Collection of lands

German Obukhov - about the thirst for revenge

In 1914, the Russian Empire spilled at 21,837,400 square kilometers, second only to the English Empire (almost seven million) with its many overseas colonies. Four decades later, the Soviet Union possessed almost the same territory (at 22,402,200 sq. Km.), Analyzing the Baltic countries, Western regions of Belarus and Ukraine, Bessarabia, and after the war, East Prussia and the Kuril Islands.

After the collapse of the USSR, Russia got most of the territory of the former empire - 17,098,458 square meters. km. The desire of the revenge, obviously, settled in the heads of former party workers and Chekists deeply and for a long time. The passion for the collecting of the land pushed the Kremlin to the annexation of Crimea, which put Russia on the brink of war. This, however, was not embarrassed by the Kremlin leadership, they spoke about New Russia. I will ask the question - whether the country is needed in which the population density in a number of regions is one person per 30 square meters. km, new territories? The answer is quite obvious - of course, not. Then why does the Kremlin send its soldiers to a meat grinder of Eastern Ukraine? And then I will return, as in an enchanted circle, to the main reason for the Ukrainian conflict - the Maidan.

I will ask the question - whether the country is needed in which the population density in a number of regions is one person per 30 square meters. km, new territories?

Yes, and Crimea, and the war in eastern Ukraine is only a consequence of the Second Ukrainian Revolution. The first "orange" revolution of 2004, Moscow overslept. Putin had not yet managed to get used to his role "lord of the rings", having ascended to the throne for the second time, and in fact did not respond to revolutionary changes in the neighboring state. Then he obviously thought only about his "vertical of power", about nothing more. Ten years later, he had to think not only about the salvation of this “vertical”, but also about his fate.

The bloody Maidan-2014 and Yanukovych’s flight so strongly acted on the Kremlin that the decision was made-to heat the obstinate neighbor with all possible methods and means. An unprecedented campaign for lies in the Russian media began. No Russian people were going to protect either in the Crimea or in the east of Ukraine, he does not even care about his people living in Russia in dying villages and cities. The task of Russian "strategists" is to bloodless and destroy the economy of Ukraine. In the Kremlin, the FSB, the Ministry of Defense and the GRU there are not complete idiots who understand: it is impossible to win a war with Ukraine, this will not have enough strength or money. It is unrealistic to use nuclear weapons - equivalent to suicide.

How can the economy of Ukraine be destroyed? This, first of all, is military intervention and its consequences. The cities and villages of the East of Ukraine are destroyed mainly by Russian saboteurs and the separatists sponsored from Russia, to which regular military units of the Russian Armed Forces joined. The Ukrainian military did not have any intimidation to destroy what would then have to be restored. The mercenaries, and among the so-called "folk militia" of the LPR-DNR, according to some reports, is no more than a third of representatives of the local population, it is absolutely indifferent to it-to fall home or hospitals in Donetsk and Lugansk. This is not their house, and they can’t live there. The war never played a positive role in economic development. Today, all the forces of Ukraine have been abandoned to fight the aggressor, Ukraine is not yet to reform its state system and restore the economy. In Moscow, this is perfectly understood and made efforts so that the military conflict will last as long as possible. Putin's statements about the desire to stop bloodshed in Ukraine are nothing more than a bluff.

In addition to manic desire to ruin the Ukrainian economy and thus avenge the Maidan humiliation, the Kremlin hoped to sow in Ukrainian society the discontent with the new Kyiv authorities. Here in Moscow, apparently, they counted. Ukrainian society was consolidated in the struggle. Even in the east of Ukraine, insight came, and many local residents, tired of bombing, robberies and looting, began to express discontent - but not so much Kyiv authorities as the "folk militia" of separatists and Russian aggression. If in Ukraine the country began to bury its soldiers and militias as heroes, then in Russia a mournful “cargo 200” awaits a completely different fate: the Russian authorities ordered the soldiers and officers to bury secretly and quietly, as criminals. This attitude to their sons and husbands caused not a very loud protest from the mothers and wives of the dead warriors. This protest will only increase, but not decrease.

So we summarize that for more than two decades it was created and accumulated in Russia. All that Russia has today is oil and gas. The country moves to the collapse, both economic and political. The only advantage that Russia remains is the territory. The territory of oblivion.

German Obukhov - Soviet political prisoner, writer and screenwriter, co -chairman of the Society of Russian Political Prisoners