Russian President Vladimir Putin invoked World War II to justify Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, saying in televised remarks last week that his offensive aimed to “denazify” the country — whose democratically elected president is Jewish, and lost relatives in the Holocaust.
“The purpose of this operation is to protect people who for eight years now have been facing humiliation and genocide perpetrated by the Kyiv regime,” he said, according to an English translation from the Russian Mission in Geneva. “To this end, we will seek to demilitarize and denazify Ukraine, as well as bring to trial those who perpetrated numerous bloody crimes against civilians, including against citizens of the Russian Federation.”
On February 24, 2022, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin announced a “special military operation” to “demilitarize and denazify” Ukraine—in reality, a Russian invasion designed to subjugate the democratic, peaceful people of Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is Jewish, as is the former prime minister, Volodymyr Groysman.
Zelenskyy was elected in 2019 with a whopping 73% of the vote — a considerably larger share than his predecessors — and won a majority in every region, including the most traditional and conservative, according to Casanova.
The Holocaust took a personal toll on Zelenskyy’s family. Three of his grandfather’s brothers were killed by the Germans, he said in a January 2020 speech.
1. Russia lost its reputation and arms export markets by 71%, especially the S-400 and Su-35.
Russia’s role as a major global arms supplier is under threat. This report analyzes how Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the concomitant Western sanctions have affected its status as one of the top suppliers in the global arms trade.
According to data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Russia’s arms exports began falling in earnest in 2019, and were already down nearly 20 percent relative to 2011, the high-water mark for the Russian arms industry. This year, Russian arms exports nearly matched U.S. arms exports and were delivered to 35 different countries. Eleven years later, Russian arms exports had fallen by nearly 71 percent, with deliveries to just 12 countries.
Russian arms exports decreased to 8 of its 10 biggest recipients between 2013–17 and 2018–22. Exports to India, the largest recipient of Russian arms, fell by 37 percent, while exports to the other 7 decreased by an average of 59 percent. However, Russian arms exports increased to China (+39 percent) and Egypt (+44 percent), and they became Russia’s second and third largest recipients.
If the war on Ukraine dealt a knockout blow to Russia’s arms exports, the industry had already been on the ropes for some time.
Russia’s role as a major global arms supplier is under threat. This report analyzes how Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the concomitant Western sanctions have affected its status as one of the top suppliers in the global arms trade.
The Russian arms export industry has been declining in its international competitiveness since the early 2010s due to previous packages of Western sanctions aimed at deterring third countries from purchasing Russian weapons, as well as the efforts by China and India to strengthen their domestic arms production. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and the subsequent sanctions have aggravated these issues by straining Russia’s defense production capacity, negatively affecting the reputation of Russian arms, and complicating payment options for the Kremlin’s existing customers. Russia is struggling to meet its arms sales commitment to its partners, calling into question its reliability.
2. France replaced Russia as the second largest weapon exporter.
As per reports by the Stockholm Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) and other international arms transfers data, France is soon expected to surpass the Russian Federation in terms of arms export, sales and transfer.
According to a report from the Stockholm Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) in March 2023, between 2018 and 2022, French global arms trade increased to 11 percent compared with 7.1 percent over the previous four-year period, In the same period, the Russian share of the international arms trade declined from 22 to 16 percent.
France‘s arms exports increased by 44 percent between 2013–17 and 2018–22. Most of these exports were to states in Asia and Oceania and the Middle East. India received 30 percent of France’s arms exports in 2018–22, and France displaced the USA as the second largest supplier of arms to India after Russia.
‘France is gaining a bigger share of the global arms market as Russian arms exports decline, as seen in India, for example,’ said Pieter D. Wezeman, Senior Researcher with the SIPRI Arms Transfers Programme. ‘This seems likely to continue, as by the end of 2022, France had far more outstanding orders for arms exports than Russia.’
3. CSTO Collapsed. Armenia and Kazakhstan want security cooperation agreements with the U.S.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s harsh criticism of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) at its summit late last month is the latest sign that the military bloc is falling apart, analysts say.
Six former Soviet republics are members of the Moscow-led CSTO: Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan.
The bloc was created in the early 1990s immediately after the collapse of the Soviet Union, ostensibly for collective defense against external aggression, including terrorist attacks.
Since its creation, however, CSTO member Armenia has fought two wars — in the 1990s and in 2020 — with Azerbaijan over the Armenian-populated enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh in Azerbaijan.
Armenia in September asked for military help from Moscow, which is obligated under the treaty to defend Armenia in the event of a foreign invasion, as it accused Azerbaijan of occupying a pocket of its land seized that month.
