After a barrage of airstrikes on cities and military bases around the country, Russian forces were closing in on Ukraine’s capital of Kyiv on Saturday. City officials warned of street fighting, and residents were preparing for a third night of assaults. Here are the things to know about the Russian …

Eric Draitser is an independent political analyst and host of CounterPunch Radio. You can find his exclusive content including articles, podcasts, audio commentaries, poetry and more at patreon.com/ericdraitser. He can be reached at ericdraitser@gmail.com.

“How many divisions does the Pope have?” —Joseph Stalin Despite the impressive TikTok feeds showing the Russian phalanx heading in formations across the Ukrainian frontier and the missile extravaganza across the country, the success of the Russian army as an instrument of foreign policy is little better than average (perhaps …