Russia's army is on the brink of collapse but Vladimir Putin sees the loss of some 30,000 troops as a "price worth paying" for a small win the in Donbas region, it is reported. According to a report written by a "top UK analyst on Russia" the Russian president still believes he can get a “partial victory” despite Kremlin insiders trying to convince him that the invasion has been a disaster.
Meanwhile, Russia on 24th February launched its invasion of Ukraine. And, according to the latest updates, Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskiy earlier lamented the delay in EU leaders imposing heavier sanctions against Vladimir Putin. “The pause in agreeing on new sanctions in Europe has been too long,” he said. Zelenskiy claims that Russia is blocking the export of 22m tons of grain from Ukraine’s ports and warned it posed a threat of famine. “Russia’s blockade of our exports is destabilising the situation on a global scale,” he said in his latest national address. Also, the latest sanctions package also includes removing access to Swift payments for Russia’s largest bank, Sberbank; banning three more Russian state-owned broadcasters; and further sanctions against “individuals responsible for war crimes in Ukraine”.