How long can Russia sustain this war?

This question genuinely concerns the world and is a reflection of how sanctions are affecting the aggressor state’s economy. Most of Ukraine’s allies are convinced that Russia is on the edge of collapse and cannot continue the war, believing that the enormous military losses will eventually wear Russia down and deter the population from joining the military. They believe that Russia has no soldiers left and their capabilities are completely exhausted. Unfortunately, this has been repeated for three years, yet the number of Russians joining the military has not declined. Do the sanctions work as we expect? Yes, and at the same time, no.

The UBN team has spoken to several Russians who immigrated to the US in the early 2000s and 2010s. Now they are US citizens and living good lives in America, but their families still live in various regions of Russia. According to dozens of their relatives, sanctions have significantly impacted the country’s economy, causing many mid- and small-sized businesses to shut down. Over the past three years, inflation has skyrocketed and many people have lost their jobs, leading to a difficult situation. According to those interviewed, in rural areas every third person has lost their job in the last three years.

The Russian economy has suffered significantly if we exclude Moscow and St. Petersburg. Some workers cannot find jobs that pay $200 to $300 a month. Furthermore, due to sanctions, Russian men cannot travel to certain countries for work and support their families by working abroad, leaving them with no way to support their families. What is the only option left? You are correct: Join the army! Thus, Western sanctions have worsened the Russian economy to the point where Russian men have no choice but to fight in the war to earn a few thousand dollars every month in addition to a large signing bonus. If we think that the impact of Western sanctions on Putin’s situation is exclusively negative, we are very, very wrong. No, he has more people willing to kill Ukrainians to make ends meet.