Nearly six months into his murderous invasion of Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin has brought shame on his once great nation and cemented his own legacy as a war criminal. The lasting ignominy Putin’s war and his lies have brought to Russia are just as self-destructive as they are contemptible and unjustifiable.
The Pentagon estimates Russia has lost up to 80,000 soldiers, killed or wounded, in the conflict. Russia’s invasion has destabilized control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in southern Ukraine, raising fears of a nuclear accident putting Europe at risk. And other Russians are voting with their feet.
By some estimates, hundreds of thousands have left the country in protest, fearing reprisals for their antiwar views, or to avoid possible forced mobilization or closing borders, since Putin launched his war of choice on Feb. 24 against Ukraine. It’s a brain drain of professionals that may cause lasting damage.
