https://www.dictionary.com/e/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/cool-story-bro-2.jpgSo anyways, to get this thread back on topic.
It seems the frontline has largely stabilized. There are some areas where Ukraine is still making slow progress, some areas where Russia is making progress. Bakhmut is under threat but it seems unlikely to fall to Russia, surely Ukraine is going to heavily reinforce this. The flooding of the Ingulets continues to pose problems for Ukrainian massing in prep for attacks.
Russia is attacking more power plants, specifically targeting the ancillary parts and not yet punching holes into the actual cores of these facilities. Many people are now saying that Russia is preparing to 'upgrade' this conflict to a less restrictive "counterterrorism" designation, in order to commit more of their forces to Ukraine. Who knows, Russian incompetency and box-checking knows no bounds IMO.
On the Home Front, things are deteriorating. In addition to the catastrophe of non-ferrous metals production I've linked to before, we now know that at least 14 steel mills throughout Europe have shut down at least some of their blast furnaces due to high energy prices. European authorities have been steadfast in saying that they can make it through winter with modest 10% reductions in energy use, but are simultaneously seeking to subsidize gas bills for home use, which will ensure that the cuts to energy use comes from industry. We're already seeing Germany attain net-importer status, so that's pretty troubling.
Fun times ahead!
at the end of the day all forms of monetary policy is ultimately pushing around peas on a plate. Subsidization doesn't create supply. They can cut their energy from consumers or from industry, but without a new source of imports they must cut their consumption one way or another. When they lose 40% of their gas imports, they can't cut only 10% of consumption. And historically, no governments in history have been better at steering themselves into economic crisis in total denialism, than the postwar EU