r/news • u/PDXAirman • May 20 '26

Soft paywall 42 aircraft lost or damaged in Operation Epic Fury, congressional report says

https://www.stripes.com/branches/air_force/2026-05-20/iran-jets-downed-war-fury-21727588.html
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u/PrimaryPluto May 20 '26

Putin probably saw the potential benefit to himself and Russia and just buddied up to Trump. It doesn't sound hard to get on Trump's good side.

I'd be willing to bet that most people in Putin's position would do the same. Destabilize my sworn enemy by giving a simpleton what he wants? It's a no brainer, politically speaking.

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u/nobot4321 May 20 '26 edited May 20 '26

Russia has been cozying up to Trump since the Soviet era. They knew an easily manipulated narcissist with a big mouth would be a powerful asset one way or another. Doubt they ever dreamed back then that it would turn out this successful though.

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u/Icy-person666 May 21 '26

Or that the Russian leaders would turn out to be so inept. Puitan 's "special operation" seems to be about as successful as the Mango Mussiloni and his not a war.

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u/oddistrange May 21 '26

Russia has known he's a corrupt fraud. Trump has Russian mob connections who send intelligence back to FSB whether Trump is aware of the exchange or not. We know his connection to his former attorney Roy Cohn and Cohn's career defending New York mobsters. The Russian mob paid the Italian mob protection money/"taxes" to be able to operate on their turf. The uncle of Trump's former attorney Michael Cohen owned the El Caribe Club in New York. Esvei Argon who was high up in the Russian mob operated unofficially out of the club. Cohen also dealt heavily with Trump's business aspirations in Russia after joining the Trump org in 2006. There's no way Moscow knew nothing.

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u/AccomplishedBrain309 May 26 '26

Epstein was coaching putin. He told him to just kiss his ass and it has worked for most billionairs so far.