"Putin Continues To Play The Same Game With A Deadpan Expression"

• Alexander Morozov
• 23.09.2026, 13:20

The Kremlin can neither take the Donbas nor put an end to the "chaos."

The question was: What is the significance of the Ukrainian shelling of warehouses and oil refineries? My answer was this: Economists will speak to the economic consequences, but here’s what can be said about the political significance.

Until 2026, Putin constantly appeared in public and told the population: military operations are taking place “somewhere out there,” our valiant military is carrying out a special mission, and here we are continuing to develop bike paths and the Northern Sea Route; your incomes are growing, we’re keeping inflation in check, there’s nothing to worry about, and as for those who sign up—those are their own decisions; they’re the ones fighting over there.

And then in 2026, this all came to a head, thanks to the fact that warehouses and “capotnya” are burning.

Putin continues to play the same game publicly, with a deadpan expression and obvious senile bitterness, but it looks different now. Because:


1) As a result of the war shifting to the interior, the concept of capturing the Donbas has fallen by the wayside.


2) The year is ending with everyone—the Americans, Erdogan, and just about everyone else—united in urging Putin to sign an agreement to stop these shelling attacks on civilian infrastructure in the rear, since this is a simple, straightforward idea of “de-escalation.”

But Putin can’t do it. He’s stuck in his ways, hoping to turn the situation in his favor by shelling Ukraine. But that’s impossible. Because the drone alliance is developing rapidly, and the “fire” will keep burning.

3) Ultra-nationalists are turning away from Putinism because “Oh no! We’re losing the war.”

That’s roughly how things stand at the end of 2026. It ends with the Kremlin being unable to either capture Donbas or stop the “mess.”

Alexander Morozov, Facebook .