They've not started it; they answered the utterly retarded revolution that the West started in 2014.
Gooooooooood
Syria fell because they were not strong enough anyway and if Iran does, it would be for the same reason, unrelated to Ukraine
They lost more in that a crippled EU, which was the left arm of the West's pincer against China, can no longer function as such but must commit itself fully struggling and losing against Russia
Compared to before Ukraine? Wagner only grew explosively for the Ukraine conflict by hiring prisoners, literally Russian trash, to fight and die in Ukraine. Its reduction is compared only to the personnel numbers during that height, but the bonus is that all PMCs must now swear allegiance to the Russian state rather than just to thier employers.
Russia is not a superpower because its economy and technology in many critical sectors is not globally-competitive. But their reputation is trashed only within the Western community; many countries outside of such support Russia. Russia's economy is now more aligned with China rather than with a hostile West and that cooperation is the most important.
They deserve to take Ukraine, cripple the EU, and grow with China, yes.
Did they make "a lot of money" before Ukraine? Are they supposed to watch and accept the Western regime change in Ukraine?
How would that have happened?
Do you even know what that means? That is for a small and technologically weak dictatorship. Russia is one of 2 countries that the US is scared to fight. That means you have a tin pot brain.
What mentality is that? Defend against encroachment, take hostile territory, align with your ally against your enemies, and revitalize your military from decades-long softness and corruption?
