September 4, 2026
photo: facebook/Glen Grant
Russia is building up its military capabilities thanks to the support of Iran, North Korea and China, but remains vulnerable due to the situation on the front and the instability of the banking system. It is the economic problems that could force the Kremlin to change its behavior
This opinion was expressed on the air of Espresso and Slawa.TV by retired British Army colonel and military expert Glen Grant in an interview with Anton Borkovsky, host of the “Studio West” program.
According to him, Russia continues to receive military support from its allies: in some areas from Iran, significantly from North Korea, and increasingly from China. This allows Moscow to build up its capabilities for missile attacks on Ukraine.
“It seems that the West is not very actively trying to block this support. Russia is increasing its capabilities to launch missile strikes on Ukraine, and I think this situation will continue for some time,” Grant noted.
At the same time, the expert identified two weak points for the Kremlin. The first is the situation on the battlefield, where a successful Ukrainian breakthrough could cause serious problems for Russian troops.
“Ukraine can not only push back Russian forces, but also make a breakthrough that will lead to the collapse of the front. I have been saying this for a long time, but now I have more hope for positive changes, especially after Drapatiy became commander-in-chief,” he said.
Grant called Russia’s banking system the second weak point. A significant number of Russian companies have large debts and are forced to repay loans with interest.
“People forget that the Russian economy still functions as an ordinary state economy. It has not yet turned into a North Korean-type economy. Companies need money, investors, and they have to service bank loans,” the military expert explained.
In his assessment, the accumulation of corporate debt is making Russia’s financial system increasingly unstable. Problems in individual large companies could affect banks, lending, and the economy as a whole.
“The economy is becoming increasingly unstable. I think it is the economic situation that can force Putin to take certain actions – and not necessarily the situation on the front,” Grant concluded.
- Earlier, Reuters , citing an intelligence report from one of the European countries, reported that Russia is facing an “explosive” banking crisis: in order to keep the war economy afloat, banks are accumulating more and more problem loans to companies and the population.
I am in touch with Glen on LI. He lives in Riga.
He drew my attention to this from Artem Moroz :
Meritocracy. Empowerment. Ultimate value of human life.
Ukraine’s new Commander-in-Chief, Mykhailo Drapatyi, just published his leadership principles for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
A few things I found critically important:
“The most valuable combat capability of the Armed Forces is our people, and every commander is obligated to protect them.” Not a slogan, a direct requirement, care for soldiers is framed as the foundation of combat effectiveness, not separate from it.
Military service is set to become more predictable. Terms, rotation, discharge, these are the questions soldiers and their families ask most, and now they’re named at the top level.
Honesty over comfort. “Problems that get ignored only grow.” Commanders are expected to speak the truth, even when it’s uncomfortable, and staffs are told their job is to serve the troops, not the other way around.
Learn faster than the enemy. Good ideas can come from any soldier, regardless of rank, and no single branch or brigade wins alone.
His own framing of the job: command the Armed Forces in today’s war while making sure they come out of it stronger. And he expects the same from every commander, leave your unit stronger than you found it.
Full doc is in Ukrainian:
https://www.zsu.gov.ua/suchasni-zbroini-syly-ukrainy/pryntsypy-liderstva-holovnokomanduvacha-zbroinykh-syl-ukrainy-ta-rozvytku-viiska-v-umovakh-viiny
“Commanders are expected to speak the truth, even when it’s uncomfortable, and staffs are told their job is to serve the troops, not the other way around.”
This is an essential component to good leadership. We see what happens with the cockroach army when things get swept under the rug. It’s got to be one of the most incompetent military forces on Earth by ignoring problems or embellishing them with fake flowers.