LogFAQs > #968178052

For those that are wondering "what's the big deal", Russia hasn't actually declared war yet, which technically limits the resources they can dedicate to the fight. With them starting to lose ground, analysts are starting to wonder when, not if, Russia will formally declare war. Once they annex these territories in a sham referendum, any attack on those locations will be "attacks on Russian soil" which would be enough justification for Putin to get full war powers. That could lead to a Russian military draft, increased justification for using long range missiles to hit infrastructure targets elsewhere in the country, and push them one step closer to using other heavy weapons not yet deployed.

Not to say all that will definitely happen, but what we're seeing here is the groundwork being laid for a "second offensive" by Russia going into winter.