine will now take over Russia! When does putin sign the declaration?


33 posted on 08/23/2025 7:57:37 AM PDT by Bob434 (Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana)
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To: Bob434
It's over already. MarcusNulandus said so, unequivocally. Last March.

"Putin's botched invasion ends by Easter."
5 posted on 3/17/2025, 8:02:41 AM by marcusmaximus

34 posted on 08/23/2025 8:00:56 AM PDT by Worldtraveler once upon a time (Degrow government)
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To: Allegra; AndyJackson; ANKE69; bimboeruption; Candor7; Carriage Hill; C210N; Cold_Red_Steel; ...
Homoglobalist Propaganda-2

ZEEPER FOLLIES PINGLIST!
(((PING!)))

35 posted on 08/23/2025 8:01:14 AM PDT by aMorePerfectUnion (🦅 MAGADONIAN ⚔️ LIFE )
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To: tennmountainman

Because Ukraine is equally weak, or even weaker.

This whole war is a stalemate, and good men on both sides continue to die. A shame what Slavic brothers are doing to each other.

I know some will say Russia could easily win this but they don’t want to, or they could use nukes, or even that they are winning and look at how they’re finally going to take Provostk or some small rubbled city or ten miles deep intrusions taking many months and costing many lives, but that’s a hopeless victory.

I really hope it stops soon.

Ukraine can never win back the Donbas and Crimea. Let it go.

Russia will not make Ukraine Belarus. Let it go.


36 posted on 08/23/2025 8:01:36 AM PDT by Alas Babylon! (Repeal the Patriot Act; Abolish the DHS; reform FBI top to bottom!)
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To: Worldtraveler once upon a time
Putin blew up his best general two years ago today.



37 posted on 08/23/2025 8:01:44 AM PDT by marcusmaximus
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To: Vermont Lt

“””””I understand that the Ukrainian forces have changed their system to more reflect the Western model.”””””

I assume that President Trump has us training them in the Western model.


38 posted on 08/23/2025 8:03:27 AM PDT by ansel12 ((NATO warrior under Reagan, and RA under Nixon, bemoaning the pro-Russians from Vietnam to Ukraine.))
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To: Vermont Lt

YouCrayne has been firing long range rockets into Ruzzia for months.
Zeepers have been keeping informed us with the success of those rockets
hitting Oil Storage Tanks, etc. All fair game in war.
I think Trump was referring to Zelensky getting out of defensive positions,
going on offense and pushing Ruzzia out. Not by Drones or rockets but by
Ukie Warm Male Bodies.
So when are Ukies going to push Ruzzia out?


39 posted on 08/23/2025 8:04:10 AM PDT by tennmountainman ( (“Less propaganda would be appreciated.” JimRobr 12-2-2023 DITTO)
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To: Worldtraveler once upon a time
Putin lost the war when he blew up Prigozhin.



40 posted on 08/23/2025 8:06:03 AM PDT by marcusmaximus
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