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On December 06 2025 00:24 Billyboy wrote: This is a pretty interesting article about the Russian recruitment and how it works. Basically they pay big money to desperate people, which are not in short supply. And it appears as long as there is money there will be people for the front. They are paying life changing money to these people (plus other benefits like school for kids, charges dropped and so on). It does not get into how this as impacted inflation or how long term it will impact the economy. But the families of the soldiers are really cashing in.
You misunderstand. Russia is "promising" the money and not always "paying" it. Especially now that over half of their regions have stopped payments of soldier benefits because they're running on a budget deficit and a lot of "black widow" cases being handled by Russian courts recently - there's a new phenomenon where women target lonely alcoholic or drug using men, lure them into quick marriage and signing the military contract to get sent to the front. They're exploiting the system of high payments to the families of the deceased and expedited marriage processes enabled for war. Some of those women are already on their 3rd or 4th marriage this war.
There are even realtors encouraging such practices as a way to get a quick downpayment on a house or apartment.
Yeah they are gameifying it. Soldiers can get bonus for scoring some bigger kills. Russia got plenty of poorer areas to sign up for it, and deployment to some region is basically a jackpot with little ukraine resistance anyways. For Russia it doesn't really matter, the more got killed then it's one less they gotta pay.
The US is starting to withdrawing troops from Europe. Germany is having a decent sized protest against voluntary military service. India showing up with Russia and claim they want a stance for peace.
Everything is going to get even more chaotic next year.
The biggest pain point I feel like, is there's just a general lack of strong patriotism enough to go to war, in plenty of western allies. Even Taiwan is facing a military recruitment issue, when China is doing non stop drills against it, in fact it's dropping to historic low number.
Do you even read the stuff you write? It's like an unfiltered stream of consciousness filled with random bullshit that makes little to no sense. On one hand praising Russia for gamifying the war to incentivize people to join and then praising it again for not having to pay those bonuses when its own soldiers get killed (you know that dead soldiers cost Russia even more since they have to pay the family for the death and also the widow inherits the soldiers pay that the army has to send to her now?).
On December 06 2025 09:24 Manit0u wrote: Do you even read the stuff you write? It's like an unfiltered stream of consciousness filled with random bullshit that makes little to no sense. On one hand praising Russia for gamifying the war to incentivize people to join and then praising it again for not having to pay those bonuses when its own soldiers get killed (you know that dead soldiers cost Russia even more since they have to pay the family for the death and also the widow inherits the soldiers pay that the army has to send to her now?).
Please quote where I "praising it" for gameifying the war.
Yes it's incentivizing Russians to join the war, and no they don't have to pay the widows or families in full whatever they signed up for.
There is plenty getting something else like a fridge or just some groceries to nk soldiers even.
On December 06 2025 00:24 Billyboy wrote: This is a pretty interesting article about the Russian recruitment and how it works. Basically they pay big money to desperate people, which are not in short supply. And it appears as long as there is money there will be people for the front. They are paying life changing money to these people (plus other benefits like school for kids, charges dropped and so on). It does not get into how this as impacted inflation or how long term it will impact the economy. But the families of the soldiers are really cashing in.
You misunderstand. Russia is "promising" the money and not always "paying" it. Especially now that over half of their regions have stopped payments of soldier benefits because they're running on a budget deficit and a lot of "black widow" cases being handled by Russian courts recently - there's a new phenomenon where women target lonely alcoholic or drug using men, lure them into quick marriage and signing the military contract to get sent to the front. They're exploiting the system of high payments to the families of the deceased and expedited marriage processes enabled for war. Some of those women are already on their 3rd or 4th marriage this war.
There are even realtors encouraging such practices as a way to get a quick downpayment on a house or apartment.
I would not be at all surprised, and I'm sure it will get worse. But it stays to the point that as long as they have money, they are not going run out of men. The Key for Ukraine is to hold on and damage the Russian economy as much as they can. Taking out people is part of this because those people are expensive both in the payments (if made) but also in that they can no longer help with production. A bunch of money going to non productive people is going to lead to inflation, which is also hard on the economy. This appears to be Ukraine's strategy and since the gloves came off they are being very successful with their kinetic sanctions.
Now there is enough talk about what is going wrong in the US, but I don't think there is much hope for it to get better as long as Donald is there, unless they promise a noble peace (through power) awar if he arms Ukraine to the teeth, plus a huge cash payment and a bunch of Trump hotels and gold courses in Ukraine.
EU needs to stop spending more on Russian gas and oil then they are giving to Ukraine. They need to buy nothing from Russia and work hard to make sure their shit is not ending up there through third parties. Continue to change sanctions and add as Russian finds ways to circumvent and make it very clear that if they get out of Ukraine all that will stop so there is incentive for them to do so.
The US negotiations are never going to work because Putin can not be bought. He has unlimited money and control. The small minded Witkoff, Kushner and Trump just can't understand that there is no deal that would be materially better than what he gave up when he attacked.
G7 and EU are now making plans to sanction Russian oil transportation over seas. Not just buying it but even transporting it will be sanctioned. If everything goes well the plan is to put those sanctions in place at the beginning of 2026.
On December 07 2025 04:26 maybenexttime wrote: G7? Is the US onboard?
US seems to be confused with everything recently so no idea That's what the news said. And despite all of the love letters Trump and his admin have been sending to Putin the US sanctions are still in place.
Russia's finest. Russian neo-Nazis brag about their war crimes as they valiantly "denazify" Ukraine.
I`m quite sure someone else already pointed this out earlier, but wars attract (always did, always will) these kind of people. I`m also pretty sure that both sides have these groups in nearly the same proportions, beginning with foreign fighers, mercenaries, and so on.
Russia's finest. Russian neo-Nazis brag about their war crimes as they valiantly "denazify" Ukraine.
I`m quite sure someone else already pointed this out earlier, but wars attract (always did, always will) these kind of people. I`m also pretty sure that both sides have these groups in nearly the same proportions, beginning with foreign fighers, mercenaries, and so on.
I'm sure you have evidence for that claim.
According to the UN, 95% of Ukrainian PoWs released from Russian captivity were tortured. Hardly any Russian PoWs are subjected to torture. Ukraine complies with the international law and gives humanitarian organizations access to the captives. Russia does not.
Additionally only one of the sides is claiming that they are cleansing the area of Nazis. Which some posters here actually believe.
It’s a case where it is true that there are some on both sides, but that statement leads to the false conclusion that the some are in equal percentages when the fact is that it is not close. Same with war crimes.
Russia is undoubtedly the bad guy in this and it’s not even close. And it shouldn’t be shocking that the bad guy is the aggressor.
"Intelligence chiefs and police forces have foiled plots to derail crowded trains, burn down shopping centres, discharge a dam and poison water supplies. And these are just the ones we know about."
There's currently a bipartisan push in Congress to enact more sanctions against Russia. It's only the president who's trying to foment an alliance with Russia.
On December 10 2025 04:29 maybenexttime wrote: I'll believe it when I see some actual actions. For years the Republicans have been only helping Russia.
On December 10 2025 04:29 maybenexttime wrote: I'll believe it when I see some actual actions. For years the Republicans have been only helping Russia.
EPT
That's what the news said. And despite all of the love letters Trump and his admin have been sending to Putin the US sanctions are still in place.
