Anton Gerashchenko
@Gerashchenko_en
As Mr. Rubio has kindly informed us earlier, today is Russia day.
I've prepared several facts of what Putin's rule has brought Russia to in the past 25 years.
◾️ Finances:
The Russian government plans to revise the federal budget for 2025, increasing the deficit by 250% – from $12 billion to $42 billion. The official inflation rate is supposedly 7.6%, but according to estimates by the Foreign Intelligence Service, real inflation in Russia already exceeds 20%.
According to the US Department of Defense, Russia has spent at least $250 billion on the war against Ukraine since the start of the full-scale invasion. Russia's economic losses from the war and sanctions are around $1.3 trillion.
At the same time, according to the Federal State Statistics Service, 12.6 million Russians were living below the poverty line in 2024. But Putin does not care about the standard of living in Russia.
◾️ Demographic decline and huge losses on the front lines:
Since the full-scale invasion, according to various estimates, between 650,000 and 1.3 million Russians have left the country. More than 1 million have been killed and injured in the war. Russia has been flooded with criminals who received amnesty for participating in the war in Ukraine. Crime levels have risen dramatically in Russia.
◾️ Oil:
Due to sanctions, Russia has lost its rich Western markets and is forced to sell oil to China at bargain prices.
Currently, Russian oil is sold in the ports of Primorsk and Novorossiysk for approximately $47-49 per barrel, which is significantly lower than the budgeted figure of $69.7. As a result, Russia's annual oil and gas revenues could fall by up to 30%, or $30-40 billion, which is almost equal to the entire Russian budget deficit for the current year.
◾️ Military:
The Russian army has long lost its status as the "second" in the world and has turned into a bunch of looters and criminals, "cannon fodder" that is thrown into battle for a forest area near another destroyed Ukrainian village.
◾️ Navy:
Ukrainian drones and missiles are methodically turning the Black Sea Fleet into an underwater fleet. Moreover, recently the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) blew up the Crimean (Kerch) Bridge for the third time.
◾️ Space:
In 2024, Russia launched only 17 rockets into space. By comparison, the US launched 152 rockets and China launched 65. A place in the top three with a score of 17 is little consolation, especially considering that New Zealand launched 13 rockets in 2024.
Under international sanctions, Russia cannot purchase expensive microchips and other necessary equipment.
◾️ Attacks on Russia:
Since the beginning of 2025, more than 17 attacks have been carried out on oil depots and refineries in Russia. In 2024, Ukrainian drones attacked oil refineries and fuel depots in Russia, annexed Crimea, and occupied territories of Ukraine at least 81 times.
◾️ Aviation:
The SBU struck four strategic airfields in different regions of Russia with drones. The total losses of enemy aircraft amount to 41 units, including A-50, Tu-95, Tu-22, Tu-160, An-12, and Il-78 aircraft. The operation weakened Russia's strike capabilities by 20-30%.
Military experts around the world, commenting on the SBU's special operation, called the actions of Putin's FSB, which allowed everything to happen right under its nose, one of the biggest failures in the history of the Russian special services.
https://x.com/Gerashchenko_en/status/1933156341800923246
