Source: https://
economist.com/culture/2026/0
1/22/a-chilling-yet-plausible-scenario-what-if-putin-wins
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Full-scale invasion and national resilience, broadcasted live.
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A chilling yet plausible scenario: what if Putin wins
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Russian occupation of Ukraine leads to police state and Zelenskyy’s loss
Occupied Ukraine hardens into a police state. Russian settlers arrive. Ukrainians who resist face camps. Guerrilla attacks trigger brutal reprisals. Over a million refugees flee. In free Ukraine, emigration accelerates, the economy stalls, Zelenskyy loses an election. 3/
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Russian victory in Ukraine would shift war to Europe next
A plausible Russian victory in Ukraine wouldn’t end the war. It would move it west. Ukraine is the firewall. If it fails, Europe is next. Carlo Masala maps how Putin could “win” Ukraine — and then dismantle NATO without triggering a full war, The Economist. 1/
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Russia uses chemical agents; Ukraine trains with British masks
Russia uses chemical agents at industrial scale. Ukrainian troops rely on British-made masks. Units must train to fight through chemical exposure, balancing protection against mobility under fire. 5/
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Helicopter MEDEVAC no longer guaranteed; soldiers treat wounded under fire as Russia targets medical units.
Helicopter MEDEVAC is no longer guaranteed. Every soldier must treat wounded under fire. Medical units must harden and disperse — Russia deliberately targets them. 6/
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Drones Dominate Casualties; Need Massed Drones and Layered Defense
In Ukraine, drones kill more soldiers than any other system. Every unit now needs massed drones, trained pilots, and layered air defense — jamming, rifle-level anti-drone sights, vehicle systems, and heavier cannons. 4/
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Russian SU-30 shot down by Ukraine at frontline
Russian SU-30 fighter jet shot down by Ukraine at the frontline.
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Over 600,000 in Kyiv lose power after Russian strike
Update: Over half a million people in Kyiv without power after Russian attack. There are 610,000 consumers in Kyiv without electricity, Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Jan. 28. A Russian strike the night before caused blackouts across Ukraine.
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Senior U.S. envoy lacks basic understanding of Ukraine’s political system and war
A senior U.S. envoy involved in efforts to end Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine has displayed a lack of basic understanding of Ukraine's political system and the war itself while speaking to reporters, the Kyiv Independent has learned.
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Front Ukrainian post: destruction of Russian Tirada-2 EW system
❗️🇺🇦Ukrainian Border Guards destroyed the 🇷🇺Russian Tirada-2 electronic warfare system on the South-Slobozhansky direction. pic.twitter.com/hv3VAaGQUg
— 🪖MilitaryNewsUA🇺🇦 (@front_ukrainian) 28 janvier 2026Ukrainian Border Guards destroyed the Russian Tirada-2 electronic warfare system on the South-Slobozhansky direction.