Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 6 days ago
How is Russia’s military getting worse despite years of war? Explore battlefield failures, corruption, drone warfare, false reporting, and the hidden incentives driving Moscow’s costly mistakes in Ukraine today revealed.
Go deeper than the video — the full written analysis, plus WarFronts Weekly free to your inbox.
go.fronts.co/warfronts?v=_8VN0CGfyR0
Get full conflict briefings, and members-only analysis at fronts.co
fronts.co
Join the community and discuss current flashpoints in real time:
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Love the content? Explore Simon's other YouTube channels:
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SideProjects: youtube.com/@Sideprojects
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Today I Found Out: youtube.com/@TodayIFoundOut
Brain Blaze: youtube.com/@brainblaze6526
Casual Criminalist: youtube.com/@TheCasualCriminalist
Decoding the Unknown: youtube.com/@decodingtheunknown2373
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Celestium: youtube.com/@Celestium1234
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References
nytimes.com/2025/07/26/world/europe/russia-corruption-ukraine-war.html
nytimes.com/2026/02/19/world/europe/russia-military-corruption.html
economist.com/europe/2026/04/01/on-the-front-lines-russian-soldiers-pay-officers-to-stay-alive
rferl.org/a/russia-defense-ministry-corruption-investigations-shoigu-putin/33732103.html
rferl.org/a/a-russian-general-s-secret-bribes-inside-a-wartime-corruption-network/33709992.html
kyivpost.com/post/74077
united24media.com/latest-news/pay-or-die-how-corruption-is-reshaping-russias-war-effort-in-ukraine-17539
telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/02/19/russian-commanders-demand-30k-spare-soldiers-front-line
rferl.org/a/russia-ukraine-war-casualties-wounded-return/33771000.html
bbc.com/news/articles/cz7gw3l395ro
militarnyi.com/en/news/russia-wounded-to-front-before-recovery
dw.com/en/ukraine-war-wounded-russian-soldiers-sent-back-to-the-front/a-71474444
rferl.org/a/russia-military-corruption-ukraine-war-bribery/33692902.html
cepa.org/article/putin-demands-more-efficient-military-corruption
pbs.org/newshour/show/russian-corruption-fuels-massive-casualties-in-ukraine
rusi.org/news-and-comment/in-the-news/russia-ramps-aerial-attacks-it-struggles-ground-ukraine
france24.com/en/strikes-on-russian-strategic-sites-show-ukraine-ramping-up-long-range-strikes
theweek.com/defence/russia-economy-ukraine-end
csis.org/analysis/russias-grinding-war-ukraine
wsj.com/world/russias-war-is-going-badlyon-the-ground-and-in-the-air-447ce204
atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/ukrainealert/ukrainian-battlefield-gains-expose-russias-communications-problems
carnegieendowment.org/russia-eurasia/politika/2026/05/russia-drone-defense-economy
euromaidanpress.com/2026/05/01/russians-falling-back
foreignpolicy.com/2026/06/03/ukraine-mid-range-drones-russia-war-success
businessinsider.com/ukraine-secret-drone-morrigan-russian-highway-r280-novorossiya-mid-range-2026-6
understandingwar.org/research/russia-ukraine/the-critical-importance-of-ukraines-fortress-belt-in-donetsk-oblast
kyivindependent.com/with-fresh-pressure-near-sloviansk-russias-stop-start-offensive-nears-ukraines-fortress-belt
atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/ukrainealert/putin-wants-to-capture-ukraines-crucial-fortress-belt-without-a-fight
economist.com/europe/2026/01/07/ukraine-now-has-the-fortress-belt-it-wishes-it-had-in-2022
bbc.com/news/articles/cdjp0n7rn41o
france24.com/en/europe/20260601-ukraine-kamikaze-drone-partially-operated-ai-attacking-russian-convoys
theguardian.com/world/2026/jun/03/ukraine-drones-st-petersburg-russia-economic-forum
reuters.com/world/europe/russia-has-taken-1700-square-km-ukraine-this-year-top-general-says-2026-04-21
understandingwar.org/research/russia-ukraine/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-april-14-2026
cepa.org/article/russias-threadbare-air-defenses
https://x.com/thetect0nic/status/2062560807880200597
https://x.com/ChrisO_wiki/status/2062449139045028094
https://x.com/ChrisO_wiki/status/2062437001186484507
https://x.com/lisahaseldine/status/2062484708680688036
https://x.com/ChrisO_wiki/status/2062517497761333380
https://x.com/TrentTelenko/status/2061829297535377508
https://x.com/ChrisO_wiki/status/2062521607415881762
https://x.com/shashj/status/2061761153584214434
https://x.com/Archer83Able/status/2062522316223865171
How is Russia’s military getting worse despite years of war? Explore battlefield failures, corruption, drone warfare, false reporting, and the hidden incentives driving Moscow’s costly mistakes in Ukraine today revealed.
