Russian invasion of Ukraine

[Mazzarelli's Swiss Cheese]

Ukraine is poor for sure, at least by European standards.

GDP per capita is ~$4.3k, similar to countries like Namibia and Mongolia.

Russia is around $11k. Bulgaria is the lowest EU country again at ~$11k. UK is ~$45k

List of countries by GDP (nominal) per capita - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Corruption is rather more subjective I guess, but there is a corruption index.

Ukraine ranks #117, not much better than Russia #129. UK is #11, with Denmark and NZ in the lead.

2020 Corruption Perceptions Index - Explore the results

How does your country measure up in the 2020 Corruption Perceptions Index?

www.transparency.org

Ukraine is poor for sure, at least by European standards.

GDP per capita is ~$4.3k, similar to countries like Namibia and Mongolia.

Russia is around $11k. Bulgaria is the lowest EU country again at ~$11k. UK is ~$45k

List of countries by GDP (nominal) per capita - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Corruption is rather more subjective I guess, but there is a corruption index.

Ukraine ranks #117, not much better than Russia #129. UK is #11, with Denmark and NZ in the lead.

2020 Corruption Perceptions Index - Explore the results

How does your country measure up in the 2020 Corruption Perceptions Index?

www.transparency.org

I suppose kaz is correct in that Ukraine is resource rich? As in many African countries this doesn't translate into national wealth - maybe because of corruption

 

[BlueAnorak]

The Russians with a calculated casualty rate of around 30% from the war so far are ploughing on regardless. The scope of their offensive though much reduced will continue regardless of the number of casualties they take.
As it stands, Ukraine will probably survive as a nation state but Putin either gets a phyric victory in the east or Russia could well collapse as a nation state.
He is unlikely to be unseated as glogious leader for just this reason. As such he will try to achieve a win regardless of the cost. He is a sociopath and doesn't give a shit about his soilders so long as the goal is achieved.
Just so you understand, I read somewhere over the last week that the Somme casualty rate (dead and injured) was around 25% - a sobering thought.

 

[domalino]

Ukraine is poor for sure, at least by European standards.

GDP per capita is ~$4.3k, similar to countries like Namibia and Mongolia.

Russia is around $11k. Bulgaria is the lowest EU country again at ~$11k. UK is ~$45k

List of countries by GDP (nominal) per capita - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Corruption is rather more subjective I guess, but there is a corruption index.

Ukraine ranks #117, not much better than Russia #129. UK is #11, with Denmark and NZ in the lead.

2020 Corruption Perceptions Index - Explore the results

How does your country measure up in the 2020 Corruption Perceptions Index?

www.transparency.org

The thing that this doesn't take into account is that Russia is rich in St Petersburg and Moscow, and dirt poor everywhere else - much poorer than Ukraine on average. One of GDP's biggest flaws is not accoutning for income inequality and there's nowhere with more inequality than Russia.

Also Ukraine is sitting on huge unrealised mineral wealth, and joining the EU is the gateway to unlocking that and huge amounts of money pouring into the county now that's its in charge of an anti-corruption government.

We have all seen the reports of Russian soldiers in Ukraine who'd never seen streetlights before. Never had indoor toilets. They're stealing washing machines en masse.

 

[roubaixtuesday]

The thing that this doesn't take into account is that Russia is rich in St Petersburg and Moscow, and dirt poor everywhere else - much poorer than Ukraine on average. One of GDP's biggest flaws is not accoutning for income inequality and there's nowhere with more inequality than Russia.

Also Ukraine is sitting on huge unrealised mineral wealth, and joining the EU is the gateway to unlocking that and huge amounts of money pouring into the county now that's its in charge of an anti-corruption government.

We have all seen the reports of Russian soldiers in Ukraine who'd never seen streetlights before. Never had indoor toilets. They're stealing washing machines en masse.

Sure, it's imperfect, and Russians seem (like everyone else to be fair) to recruit their soldiers from the poorest parts of the country.

But nevertheless, Ukraine is, not just by European, but by world standards, relatively poor and corrupt. In Europe, it is the poorest country bar none, according to that Wiki list from the IMF.

Which makes their defence against Russia all the more impressive IMO.

 

[Tuearts right boot]

The thing that this doesn't take into account is that Russia is rich in St Petersburg and Moscow, and dirt poor everywhere else - much poorer than Ukraine on average. One of GDP's biggest flaws is not accoutning for income inequality and there's nowhere with more inequality than Russia.

