ONE RUSSIAN MESS AFTER ANOTHER : Jim Dunnigan’s assessment. Interesting thought from the section on Syria: “The stalemate in Ukraine and the resulting sanctions have proved more damaging to the Russian economy and leaders than the government will admit. A clear victory in Syria would pave the way for an acceptable end to the Ukrainian mess.” And this from the Ukraine section: “The Russian invasion of eastern Ukraine in 2014 had some benefits for the victim. It finally forced Ukraine to get serious about the corruption that had crippled its economy since it became independent in 1991.” Read the whole thing.

But there’s digital information out there that might help Vlad Putin solve some of his problems.