sit uniquely perched to attack europe, have an imperial history, had stalin the purger, ivan the terrible, putin the bad, the stasi, cold winters, vodka, a form of orthodox christianity, and fucking candyland, that they can win any war they get into.

but na,

even ukraine could fuck them up.

not only win, but take them over.

ya it only takes russia exhausting itself on the war budget.

https://www.president.gov.ua/en/news/vidkritij-list-prezidentu-rosijskoyi-federaciyi-vid-preziden-104769

all the times russia has lost in war, historically:

Russia has won a lot of wars, but the idea that Russia is "almost never defeated" is a myth. Over roughly 1,000 years, the various Russian states (Kievan Rus', Muscovy, the Russian Empire, the Soviet Union, and the Russian Federation) have suffered many major military defeats. (strategypage.com)

Here are some of the most important and consequential losses:

Medieval Rus

Mongol Invasion (1237–1240)

The Mongol armies destroyed or subjugated most of the Rus principalities. Large cities were devastated, and the Rus states became tributaries of the Mongol Golden Horde for centuries. This is arguably the greatest catastrophe in early Russian history. (Russia Beyond)

Livonian War (1558–1583)

Ivan IV ("Ivan the Terrible") initially made gains, but Russia was ultimately defeated by a coalition including Poland-Lithuania and Sweden. Russia lost access to much of the Baltic region and emerged weakened. (PravdaReport)

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Russian Empire

Pruth Campaign / Russo-Ottoman War (1710–1713)

After earlier successes against Sweden, Russia suffered a setback against the Ottoman Empire and lost Azov, reducing its access to the Black Sea. (Russia Beyond)

Crimean War (1853–1856)

Britain, France, the Ottoman Empire, and Sardinia defeated Russia. The war exposed Russia's technological and administrative backwardness and triggered major reforms, including the emancipation of the serfs. (Russia Beyond)

Russo-Japanese War (1904–1905)

One of the most shocking defeats in modern history. An Asian power defeated a major European empire. Russia lost much of its Pacific influence, and the defeat helped trigger the 1905 Revolution. The naval disaster at Tsushima became legendary. (112.ua)

World War I (1914–1918)

Although Russia was on the eventual winning side's alliance, the Russian Empire itself collapsed before victory. Military defeats, economic breakdown, and revolution ended the Romanov dynasty and led to civil war. (PravdaReport)

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Soviet Era

Polish-Soviet War (1919–1921)

The Soviet attempt to push westward into Poland failed. The decisive Polish victory near Warsaw ("Miracle on the Vistula") halted Soviet expansion into Europe. (112.ua)

Soviet-Afghan War (1979–1989)

The Soviet Union never achieved its political goals in Afghanistan and eventually withdrew. The war is often compared to America's experience in Vietnam. It damaged Soviet prestige and contributed to broader strains on the USSR. (Reddit)

Cold War (arguably)

Not a shooting war between the superpowers, but the Soviet Union lost the geopolitical competition and dissolved in 1991. Many historians consider this one of the greatest strategic defeats in Russian history.

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Russian Federation

First Chechen War (1994–1996)

Russia failed to suppress Chechen separatists and agreed to a settlement that effectively granted Chechnya de facto independence for several years.

Early Phase of the Ukraine War (2022)

Russia failed in its initial objective of rapidly overthrowing the Ukrainian government and capturing Kyiv. Even analysts inside Russia have acknowledged that the original war aims were not achieved. The ultimate historical verdict depends on how the conflict is judged in the long run. (The Wall Street Journal)

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Defeats often considered the worst

Historians most commonly place these near the top:

1. Mongol Invasion (1237–1240) – centuries of domination.
2. Livonian War (1558–1583) – major strategic setback.
3. Crimean War (1853–1856) – exposed imperial weakness.
4. Russo-Japanese War (1904–1905) – global humiliation.
5. World War I / Imperial Collapse (1917–1918) – destruction of the Russian Empire.
6. Soviet-Afghan War (1979–1989) – major strategic failure.
7. Collapse of the Soviet Union (1991) – arguably the largest geopolitical loss of territory, population, and influence in Russian history.

An interesting pattern in Russian history is that Russia has often survived devastating military defeats that would have permanently crippled many other states. The Mongol invasion, the Time of Troubles, the Crimean War, the Russo-Japanese War, World War I, and Afghanistan all inflicted severe damage, yet a Russian state re-emerged each time in some form.