Also Ukraine is sitting on huge unrealised mineral wealth, and joining the EU is the gateway to unlocking that and huge amounts of money pouring into the county now that's its in charge of an anti-corruption government.

We have all seen the reports of Russian soldiers in Ukraine who'd never seen streetlights before. Never had indoor toilets. They're stealing washing machines en masse.

How the fuck does a russian squaddie steal a washing machine ???.....can hardly send it by DHL 24 hr overnight, it wont fit in a tank on its way back to base and he's not carrying it around with him until it's all over...." Igor, comrade....can you do us a favour, Oh and dont scratch it "

 

[Indaparkside]

How the fuck does a russian squaddie steal a washing machine ???.....can hardly send it by DHL 24 hr overnight, it wont fit in a tank on its way back to base and he's not carrying it around with him until it's all over...." Igor, comrade....can you do us a favour, Oh and dont scratch it "

He could put it on a cycle

 

[Tuearts right boot]

He could put it on a cycle

Sometime I never see the bleeding obvious....

 

[Deleted member 77198]

He has probably tried to get a puppet into power but failed already.

He knew that everyday without one of hos puppets in power in Ukraine is another day closer to them moving irreversibly towards democracy and freedom. And each step away from Russia makes it more difficult.

Kleptocratic Russia is locked in to destroying emerging symbolic threats in neighbouring countries. They fear contagious pro-democracy sentiment rising in Russia and toppling the elite.

See China also cracking down in Hong Kong and pushing back against their relative freedoms as compared to the mainland.

He got a puppet onto power through rigged elections and he threw all the opposition leaders in gaol.

Then the Ukrainian people overthrew him.

 

[domalino]

How the fuck does a russian squaddie steal a washing machine ???.....can hardly send it by DHL 24 hr overnight, it wont fit in a tank on its way back to base and he's not carrying it around with him until it's all over...." Igor, comrade....can you do us a favour, Oh and dont scratch it "

They have lorries and trucks lol.

There was a picture of a Russian truck hit by artillery and you could see half a dozen burned out washing machines in the back, I’ll try and find it.

Apparently their biggest problem is that the Russian posties are stealing for themselves all the stolen shit the soldiers are posting home.

 

[Tuearts right boot]

They have lorries and trucks lol.

There was a picture of a Russian truck hit by artillery and you could see half a dozen burned out washing machines in the back, I’ll try and find it.

Apparently their biggest problem is that the Russian posties are stealing for themselves all the stolen shit the soldiers are posting home.

...like a rubbish version of Kellys Heroes.

 

[bluemoon32]

He could put it on a cycle

****, beat me to it

 

[Paul1970]

A Russian friend of mine can't understand why they would want it either, or more to the point, why go to war over it.

The country is poor and extremely corrupt, so why not simply buy the support and influence at whatever cost? In hindsight it would have been so much cheaper.

He used to have a lot of respect for Putin, but now considers him a fool and I'm sure that many other Russians feel the same.

Bit like Hungary tbh . We always moan about having land in Romania and Slovakia and even in Serbia but if they turned round and said you can have it back we’d shit it because we couldn’t afford to keep it .

 

[Kippaxpete]

Ukraine isnt poor and corrupt

Sorry to disappoint you but Ukraine ranked 122nd out of 180 countries on the official corruption index in 2021, the second most corrupt in Europe, with Russia the most at 136.

 

[Big mals fedora]

He could put it on a cycle

Is that the cycle that was outside the Chippy????

 

[Gaylord du Bois]

We have all seen the reports of Russian soldiers in Ukraine who'd never seen streetlights before. Never had indoor toilets. They're stealing washing machines en masse.

Marx my words. It won't be long before they're snatching plumbers from Poland.

 

[Gaylord du Bois]

...like a rubbish version of Kellys Heroes.

Going to bust into a Currys depot.

 

[Tuearts right boot]

He could put it on a cycle

Oh very good, have a cigar....the penny has just dropped.

 

[domalino]

 

[mancity2012_eamo]

Is that the cycle that was outside the Chippy????

Don’t know.
I ordered smoked not fresh cod.

 

[Blue Maverick]

He could put it on a cycle

Whichever way they do it the Russians will put a spin on it.