Why?? What does Ukraine have that they'd so desperately want that they'd send so much population to die and risk a civil war for it?

make it dip further into its pool of human resources.

Remember, HR is there to protect the company Kremlin, not you!

I disagree that they're on the same level strategically. This is only bad for Putin if he cares about Russian people. He doesn't, so it's not a failure. This was/is about legacy building. He's a modern emperor fighting an endless war because admitting defeat would look bad. Ironically, it's exactly what led to the last Russian emperor to be removed by the people.

I have been saying for years that Putin’s intelligence is mediocre at best. People kept telling me he had The Big Brain (even those who hate him).

The assessment of Putin is quite accurate. He could only do low intensity conflicts and he has a habit of starting something but is never able to finish. Even Georgia is an unfinished business.

No wonder his family tree is kept in secret, connections obfuscated. The last I've heard rumors on that, one of his daughters was in medical research facility exploring life longetivity (you wonder) but bordering obvious grift schemes and fund eating; this girl, or the other one, was spotted as a student in EU, probably Netherlands. I'm absolutely not for repercussions affecting family members, BUT I would like journos to dig and keep a track of them and their money transfers always signed in someone's blood. And I find it terribly unconsequental that the meathead proposing trad values himself has a fall out with his legal wife, a highly suggested romance with a top figure skater, and there is just no pictures of him with his own kids who are likely in their 20s now. His image is not one of a person but one of a symbol, shadier than Kim, and even more fragile.

Sounds like another country I know of

Revolution almost always requires the participation of the elites, so until a group of Russian oligarchs decides they've had enough, Putin will get his way.