Putin's chilling strategy. Using Russia's extreme cold and prison conditions to bolster war efforts in Ukraine

The newspaper suggests that Russian President Vladimir Putin is leveraging this harsh weather as a strategic move to make up for military losses in Ukraine.

Olga Romanova, the founder of "Sitting Rus", asserts that the Russian authorities are acting with premeditation.

She states, "The heating was shut off in the cells when outside temperatures significantly dropped below zero. They aimed to create unbearable conditions for the prisoners so they would voluntarily enlist for service in Ukraine."

According to Romanova, there are three groups of people in Russia whose deaths on the frontline don't evoke mourning from the majority of Russian society: prisoners, ethnic minorities residing in impoverished regions far from Moscow, and recent recipients of Russian citizenship.

"As long as these three groups continue to fight and die in Ukraine, Putin can maintain an illusion of normality for the rest. Generally speaking, the success rate among these prisoners could be considered limited, as seen by current frontline events. The prisoners are essentially sent in large numbers to the frontline in Ukraine to be sacrificed," said Romanova. She added that an increasing number of women in Russian prisons are being recruited, with about a thousand Russian women currently fighting in Ukraine.

Source: Bild/Espreso