Russia is spending surprisingly little on its war on Ukraine

Insider ^ | Jun 1, 2023 | Phil Rosen

[Mount Athos]

The direct fiscal cost of the war — spending on soldiers and machines — is estimated to be about 3% of Russia's GDP, or roughly $67 billion a year, according to the report.

By historical standards, the current war pales in comparison. The Soviet Union during World War II, for example, spent about 61% of GDP, and the US at the same time put about 50% of its GDP toward the conflict.

...Printing additional cash to fund the war would push inflation higher and weigh on Russia's citizens. Saddling banks with war debt could do the same, and both options in turn could harm Vladimir Putin's political aims.

[dfwgator]

Judging from several sites I read tonight, we will soon have a new meme, “Belgorod People’s Republic.”

You mean "The People's Republic of Belgorod", SPLITTER!

[ganeemead]

I meant mostly metals and explosives. Any microchips beyond their own ability to manufacture, which I can’t believe would amount to very much, they could buy from China.

[Red6]

????

What?

????

Many of the Jews in Israel are from Russia and later the Ukraine.

~ 100,000 Israelis live in Russia.

~ 17% of Israelis speak Russian.

There is cooperation between these nations, i.e. Israel won’t sell arms to places like Ukraine and the Republic of Georgia and in return Russia don’t sell arms to Iran. In fact, Russia has bought significant amounts of military hardware from Israel starting 2009, some of it being used in Ukraine today.

The two share visa free travel.

Russia is Israel’s biggest oil supplier.

Israel shares decent political ties to Russia.

There not enemies.

[jjotto]

NATO, primarily the US military, will be the invaders of Israel should the Ezekiel 38 war occur anytime soon.

[catnipman]

“Russia is spending surprisingly little on its war on Ukraine”

nothing published by uber-fascist “business insider” is believable ... that outfit is pure propaganda ... period ...

[Red6]

It was over in weeks, just like Iraq was over in 3 weeks.

The insurgent/guerilla war and psyop campaign which follows can last years, especially with outside influence fueling it, no different than Iran, Syria were for us in Iraq.

But the war was over quickly, and that is true in Ukraine too. Russia took what they wanted, done.

An inferior military force uses the guerilla war in conjunction with information operations to wear down an enemy and eventually through political pressure get their way.

The problem with Russia is that our IO isn’t affecting them. All we’re achieving is targeting our own people with goofy Ghosts of Kiev, fight to the last man on Snake Island, BS casualty and material loss reports, the next big Ukraine offensive story, girls with blue and yellow ribbons in their hair sucking on a lollipop holding a shotgun... In order for this “junk” to work, it would need to get into Russia and be believed.

Instead we’re only using tax money to psyop our own people, which is also in violation of the NATO agreement, but when has abiding to any sort of agreement stopped us doing anything?

[Firehath]

diversity in

the wood chipper - grave

good riddance

thank you russia

poor ukes - patsy suckers

[A strike]

ha ha
how very erudite

[A strike]

Believing USG/NATO estimates is the same as sitting in kindergarden chairs attentively listening to Karine or HerrDoktor FauciMengelsGates or esteemed scientist John Kerry.

[lodi90]

“All out war”? The US has 5000 Abrams tanks. How many have been given to Ukraine? 31 have been promised. The fact is Russia would lose an “all out war” even more badly than the current bungled “Special Military Operation” and Putin knows it.

If “peace talks” are indeed the way then we must call on Russian invaders to leave Ukraine and go home to Moscow. They can “talk” from there for eternity without mass murdering any more Ukrainian women and children in the historic Russian way.

[lodi90]

There is cooperation between these nations, i.e. Israel won’t sell arms to places like Ukraine and the Republic of Georgia and in return Russia don’t sell arms to Iran. In fact, Russia has bought significant amounts of military hardware from Israel starting 2009, some of it being used in Ukraine today.

---

What? Russia just sold SU-35 jets to Iran. Iranian junk drones rain death on Ukraine. The cooperation here is between Russia and Death to America Iran. They are two American patriot hating peas in a pod.

[BroJoeK]

quoting BJK: "the Old Soviets were bullies, amoral empire builders and massive oppressors of weaker peoples."

antceecee: "Bullies?
What do you call our govt agencies?
Your entire post is surreal in context of what is going on right here in the USA!"

Oh really? Are you going to draw a "moral equivalence" between US politics today, when still millions of people are risking their lives to come here, and the Old Soviets' Iron Curtain used to shoot and kill Eastern Europeans who tried to escape their "Communist paradise"?

Young lady, are you a mere child?
Were you born yesterday?
Do you know nothing about anything?

[Peter ODonnell]

I didn’t interpret comments from old yeller as suggesting any hostility between Russia and Israel, he was simply pointing out that the most common interpretation of the Gog-Magog prophecy (Russia, and perhaps its allies which could include Syria and Iran, invading Israel from the north). This leads to the battle of Armageddon and the intervention of Christ (in many overviews of all prophecy). But old yeller was probably going no further than to suggest that none of that has yet happened.

I added the observation that if you take Ukraine as being Gog, or Putin as being Gog of Magog, then you have possible ways of interpreting the Ezekiel prophecy (repeated in condensed form in the Revelation). Thinking about it further I realize that Gog would more logically be Putin than Ukraine because it seems that Gog AND Magog invade (rather than Gog fights Magog).

Anyway, the more general question of who is winning this unfortunate war? Nobody but arms dealers and profiteers, it would seem.

[alexander_busek]

An inferior military force uses the guerilla war in conjunction with information operations to wear down an enemy and eventually through political pressure get their way.

You completely disqualify yourself by comparing the current situation with a mere "guerilla war."

