Vladimir Putin: "the collapse of the Soviet Union was the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of…"

Russian President Vladimir Putin, who once described the breakup of the Soviet Union as the worst geopolitical disaster of the 20th century, is now waging a war in Ukraine that he has framed as an effort to reclaim that lost stature. His forces have suffered enormous losses—over 325,000 dead and 900,000 wounded by some estimates—and are reportedly supplementing their ranks with North Korean troops, including a possible new deployment of 30,000 soldiers. Domestic recruitment is slowing despite large cash incentives, and there are growing signs that Putin may order another unpopular mobilization, possibly after parliamentary elections in September. The situation underscores how the invasion, intended to restore Russian power, has instead stretched the country’s military and human resources to a critical point.