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“The world’s 2nd place is a ‘paper tiger'”… Enraged Putin tempting this

picture explanation[연합뉴스]

Until earlier this year, when the prospect of a Russian invasion of Ukraine was announced, no one could have predicted that the war would be a long one, well over two months.

This is because most of the analysis was that if Russia, the world’s second-largest military power, invades Ukraine, it would be over in the short term.

But when I opened the lid, all of these prospects were wrong. Russia launched an attack in the north, east, and south all at once except for the west, but it has not yielded any results for more than two months due to the fierce resistance of Ukraine.

Initially, the Russian army was going to prove with its powerful military power the achievements of President Vladimir Putin, who brought about a revival of Russia by washing away the shame of the collapse of the Soviet Union with the invasion of Ukraine.

[AP = 연합뉴스]

picture explanation[AP = 연합뉴스]

The Economist, a British weekly news magazine, analyzed that the Russian army that invaded Ukraine on the 28th (local time) has fallen into a predicament with no means of proving a superpower other than ‘nuclear weapons’.

According to The Economist, the Russian army that invaded Ukraine on February 24 is estimated to have suffered 15,000 casualties in 64 days so far. During this period, at least 1,600 armored personnel carriers such as tanks and armored vehicles were destroyed, and dozens of military aircraft were lost.

The loss of weapons alone was a serious blow to Russia, but the actions of the Russian army in the process were even more serious.

[AP = 연합뉴스]

picture explanation[AP = 연합뉴스]

First, even right before the invasion, some top leaders, including President Putin, did not share related plans, raising distrust of Hwihwa officers and soldiers. In some cases, closed circuit (CC) TV was filmed looting convenience stores, etc. in occupied Ukraine while supplying food that had passed its expiration date.

In addition, despite having an overwhelming air force, it could not seize air superiority against the Ukrainian army, which was fighting with outdated fighters.

The inhuman behavior of Russian troops in the occupied territories shocked the world.

Torture, rape, and murder were rampant, and indiscriminate bombing of major cities was carried out despite knowing that civilians were being harmed. In addition, in the process of withdrawing the northern Russian army following the relocation of the Eastern Front, the situation of indiscriminate massacres was revealed one after another in some areas, including Bucha.

At present, the Russian army is preparing to devote its troops to the eastern Donbas region, but no results have been revealed so far.

Therefore, military experts agree that the battle between the two countries in Donbas and the South will be an important turning point in the future of this war in the coming weeks.

The economist, however, said that even if the Russian army were to win at Donbas, it would not be easy to recover from the blows already inflicted on Putin.

[AP = 연합뉴스]

picture explanation[AP = 연합뉴스]

Tanks and other tanks, which have already been poured into Ukraine for two months, are rapidly running out of stock, and the economy is also being severely hit by various regulations from the international community.

To make matters worse, the virtual main tank did not fix long-standing defects, and the turret was detached even with a small blow, earning it the nickname ‘surprise box’.

As the West, including the United States, cut off imports of Russian oil one after another, the world’s largest oil exporter has no place to sell.

In fact, Russia’s largest energy company, Rosneft, held an international bid last week to sell 38 million barrels of crude oil, but commodities brokers abandoned the bid. As a result, Rosneft was unable to handle the massive amounts of crude oil that could fill 19 oil carriers.

In the end, it is analyzed that President Putin’s position is shaking as the perception that the Russian army, which was trying to show off its military power in the end of the invasion of Ukraine, is actually just a ‘paper tiger’ is spreading.

Because of this, military experts in Western governments are concerned that Putin could turn to chemical and biological weapons and nuclear weapons as a last resort to make up for it.

“It’s not very likely yet, but the temptation will definitely grow as the conventional weapons the Russian military has are running out,” the economist said.

In fact, on the 25th, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview with the Russian state broadcaster Channel 1 that it was aimed at the West.

“Currently, the risk of nuclear war is serious. It should not be underestimated,” he warned.

In addition, on the 20th, a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) ‘Sarmat’ was test-fired.

The maximum range of ‘Sarmat’ is 18,000 km, and it is known that up to 15 megatons (TNT explosive power of 1 million tons)-class independent re-entry (nuclear) warheads (MIRV) can be loaded. In addition, it is possible to mount a new hypersonic (HGV. 5 times the speed of sound) warhead called ‘object 4202’.

The power of the nuclear warhead mounted on Sarmat is estimated to be 2,000 times greater than the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, Japan during the Pacific War. Russia also claimed that the first Sarmatian could completely destroy an area as large as France or Texas in the United States.

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