Regards,

[BroJoeK]

"I was just making an observation about Russians historically spending the lives of their troops cheaply."

I agree, but Russians, whatever else they are, or are not, they're are not stupid.
The thing I hate most about this war is that the Russians will learn many, many valuable lessons about what works in real war (as opposed to peacetime wargames) and what doesn't work, and they will eventually adjust their doctrines, tactics & equipment to focus on what works best for them.

Those are invaluable lessons we are teaching Russia; they will make our job more difficult and will cost us dearly at some point in the future.

It's too bad, it's at least partly the result of Biden's weakness in Afghanistan and for now it can't be helped.

[BroJoeK]

blitz128 to CC: "And that is what goes for a reply comment on FR these days and in the country.
If you remotely disagree or one “thinks” you are disagreeing with their world view you a called a pin head and often much worse."

Please, don't blame Free Republic, this is an open forum and, so far as I know, anybody can post here, whether you are truly conservative or not.

And an issue like the Ukraine war can bring out all manner of political cross winds -- from:

1. Traditional conservatives who naturally oppose American adventurism and playing "world-policeman", to

2. Others who just see an opportunity to defeat the Biden-Democrats by opposing US aid to Ukraine (they're not against Ukraine, only against Biden-Democrats), to

3. Still others who normally don't give a d*mn about US conservatives, but just want to see Vlad the Invader victorious in Ukraine.

To top in off, some of these people went to the school of "the best insult wins".
So, I wouldn't blame Free Republic, but rather welcome the opportunity and challenges of addressing posters who may be unaccustomed to rational discussion... 😂

[BroJoeK]

Rdct29: "I think a lot of the elitist scum hate Russia because it makes them look stupid.
Russia has debt of 14% of GDP.
They reject the transvestite agenda and promote religion and the family."

First, I invite you to read PIF's post #32.
It should clear up some of your issues.

Now, let's talk about religions.
Some countries are more religious than others, right?
Here are three different countries with three very different levels of religion:

1. 41% of Russians are Christians, 45% have no formal religion.

2. 66% of Americans are Christians, 30% have no formal religion.

3. 85% of Ukrainians are Christians, 15% have no formal religion.

So, now, is it surprising that the old trained Communist Atheist, Vlad the Invader, wants to encourage his godless Russians to be more religious?
Is it surprising that we don't hear so much of that talk from Ukrainians already committed to their Christian religion?

Indeed, if you look at Ukraine's religions by region, it turns out that the fewest Christians and the most Athiests are in precisely those areas dominated by ethnic Russians.
Why are we surprised?
Russia was the world capital of communist atheism for 75 years.
A people who were taught atheism as children don't suddenly find their way to God and Christ once the devil is removed from power over them -- or is he?

[BroJoeK]

Wtout: "From an old guy's skeptical perspective, the whole comes down to being in the stadium, during the beginning of the third quarter of the game, and “sides” are declaring the winner of the game, while the game has not been won by either team."

Nobody has declared victory, but there are facts on the ground to support either argument:

1. 7% of Ukrainian territory was controlled by Russia after Vlad the Invader's first invasion in 2014 -- Crimea and parts of the Donbas

2. 20% of Ukrainian territory was added to Vlad's winnings at the peak of Russian success in their second invasion, in March 2022.

3. 27% of Ukrainian territory was the total controlled by Russia in March 2022.

4. 65% of the territory newly conquered by Russia in 2022 has since been liberated by Ukrainian offensives in Kiev, Kharkiv and Kherson regions.

5. 100,000 Russian casualties resulted from their nine-month long assault on Bakhmut, meaning about 1,000 Russian casualties for every square mile conquered in Bakhmut.

6. 14% of Ukrainian territory is currently controlled by Russian military forces, which is roughly double what they controlled in 2021, but only about half of their peak winnings in early 2022.

7. 100% of Ukrainian territory -- including Crimea and the Donbas -- is the stated goal of Ukraine's highly touted upcoming "spring offensive".

8. For at least nine-months, Russians have prepared dug-in defenses against the expected Ukrainian offensive.

Only time will tell us who has learned more lessons in modern warfare.

[blitz128]

Never was my intention, just stating what is all too common ON FR.these days

Personally let them speak, I enjoy a good laugh.

Just a moment ago I was typically told I don’t know what I am talking about, based on what data.

Almost 40 years Air Force was my reply

You you are right about “winning “

Lol if the shoe fits wear it….
Thanks for the thoughtful reply
Take care

[BroJoeK]

Red6: "There is cooperation between these nations, i.e. Israel won’t sell arms to places like Ukraine and the Republic of Georgia and in return Russia don’t sell arms to Iran.
In fact, Russia has bought significant amounts of military hardware from Israel starting 2009, some of it being used in Ukraine today."

Here is the list of military aid provided by Israel to Ukraine:

1. Anti-drone systems
   • Unspecified anti-drone systems [September 2022] (delivered by an Israeli defence contractor to Ukraine indirectly through Poland, and the United States)[195][196]
   • Missile warning system [May 2023].[197]

2. Vehicles
   • 7 armored ambulances [Delivered From December 2022 to January 2023][198]

3. Military gear[199][200]
   • 3,500 helmets [2,000 in April 2022, further 1,500 in June]
   • 2,000 bulletproof vests [500 in April 2022, further 1,500 in June]
   • 1,000 gas masks [June 2022]
   • "hundreds" of mine protection suits [June 2022]
   • "dozens" of hazmat filtration systems [June 2022]

4. Miscellaneous
   • Intelligence regarding drones used by Russian forces [From November 2022].[201][202]

Israel is a small country, so I would not expect them to donate much, and perhaps to keep whatever they sell out of the public eye.