The CSTO responded only by sending its secretary-general to the conflict zone and offering to set up a working group to analyze the situation.
Armenia on Monday launched a joint military exercise with the United States, a move that has angered the Caucasus nation’s main ally, Russia.
The “Eagle Partner” war games will run through Sept. 20 and involve 175 Armenian and 85 troops. They reflect Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s efforts to forge closer ties with the United States and other Western allies amid the simmering tensions with neighboring Azerbaijan.
The Armenian Defense Ministry said that the drills are aimed at increasing interoperability of units participating in international peacekeeping missions and exchanging tactical skills.
Moscow has reacted with dismay. On Friday, the Russian Foreign Ministry summoned the Armenian ambassador to lodge a formal protest over the exercises and other moves by Armenia that it described as “unfriendly.”
Russia has been Armenia’s main economic partner and ally since the 1991 Soviet collapse. Landlocked Armenia hosts a Russian military base and is part of the Moscow-led security alliance of ex-Soviet nations, the Collective Security Treaty Organization.
Kazakhstan’s security forces receive funds from the U.S. International Military Education and Training program, the Foreign Military Financing program, the Overseas Humanitarian Disaster and Civic Aid program, the Wales Initiative Fund, the Global Peace Operations Initiative, and the Building Partner Capacity program.
Soldiers from the U.S., U.K. and Kazakhstan are joining forces here for Exercise Steppe Eagle, a two-phase training event designed to refine peacekeeping and peace support operations tasks while improving interoperability and military cooperation with key partner nations.
The first phase of the exercise began Monday with a ceremony at the Ilisky Training Area.
In its 13th iteration, Steppe Eagle provides multilateral forces with the opportunity to promote cooperation among participating forces, practice crisis management, and enhance readiness through realistic, modern-day interactive scenarios.
Gen. Maj. Daulet Ospanov, commander of the Kazakhstan Airmobile Forces, recognized the importance of the exercise.
“The experience gained by our soldiers is very valuable,” said the general. He added that with their partners, the Kazakhstanis would work on enhancing interoperability and readiness in order to participate in joint peacekeeping operations with partner nations.
Col. Andrew Berrier, U.S. defense attaché, noted Steppe Eagle is growing more important as partner nations get closer to deploying on UN peacekeeping missions.
4. Azerbaijan declared sovereignty over Nagorno-Karabakh.
Azerbaijan has restored the territorial integrity of the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Azerbaijan regained control of the surrounding territory and a significant part of Nagorno-Karabakh in a six-week war with Armenia in 2020. A Russia-brokered truce that ended the war left the region connected to Armenia by just one road known as the Lachin Corridor, along which Russian peacekeeping forces were supposed to ensure free movement.
Since December, Azerbaijan has blockaded that road, severely restricting the delivery of food, medical supplies, and other essentials to the region of about 120,000 people.
5. Vietnam and Algeria want security cooperation agreements with the U.S. Both countries want to buy F-16V Block 70.
Military analysts say Vietnam is desperate for a new generation of powerful fighter jets and other arms, and recent news reports indicate the country could be seeking them from both the United States and Russia, although no details can be confirmed.
Reuters reported Saturday that the Biden administration is in talks with Vietnam over an agreement for the largest transfer of arms between the two countries, including F-16 fighter jets. The report says the deal is still in its early stages and may not come together. But it was a key topic of recent Vietnamese-U.S. Talks in Hanoi, New York and Washington over the past month, according to Reuters.
A few weeks ago, before President Joe Biden visited Vietnam and upgraded the two country’s relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, the New York Times reported that Vietnam’s military was pursuing a secret Russian arms deal that would violate U.S. sanctions on Moscow.
Since the release of the report, U.S. and Vietnamese officials have declined to discuss the issue.
The deal was outlined in a March 2023 document from Vietnam’s Ministry of Finance and has been verified by former and current Vietnamese officials, according to the Times report. The Times report contends that Hanoi plans to fund defense purchases by shifting $8 billion over 20 years to Vietsovpetro – a joint oil venture in Siberia.
Although experts say the Times report is well-founded, it is unclear whether it will go through and how it could affect Hanoi’s standing with Western partners, particularly the United States.
6. Malaysia purchased FA-50 from South Korea, ditching Su-30MKM and MiG-29M2.
During the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (LIMA 2023) in Malaysia, the defense ministers of Malaysia, and South Korea and the president of Korean Aerospace Industries (KAI) conducted the signing of the contract for 18 FA-50 aircraft and support, worth USD 920 million.
The final contract signing ceremony for the sale of 18 FA-50 advanced trainers/light fighters to Malaysia took place on 23 September. The transaction has a total value of $920 million.
