Russia faces internal turmoil as Ukraine strikes deepen

A scenario deeply feared by the Kremlin could be unfolding in Russia, as military and academic experts suggest the country may be on the verge of internal unrest. This potential shift is fueled by Ukraine's growing capability to strike targets deep within Russian territory, a development that is making the war's consequences increasingly palpable for the Russian populace.

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Now we see that not only Ukrainian weapons are used for strikes on Russian territory – missiles manufactured in Britain, as well as in the Netherlands, are also used against targets in Russian territory.

Experts note that Ukraine is no longer solely relying on its own armaments. Western-supplied missiles from countries like Britain and the Netherlands are now being employed in strikes against Russian targets. This escalation means Russian citizens are confronting the reality of the conflict, moving beyond the perception of it being a distant war fought solely in Ukraine. As D. Antanaitis, a military and arms expert, observed, "Russia is suffering more and more losses... Russian civilians are seeing that Putin cannot guarantee their security as he did before."

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Russia is suffering more and more losses, unfortunately smaller than the Ukrainians, but still, Russian civilians are seeing that Putin cannot guarantee their security as he did before.

The impact of these strikes, coupled with potential logistical and industrial challenges within Russia, could foster growing discontent. Antanaitis theorizes that initial anger towards Ukraine might evolve into helplessness and eventually turn towards the Russian government. "After that, anger will likely arise that the authorities are not taking care of them. That they are doing nothing about the problems at the front, nothing about the problems inside the country," he stated.

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After that, anger will likely arise that the authorities are not taking care of them. That they are doing nothing about the problems at the front, nothing about the problems inside the country.

However, for significant internal change to occur, experts believe a charismatic leader would need to emerge as an alternative to Vladimir Putin. The focus of the conflict is also seen as a "war between factories," emphasizing the importance of industrial and logistical capabilities over sheer troop numbers. Ukraine's strategy of targeting infrastructure, rather than just military units, aims to disrupt Russia's war machine by degrading its ability to produce and supply weaponry.

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War is not a war between people: war is a war between factories. If I have nothing to shoot with, what will I do – sit and shell sunflower seeds?