When Ukraine’s Drones Fly 2,000 km, Putin’s Confidence Shakes

According to the Kyiv Post, Ukraine has carried out a drone strike more than 2,000 kilometers beyond its border. The target was an oil refinery in Tyumen, Russia, which was reportedly damaged in the attack.

Regardless of the extent of the damage, the incident is significant in that it demonstrates that Russian infrastructure is increasingly within Ukraine’s reach. Consequently, Russia’s war economy is becoming ever more vulnerable — just as Vladimir Putin turns 73.

For example, fuel shortages in many regions of Russia are already severe and are making civilian life difficult. One can only imagine how the situation will unfold in the coming months, with homes left unheated as temperatures drop to –20 or even –30 degrees Celsius.

For this reason, there now appears to be considerable potential in the air for an uprising to ignite. And this seems enough for Putin to be paying very close attention to his own security.

This is underlined by reports that even Vyacheslav Leontyev, the 87-year-old former publisher of Pravda, the leading newspaper of the Soviet Union, is said to have fallen from the window of his fifth-floor apartment in western Moscow. The man is believed to have been well informed about the secret wealth of Russia’s elite — undoubtedly including Putin himself — the existence of which is unlikely to provide much comfort to ordinary Russians facing the coming winter’s cold.

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
Why Do Russians Tolerate Broken Infrastructure?
Will Trump Finally Stand Up to Vladimir Putin?
Is This the Start of Putin’s Final Countdown?

Russia’s War Rages On – And the World Keeps Funding It

According to a recent report, EU countries are spending more money on Russian fossil fuels than on financial aid for Ukraine. In 2024 alone, the EU purchased Russian oil and gas worth €21.9 billion but provided Ukraine with only €18.7 billion in financial support. Of course, in addition to this, the EU has donated military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine.

Nevertheless, this situation highlights that the EU has failed to reduce its energy dependence on Russia, which is waging a war of aggression. It also plays a part in the fact that Russia’s energy exports have declined by less than a third.

Or can this even be said? After all, the total value of Russia's oil, gas, and coal exports in 2022 was €356 billion, but in the previous year—2021—only €264 billion, and in the following year—2023—€250 billion. That’s roughly the same scale as last year, when it amounted to €242 billion.

The figures above clearly show that the world’s nations do not actually care that Russia attacked its neighbor. Or at the very least, they are not willing to sacrifice their own comfort to support Ukraine’s defense struggle.

One can only hope that this situation changes—and quickly—not only in the EU but also in other countries worldwide, including Donald Trump’s United States. If not, one must start questioning whether President Trump is, after all, "in Putin’s pocket," as was already suspected during his previous presidency.

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
President of Finland Asked Whether There Are Top Politicians With Serious Intellectual Limitations
Finally, Finland Speaks the Truth Without Fear!
Zelensky Condemns Fico’s "Immoral" Support for Putin