7. Indonesia purchased Rafale and F-15EX fighter jets, ditching Su-35.
The August 21 announcement that Indonesia will buy 24 F-15EX fighters from Boeing BA -1.1% is a breakthrough for the nation’s biggest aerospace company and a further success for the Biden administration’s strategy of strengthening ties in the Indo-Pacific region.
Indonesia entered August 10 the second phase of buying the Rafale, with an 18-strong order entering into force, part of the total acquisition of 42 units, the aircraft builder, Dassault Aviation, said in a statement.
The order for 42 Rafale for the Indonesian air force is worth €8.1 billion, a French defense official said when the deal with Jakarta was announced in February last year.
“As part of the contract signed by Indonesia on February 2022 for the acquisition of 42 Rafale, the second tranche of 18 Rafale came into force today,” the company said August 10.
8. India and UAE purchased Rafale M and Rafale, respectively, ditching the Su-35 and Su-75.
The deal to procure the Rafale-Ms will cost India at least $8 billion (Rs 65,920 crore) and will be executed through an inter-governmental agreement between India and France. India will acquire 22 single-seater Rafale-Ms and four of its twin-seater trainer versions.
The Ministry of Defense on Thursday granted approval for the acquisition of 26 Rafale Marine fighter jets and three Scorpene diesel-electric submarines from France.
This paves the way for the official announcement of these two significant deals at the Modi-Macron summit scheduled for Friday.
The proposed inter-governmental agreement for the Rafale-M fighters includes the purchase of 22 single-seat jets and four twin-seat trainers, along with associated equipment, weapons, simulators, spares, crew training, and logistic support.
9. India canceled joint production of frigate, submarine, Su-30MKI, Mi-28, and Mi-17. India canceled a $10 billion weapons deal with Russia, including MiG-29K and helicopter deals.
Russia continues to be India’s largest arms supplier, even though its share of Indian defence imports fell from 62% to 45% between 2017-2022, a report says.
Sipri said that Russia’s position as India’s main arm supplier was “under pressure due to strong competition from other supplier states, increased Indian arms production” and “constraints on Russia’s arms exports related to its invasion of Ukraine”.
Meanwhile, France’s defence exports to India increased by 489% between 2013-17 and 2018-22, the report said. France ranks third in the list of global arms exporters – behind the US and Russia, but ahead of China and Germany.
Delhi’s orders to France included around 62 combat aircraft and four submarines, Sipri said.
The fall in Russia’s share coincides with calls for Delhi to take tougher a stand on the Ukraine war.
Moscow has been a time-tested ally of India and the two countries have shared a close defense relationship for decades but recently the Indian Army canceled Russian-made tanks and rifles deals, while its air force canceled Sukhoi fighter jets and Mi-17 helicopters deals.
10. Syria and Belarus seek to enhance diplomatic ties with China instead of Russia.
China’s defense minister promises to boost cooperation with Russian ally Belarus and Syria. Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu visited Belarus and said his country would increase military cooperation with Russia’s neighbor and ally, where Moscow is deploying tactical nuclear weapons.
Shangfu met with strongman President Alexander Lukashenko in Minsk and said “The purpose of my visit to Belarus is precisely the implementation of important agreements at the level of heads of state and the further strengthening of bilateral military cooperation.”
Neither side gave details of what the cooperation will entail, but the two countries have agreed to hold joint military exercises next year.
Assad is on his first official trip to China in almost two decades as he seeks financial support to rebuild his devastated country, as well as rehabilitation for his regime from years of isolation over Syria’s civil war.
He will attend the opening ceremony of the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou on Saturday.
Xi and Assad met in the eastern Chinese city on Friday afternoon, state media said.
“Today, we will jointly announce the establishment of the China-Syria strategic partnership, which will become an important milestone in the history of bilateral relations,” Xi told Assad, according to a readout from state broadcaster CCTV.
11. Russia lost almost 300,000 service members, including special forces and airborne, which took them two decades to build.
More than 300,000 fighters from the Kremlin’s forces have been killed or wounded since February 24, the U.S. now estimates — outlining Moscow’s massive losses as its military leaders scramble to recruit more men and prepare for an impending F-16 delivery to Ukraine.
The figure could spell trouble ahead for President Vladimir Putin. He faces a second year at war with the land he seized increasingly in Kyiv’s recapturing and with his military’s struggles forcing the Kremlin to balance battlefield necessities with domestic pressures.
The casualty figure includes around 70,000 Russians who have been killed in about six months, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters Monday.
