The photo shows the late 1980s — the sale of port wine by the glass. Everything will repeat itself, only this time the containers will not be filled with port wine.
The mistake many Russians make is that they perceive the current fuel crisis as some kind of temporary excess and an exception to the rule. “We’ll come up with something now,” they think. But this is only the beginning. The situation will continue to deteriorate. To understand what awaits Russia in a few months, one only needs to look at Crimea — electricity for only two hours a day, no gasoline, no jobs, and water shortages.
The reason is that the number of Ukrainian drones is increasing very rapidly. They are disabling oil refineries across Russia, have already inflicted a “Tsushima-style defeat” on Russian tankers in the Sea of Azov, and are striking frontline logistics. Then they will move on to new targets, primarily the military-industrial base. Enterprises producing missiles, drones, ammunition, armored vehicles, optics, and electronics — everything will be at risk of being hit.
Russia may also be deprived of its sources of revenue — the next strikes will target other foreign currency-generating sectors that finance the war: export hubs, pipelines, and gas processing facilities. There may be not only a shortage of oil but also of gas. Russians who celebrated the Holodomor in Ukraine — are you ready for a cold winter without heating? Have you bought a traditional wood-burning stove for your home? “And the winter will be a long one.”
Ahead lie many more technological and infrastructure disasters in Russia — infrastructure has not been properly maintained for years, as all resources have been directed toward the war.
Expect strikes on warehouses and logistics networks: major storage facilities, railway stations, and transport hubs. Ukraine currently has no civilian air traffic — Russia may face the same reality.
While the number of drones is limited, individual targets must be selected. But when their numbers increase, it becomes possible to move from targeted strikes to distributed, simultaneous pressure on multiple facilities. Ukrainian ballistic capabilities are also approaching.
The fuel crisis is only the beginning. Ahead lies an even more severe banking crisis. Just as Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela concealed the country’s debts, Putin is trying to convince everyone that Russia still has resources, although in reality Russia is already a bankrupt state.
The Central Bank’s high interest rate is destroying businesses at their roots, while any attempt to reduce it could immediately trigger a spiral of hyperinflation. Do you understand that gasoline ration coupons are only the beginning? Expect food rationing next. Do you understand that Russia has already lost this war and is only increasing the cost of its defeat with every passing day?
And this entire nightmare continues only because of the will of one person.
