They certainly are but they are all subservient to Putin.

No, they’re all on the same team and their collective is the most powerful thing. If the major owners of companies all want a policy change in a capitalist system, they get it. Putin is their political operative and has power with their consent.

They stand to lose quite a lot when Russia loses. And when they decide to cut their losses. Putin will lose his head. That’s why he is so paranoid.

When Russia loses? They are winning, their economy is booming, and the country is stable. You’ve just listed a series of implausible outcomes. Is there a probable one you haven’t told me?

Now I know you’re trolling. Nobody sane will look at Russia’s recent financial figures and conclude that Russian economy is going great.

Happy to discuss them. How is the ruble doing? Total imports and exports? Employment? Shortages? Inflation?

civil war is a real possibility because of disgruntled soldiers. Who are not getting paid

The RF pays its soldiers.

Don’t get what they are promised in terms of equipment training etc.

This also happens in the US but their only civil war was over slavery. What evidence do you have that this is widespread and leading to organized treason?

General mismanagement, corruption and abuse in the Russian army.

Have you ever heard a person that was in the US army talk about any of those things? Why would this mean one thing in the RF and another in the US?

The number of casualties cannot be hidden any more either

Hidden? So you know the real number?

Recruiting more soldiers is getting harder and harder for Russia. Why else would they pay more and more money for recruitment?

This does not make it unsustainable. This was also the logic and methodology used by the US when it was officially in hot wars.

The people know how fucked up things are for a common soldier. Especially now that Ukraine is in Kursk. Where most of the soldiers were conscripts.

You have a read on the bulk sentiment of, “the people”? How?

Then why are Chinese banks refusing to work with Russia for fear of sanctions?

Because those are small Chinese banks that don’t feel confident they’ve worked around sanctions. Small fry. I assume you just read a headline from around two weeks ago?

Why Russian banks resorting to crypto currencies and paying middle-men to conduct trade?

Because it is an easy way to bypass international finance restrictions. The necessity of things like this is why other countries are desperate to join alternatives to SWIFT.

It certainly has. Refurbishing old soviet-era tanks from cold storage. Russia is not producing new tanks nearly fast enough compared to what they are losing in Ukraine.

Oh? How many is it producing vs losing?

Again with the trolling about strong Russian economy when the financial figures give quite a different picture.

Should I start calling you a troll every time you disagree with me? Is this logical, to you?

Russian currency reserves are falling. Next to go will be the gold reserves. Russia only has Chinese yuan and gold left. And China is now demanding payments in gold.

It is spending its reserves, yes. But this means less for a country with a strong industrial base and sufficient bilateral trade.

Inflation is really high.

Tell me the number. How does it compare to other countries over the last 4 years?

Ruble is weak. And holding on by artificial restrictions.

The ruble is stronger now than before the invasion.

Due to the war and declining population, both due to brain drain and lack of children, Russia has a severe worker shortage.

Then wages should be rapidly rising. Are wages rapidly rising?

These are not the signs of a strong and healthy economy.

To get a sense of how the real economy is doing you have to look at statistics you haven’t even mentioned.