Dangerous Delusions

“Putin appeared to be making up facts as he went along. No encirclement around Rubtsi (population: 350 ) has been reported by any reliable source in Russia or Ukraine, and there is no river called Stary Oskol in that region. The Russian president’s obsession with the details of the fighting appears to have crossed the line into delusion.” Simon Shuster in The Atlantic (Gift Article): Putin Is Slipping Into Delusion. “Does that mania for war make him any more likely to cut his losses and accept a negotiated peace? Probably not. His interview on Monday illustrated what many in Ukraine and Europe have long concluded about Putin’s state of mind. He has convinced himself that the attritional math of the war favors Russia, and he will continue to press the numerical advantage of his forces regardless of how long the lines for gasoline in Moscow might get.”

+ Long lines for gas are hardly the only costs being paid for this insane invasion. NYT (Gift Article): Troop Casualties in Ukraine War Top 2 Million. “The study, published on Wednesday by the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, said Russia has borne the heavier toll, with 1.4 million troops killed or wounded since February 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine.”

+ Here’s the story of one of those deaths. The Prom Went On in Kyiv, but Masha’s Date Danced Alone.