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For decades, Russia’s military was like a bodybuilder on Instagram — big, muscular, constantly flexing, and suspiciously oiled up. It had the tanks, the jets, the nuclear warheads, and a president who liked to pose shirtless on horses as if he was auditioning for a perfume ad called Dominance.
Then, in February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine.
And within days, it became clear: the military superpower everyone feared had the coordination of a drunk man assembling IKEA furniture.
Instead of a swift victory, Russian tanks were breaking down on the highways. Soldiers were Googling “how to find food in a war zone.” Generals were shouting orders into radios that didn’t work because, as it turns out, embezzling military funds for yachts and luxury apartments doesn’t lead to great battlefield performance.
What went wrong? Oh, so much.
The Billion-Dollar Military That Runs on Duct Tape
Russia’s military budget is massive — one of the biggest in the world. In theory, this should mean cutting-edge weapons, well-trained soldiers, and vehicles that don’t fall apart the moment they hit a speed bump.
In practice, it meant a lot of rich officials buying mansions in London while troops were…
