In the past couple of years, Russia has been turning back into it's old ways. President Putin has continued to gain power and destroy any democratic movement in the country.

Russian Forces have been growing and modernizing. Russian Bombers and nuclear submarines patrols are back. Russian Ground Forces have been training with French and Chinese troops for a possible invasion of an unnamed island and also of a large mechanized war against a NATO like power. Russian Intelligence services have been picking off former agents that defected to the west. Also they have been targeting former Soviet member states like Estonia and Georgia.

A large youth movement called the Nashi (Russian for "Ours") has been state created by the state. It runs much like the Hitler Youth and it's Soviet version. The Komsomol (short for Kommunisticheskiy Soyuz Molodiozhi). This new movement praise President Putin as a hero and leader of the Russian Youth. It teaches extreme nationalism and also an extreme hate of the USA. It teaches Russian Youth how to fight with military weapons, survive a chemical attack, hand to hand combat, physical fitness, and outdoor survival. The Group leaders are called "Commissars". That was the name for a political officer. The Movement's color is red (Color of Communism) and it praises Putin much like how the Komsomol praised Stalin and later the Soviet State.

The Nashi currently roam around Russia much like how the Hitler Youth roamed Germany before WWII. They target those that are for a more open democratic government. Freedom of Speech and those that are against Putin and his growing power. Russian Police turn a blind eye towards them and in some cities, they accept their help.

Putin has taken control of privately owned television stations, news papers, and radio stations. He has suppressed the freedom of speech and the rights of the Russian people. Putin has changed the names of many of the Russian locations. After the fall of the Soviet Union. Many Russian Cities changed their names back to the Pre-Soviet days. Like Stalingrad was renamed to Volgagrad. But Stalingrad is back in general use. The Closed Cities of the Soviet Union are back and so is the internal passport system.

Putin is not going back to the old Soviet Style of Communism but to the Maoist Style of the People's Republic of China. A Communist government with a Capitalist styled economy. Putin has learned from the mistakes of the old Soviet union. But does that mean that a new Soviet union is coming back?

Soviet "Union", no. A renewed Russian power, yes. They will never try to assimilate all the little people under its umbrella but they most definitely have returned to their old ways.

Okay, let me rephrase the question....

Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic

Absolutely.

The acronyms have changed but Russia has not. There was a slight hiccup during Yeltsin but it faded even before his liver did. Russian people have never known freedom and the responsibility that comes with it and when the hit the inevitable hard times under Yeltsin they blamed democracy and began clamouring for a return to the Soviet system... they received their answer in Putin. He wears designer suits and looks younger, friendlier but he is an ex-KGB chief and slave to the oligarchs who rule Russian with an iron hand. Like I've said before democracy never sticks until it is won with the blood of her own people.

The world's just a crazy place isn't it?
I agree this is happening but more so than Russia, China will probably be a far more dangerous of a foe.
The world is always going to be a dangerous place.

sounds good to me... i need an enemy i can identify in a uniform

Yeah, finally. But chances are it'll be a cold war, not a shooting war. At least not directly.

Originally Posted by the_13th_redneck

Yeah, finally. But chances are it'll be a cold war, not a shooting war. At least not directly.

Never say never... the sh!t can always hit the fan with those Ruskies.

Now their weaponry has improved and the training of some units has been improved. However the institutionalized problems within Russia's command and control remain. Secondly, their military is composed of two year conscripts rather than volunteers. These two weaknesses are where another conventional enemy (ie China, USA, Norway) would wreak the most havoc.

Though not battle tested the T-95 would be a farsight harder to knock out than the T-72s or T-80's. Also the avionics and weapons systems of MiG and Sukhoi have improved drasticly over the Cold War era components. The material and specialists who operate them (tankers, pilots etc) are better but the centralised C&C remains. Morale problems and embittered division between officers and NCOs and between NCOs and enlisted is at pandemic proportions. The crucifixion of the Russian Army in Chechnya by the politicos abandoning it in the field and making deals with people like Basayev have left a distrust that runs deeper than that of the end game of Vietnam in the US. The Russian military machine is ripe for Psyops.

i miss cold war