Constantine says that they are closing many post offices in cities across Russia. In a city that would have five post offices, they now have one or two and the others have been shut down. he notes that post offices fall under the budget that would receive its funds from fuel sales. Since Russia is running out of money and still needs money to wage war, something has to give, and what is gives are services and access to infrastructure that help civilians. Because Russia does not care about peasants.
One thing I did not know is that the old pensioners who are not techno types still go to the post office every month to collect their rubles. Russian post offices act like sort of a state bank to give people their pension money. He says because of the reduction of post offices, all of these old people have to stand in long lines at the remaining post offices - often subject to the weather as they stand outside, holding their quality built Russian walkers. He says that this is the type of thing that will actually piss people off. Vehicle owners are only allowed 2 liters of gas a week because of widespread gas shortages, and now some angry relative has to use some of that scarce gas driving granny to the post office across town.
In the last day or so, Julia Davis in one of her Russia Media Monitor YouTube videos showed the pro-Putin Talking Heads fighting with their guests - one who pointed out that in 100 something days, the 3 day special military operation will have lasted longer than the Great Patriotic war against Germany. This exchange took place on widely watched Russian state TV.
The host’s head exploded and he started arguing with him. The guest reminded the host that the host had claimed back in 2022 that Ukraine would be taken within a week. The host said “ we could have if we had wanted to.” That is a level of negative news and pushback that I have not seen before. Whether it is significant is anybody’s guess.