12. Russian Ruble converted into toilet tissues.
The currency collapsed in the immediate aftermath of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, dropping as low as 136 to the dollar in March 2022. It then soared to around 50 rubles to the dollar in June last year, as oil and natural gas prices surged.
A weaker ruble worsens inflation by making imports more expensive in the Russian currency. And the ruble’s weakness is increasingly being passed through to prices people pay. Inflation hit 7.6% over the past three months.
Higher interest rates will make it more expensive to get credit, and that should limit domestic demand for goods — including imports. So the central bank is trying to cool off the domestic economy to lower inflation.
It raised its key interest rate from 8.5% to 12% at an emergency meeting Tuesday after the ruble’s fall was criticized by a Kremlin economic adviser.
Sanctions are having an impact even if they are not collapsing the economy. Exports — and thus the ruble — have fallen because Western allies have boycotted Russian oil and imposed a price cap on oil exports to non-Western nations. The sanctions prevent insurers or shippers who are mainly based in the West from handling Russian oil above $60 a barrel.
The cap and boycott have forced Russia to sell at a discount and take expensive steps such as obtaining a fleet of ghost tankers that are beyond the reach of sanctions.
13. Destruction of Russian weapons
Russia has lost over 34,000 pieces of military equipment and weapons between destroyed and captured gear since it launched the invasion of Ukraine last year, according to Oryx, a military blog that records both sides’ losses based on verifiable visual evidence.
Oryx reported that in total Russia lost 21,146 of which 9,459 were destroyed, 425 were damaged, 422 were abandoned, and 2840 were captured.
Since February 2022 Ukraine has destroyed more than 100 major Russian electronic warfare systems, reported BBC News. Intelligence units like Alain’s work relentlessly to increase this number, by locating them.
Oryx, or Oryxspioenkop, is a Dutch open-source intelligence defense analysis website, and a warfare research group that provides correct data about losses of both sides.
| Equipment | Destroyed | Captured | Costs (USD Billion) |
| Main Battle Tanks (T-55, T-60, T-72, T-90s) | 7334 | 550 | $18 |
| Armored Vehicles (BTR family) | 9080 | 640 | $8 |
| Artillery (towed, self-propelled) | 4345 | 0 | $2.90 |
| Mine Resistance Ambush Protected Vehicle | 883 | 25 | $1.30 |
| Infantry Fighting Vehicles | 3557 | 599 | $3.90 |
| Multiple Launch Rocket Systems | 589 | 0 | $2.40 |
| anti-air gun | 193 | 18 | $0.90 |
| Air Defense System (TOR, Buk, Pantsir, S-300 and S-400) | 257 | 23 | $17 |
| Fighter Jets and aircraft (Sukhoi family) | 335 | 0 | $10.50 |
| Airborne Command Post (Tu-22, Mi-8) | 45 | 0 | $1 |
| Early Warning Aircraft | 2 | 0 | $0.80 |
| EW Vehciles | 45 | 0 | $0.30 |
| Radars | 145 | 0 | $1.80 |
| Helicopters | 375 | 0 | $4.70 |
| Drones | 2026 | 0 | $.5 |
| Cruise Missiles (Kalibr, Kh-55, Kh-101, Kh-31) | 902 | 0 | $4.50 |
| Ballistic Missiles (Iskandar Family) | 402 | 0 | $2.80 |
| Warship | 25 | 0 | $5 |
| Submarine | 1 | 0 | $0.30 |
| Transport Vehicles | 5212 | 0 | $1.00 |
| Special Vehicles (mobility, engineering, support) | 526 | 0 | $0.50 |
| Munitions (Missiles, Rockets, Bullets, Bombs, shells) | Unknown | 0 | $80 |
| Infrastructure damages (2 major bridges, 2 ports) | $10 | ||
| Head Quarters Destroyed or damaged | $5 | ||
| Total | $183 Billion |
For instance, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence reported that the Russian military had lost 7334 tanks, 9080 armored vehicles, 335 military jets, 25 warships, and one submarine, after a year and a half of fighting.
During the Cold War, the term came to apply to anyone in the West or those who opposed Russia, he said.
“Anyone can be a fascist” in Russian propaganda, Snyder said, adding that it “carries a vague emotion … for anyone anti-Russian.”
“A Nazi can only be a German,” he adds. “So sometimes we throw the words around, but a Nazi is a member of the National Socialist Party in Germany in the 1930s or 1940s. There were certainly efforts in the postwar Soviet Union to find collaborators, but not to find Nazis per se…You cannot denazify when there are no Nazis.”
Ukraine’s state-run Twitter account on Thursday posted an image of what appeared to be a tall Adolf Hitler caressing the face of a smaller Putin.
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