Russian army's escalating looting in Ukraine amidst brutal shelling
The internet is filled with materials showing Vladimir Putin's soldiers stealing washing machines, refrigerators, and everything else abandoned by the city's residents. Anton Heraszczenko, an adviser to the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs, shared another video.
The Russian army frequently plunders Ukrainian homes, shops, pharmacies, and petrol stations. The Russians steal food products, medicines, and fuel, which are constantly in short supply among their ranks. In many videos on social media, we see desperate soldiers who are starving and must steal to survive another day.
Anton Heraszczenko, adviser to the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs, shared a video on social media that shows Russian occupiers looting the homes of residents of Vovchansk.
Russian army looting in action - we can read on social media.
Ukraine has managed to halt the advance of the Russians, but Vovchansk continues to be under constant shelling. Soldiers estimate that the Russians drop 25-35 air bombs daily. Additionally, artillery and mortar shells fall every few minutes, and drones attack. At least 80% of the city has been destroyed.
Russia previously occupied Vovchansk. The city was taken on the first day of the invasion, 24 February 2022, and then liberated during the offensive in the autumn of the same year.
Poverty in Russia. Residents have problems
Vladimir Ponomaryov, a Russian oppositionist and expert at the Institute of Security and International Development, argues that Russia's economy is in worse shape than before the war. This is a process, and now Moscow has roubles and yuan instead of dollars and euros. Exchanging for hard currency is more expensive, and the economy suffers because of this. Civil sectors are plummeting while the defence sector gains.
In the long run, economic decline is inevitable. The difference between optimists and pessimists lies in the timing: some say it will happen at the turn of 2024/25, while others - 2025/26.
Optimists claim that the continuity of processes will be maintained with an accelerated pace of decline. Pessimists, on the other hand, note that the quality of life for Russians will radically worsen - he explained.
