Graft was endemic in the Russian military, permeating every level from the top brass to the grunts. "The scale is astounding," said Sergei Fridinsky, one of Russia's chief military prosecutors. "Sometimes it seems that people have simply lost their sense of moderation and conscience." Theft was hard to root out, even if someone wanted to - it was less about criminality and more a mentality. The thinking was simple: It's one thing to serve the motherland, but you can't forget about yourself.

Pig was among the many commanders who stole state-subsidized fuel from the military and sold it on the side at the civilian market price. There were a number of methods for doing this - blatantly filling a commercial truck at a military gas station; filling a military transport, siphoning fuel from its tank to other carriers and then adding fake kilometers to trucks to explain the difference on the accounting end. Pig was also ordering his subordinates to saw wood from the base's firing range so he could sell it. Everyone did it.

Russia's turn-of-the-century prosperity had tapered off with the 2008 financial crisis and falling oil revenue. Though the government's official statistics suggest that poverty hovers around 10 percent, an investigation by the Russian outlet The Insider shows that the reality is much worse: Roughly half of Russian families in many regions live below the poverty line. Outside the major cities, more than 10 million people do not have gas in their houses; they collect wood for heating. Many families still do not have indoor toilets. They -------- in holes in the ground.

This incredible story only reinforces that anything America can do to lessen the grip of Putin over Russia is a step towards liberation for the long-suffering Russian peoples. Though this story is about one man's tale of his experience in today's Russian Army officer class, his ultimate assignment to the Ukraine front, and his survival against the odds in executing an escape James Bond would be proud of, this is really an inside look at a Russia that is not what we've been told it is, though it's one Donald Trump would feel right at home in since naked theft and graft appear to be the national pastimes.

The link at the top (not the FB one) is a gifted one that anyone can read if they want to. This reads like a Robert Ludlum novel more than a non-fiction account of real lives lived under head-shaking circumstances. It's simply impossible to stop reading once you start. Trust me on this.

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