https://vid.freedif.org/videos/watch/270bcde1-3843-4490-9423-4ad84316e574 🔐 Learn about finance with us in a simple, free, and straight-to-the-point way: https://www.visualfaktory.com/free-gift/ In August 2023, Russian captain Maxim Kuzminov flew a Mi-8 helicopter across the border and defected to Ukraine. Six months later he was found shot dead in a garage in Villajoyosa, Spain. His case is only the most spectacular example of a much bigger problem: according to an estimate by Frontelligence Insight, around 70,000 Russian soldiers abandoned their posts in 2025, roughly 10% of the troops Russia has deployed in Ukraine. In this video we analyze the morale of Putin's army through the three pillars described by British general William Slim. Operation Vivaldi has pushed Russian troops near Lyman back to the Zherebets River and wrecked Moscow's plan to encircle the fortress belt in the Donbas. We also compare it with Ukraine, which according to the same estimate recorded almost 100,000 desertions in 2025, and explain why the two figures can't be read the same way. And we look at what could happen if the mobilization of 300,000 people that Emmanuel Macron is warning about goes ahead, and how the Kremlin is trying to stop the bleeding with executions, prison sentences and detention camps. Join the VisualPolitik community and support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/VisualPolitik Wed, 14 Oct 2026 22:12:02 GMT https://validator.w3.org/feed/docs/rss2.html PeerTube - https://vid.freedif.org https://vid.freedif.org/client/assets/images/icons/icon-1500x1500.png https://vid.freedif.org/videos/watch/270bcde1-3843-4490-9423-4ad84316e574 All rights reserved, unless otherwise specified in the terms specified at https://vid.freedif.org/about and potential licenses granted by each content's rightholder.