<blockquote>'..Russians need no reminding that the war in Afghanistan, which began with an unofficial decision by Soviet politicians Leonid Brezhnev, Yury Andropov and Dmitry Ustinov in December 1979, was originally planned as only a short-term local war. However, war has its own logic — that of a whirlpool pulling everyone inward and downward against their will.
..
..Many Russian municipalities have simply run out of money and cannot provide even the most basic social services..
..
Like the war in Afghanistan, the war in Syria cannot be popular with the Russian people. Putin is overstretching his imperial ambitions even as the national economy continues to decline..'
- Vladimir Ryzhkov,
Syrian Adventure Will Cost Russians Dearly, October 5, 2015</blockquote>
'..it has every indication of becoming a long and pointless war.'<blockquote>'It seems that President Vladimir Putin's recent meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama will be his last. Washington received convincing proof that any attempt to reach an agreement with the Kremlin is pointless .. immediately after the U.S. head of state reluctantly shook hands with and spoke to Putin, Moscow launched a bombing campaign in Syria..
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It is already clear that Russia has become drawn into a useless war, one with no definite military objectives and which is impossible to win. The forces that Moscow has deployed are obviously insufficient to achieve even the tactical objectives in this struggle. In fact, it has every indication of becoming a long and pointless war.'
- Alexander Golts,
Russia Is Entering a Long and Pointless War (Op-Ed), October 5, 2015</blockquote>
Context<blockquote>
'..Kosygin .. who "understood our faults and shortcomings .. those in our Middle East policy in particular.." ''..The Kremlin can pretend whatever it likes.'(2003 - 2033) - A Thirty Years' War in the Middle East</blockquote>