Ukraine said it shot down a $36 million Su-34 bomber jet inside Russia

Why would China need to invade Russia when they can just buy the resources? Russia would certainly like something to cover the huge trade imbalance.

Right, China has an opportunity now while Russia is desperate, and that window will be open at least a generation for Russia to rebuild and repopulate, so this could be much earlier than OP predicted

I still don't really see China attacking Taiwan as a particularly likely since it would involve tangling with the US, which may not come to anything but is an unknown factor.

So they'd become a kind of vassal state?

I could totally see that, especially if something happens to Putin.

China is expanding into both economically. That's been the strategy for the last 50 years.

Ah, you mean Russia's perpetual solution until Ukraine won their independence.

Solid propaganda but I am sure China can machine them some fucking ball bearings lol

There are shortages though.

Yeah, even if it ends tomorrow (which it will not, not even close) this has totally screwed over Russia.

That goes both ways, at least a little. It would be risky for Russia to ever use nukes, even on their own territory. It certainly wouldn't make the west happy, and their citizens probably don't want to see their own villages with mushroom clouds over them.

Putin big brain work from home strategy

Yeah was gonna say... Russia has abducted and moved native populations as part of their imperialism, for most of their history. Ukraine presumably doesn't want to take over Russia so they have no need for such inhumane tricks.

Right on, this isn't about Ukraine's restraint, it's about Russia's psychopathy.

If you have a proper supply chain and logistics you don't need to rely on taking civilians stuff. The russian military and the members who loot the villages are just despicable

The Russian (and the Soviet) army was never great at maneuver warfare. That requires field autonomy from commanders. Autocrats can't keep a strong, smart, well-trained and somewhat autonomous army since they always fear coups.

That's why historically Russia has been victorious by obliterating cities via massed artillery and air bombardment. This doesn't work so well unless the enemy stays put or assaults your fortified lines.

I wonder what Ukraine's long-term game is with Kursk, taking territory this way they proved they can but keeping it is a whole other story. It certainly keeps their enemy off-balance and forces them to spread while making them look even weaker.

Bucha masacre happened in March 2022. The war started on the 24th of February.

News of civilians shot, raped started flowing in since the start of the war.

russians were doing this while swaths of them were indoctrinated into thinking they will be welcomed with open arms. As saviors.

Stop whitewashing russia.