Go deeper than the video — the full written analysis, plus WarFronts Weekly free to your inbox.
go.fronts.co/warfronts?v=_8VN0CGfyR0
Get full conflict briefings, and members-only analysis at fronts.co
fronts.co
Join the community and discuss current flashpoints in real time:
reddit.com/r/frontsco
Love the content? Explore Simon's other YouTube channels:
Megaprojects: youtube.com/@megaprojects9649
SideProjects: youtube.com/@Sideprojects
Into The Shadows: youtube.com/@IntotheShadows
Today I Found Out: youtube.com/@TodayIFoundOut
Brain Blaze: youtube.com/@brainblaze6526
Casual Criminalist: youtube.com/@TheCasualCriminalist
Decoding the Unknown: youtube.com/@decodingtheunknown2373
Places: youtube.com/@Places302
Celestium: youtube.com/@Celestium1234
HomeFronts: youtube.com/@homefronts
Simon on social:
Twitter: twitter.com/SimonWhistler
Instagram: instagram.com/simonwhistler
References
nytimes.com/2025/07/26/world/europe/russia-corruption-ukraine-war.html
nytimes.com/2026/02/19/world/europe/russia-military-corruption.html
economist.com/europe/2026/04/01/on-the-front-lines-russian-soldiers-pay-officers-to-stay-alive
rferl.org/a/russia-defense-ministry-corruption-investigations-shoigu-putin/33732103.html
rferl.org/a/a-russian-general-s-secret-bribes-inside-a-wartime-corruption-network/33709992.html
kyivpost.com/post/74077
united24media.com/latest-news/pay-or-die-how-corruption-is-reshaping-russias-war-effort-in-ukraine-17539
telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/02/19/russian-commanders-demand-30k-spare-soldiers-front-line
rferl.org/a/russia-ukraine-war-casualties-wounded-return/33771000.html
bbc.com/news/articles/cz7gw3l395ro
militarnyi.com/en/news/russia-wounded-to-front-before-recovery
dw.com/en/ukraine-war-wounded-russian-soldiers-sent-back-to-the-front/a-71474444
rferl.org/a/russia-military-corruption-ukraine-war-bribery/33692902.html
cepa.org/article/putin-demands-more-efficient-military-corruption
pbs.org/newshour/show/russian-corruption-fuels-massive-casualties-in-ukraine
rusi.org/news-and-comment/in-the-news/russia-ramps-aerial-attacks-it-struggles-ground-ukraine
france24.com/en/strikes-on-russian-strategic-sites-show-ukraine-ramping-up-long-range-strikes
theweek.com/defence/russia-economy-ukraine-end
csis.org/analysis/russias-grinding-war-ukraine
wsj.com/world/russias-war-is-going-badlyon-the-ground-and-in-the-air-447ce204
atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/ukrainealert/ukrainian-battlefield-gains-expose-russias-communications-problems
carnegieendowment.org/russia-eurasia/politika/2026/05/russia-drone-defense-economy
euromaidanpress.com/2026/05/01/russians-falling-back
foreignpolicy.com/2026/06/03/ukraine-mid-range-drones-russia-war-success
businessinsider.com/ukraine-secret-drone-morrigan-russian-highway-r280-novorossiya-mid-range-2026-6
understandingwar.org/research/russia-ukraine/the-critical-importance-of-ukraines-fortress-belt-in-donetsk-oblast
kyivindependent.com/with-fresh-pressure-near-sloviansk-russias-stop-start-offensive-nears-ukraines-fortress-belt
atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/ukrainealert/putin-wants-to-capture-ukraines-crucial-fortress-belt-without-a-fight
economist.com/europe/2026/01/07/ukraine-now-has-the-fortress-belt-it-wishes-it-had-in-2022
bbc.com/news/articles/cdjp0n7rn41o
france24.com/en/europe/20260601-ukraine-kamikaze-drone-partially-operated-ai-attacking-russian-convoys
theguardian.com/world/2026/jun/03/ukraine-drones-st-petersburg-russia-economic-forum
reuters.com/world/europe/russia-has-taken-1700-square-km-ukraine-this-year-top-general-says-2026-04-21
understandingwar.org/research/russia-ukraine/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-april-14-2026
cepa.org/article/russias-threadbare-air-defenses
https://x.com/thetect0nic/status/2062560807880200597
https://x.com/ChrisO_wiki/status/2062449139045028094
https://x.com/ChrisO_wiki/status/2062437001186484507
https://x.com/lisahaseldine/status/2062484708680688036
https://x.com/ChrisO_wiki/status/2062517497761333380
https://x.com/TrentTelenko/status/2061829297535377508
https://x.com/ChrisO_wiki/status/2062521607415881762
https://x.com/shashj/status/2061761153584214434
https://x.com/Archer83Able/status/2062522316223865171
