Moscow-appointed officials in occupied Crimea insist the peninsula is fully stocked, stable, and absolutely not facing shortages. Residents, however, are reporting restrictions on basic goods, lack of fuel, and a new QR code-based rationing system for gasoline that reportedly collapsed almost immediately after launch. Meanwhile, Russia’s militarization of everyday life continues, from a missile-themed amusement ride in Saint Petersburg to teenagers being recruited for summer work at draft offices. And at the Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum, one occupation official complained that Ukraine is trying to weaken Russia’s economy – as if that is not what happens when you invade a country and turn your own logistics network into a military target.

In this episode of Break the Fake, host Benjamin Lee looks at Kremlin denial, Russian wartime absurdity, and the consequences Moscow keeps pretending are someone else’s fault.