I doubt that. He still thinks he can win, or at the very least come out ahead. I do have to wonder though if he could go back to Feb 20, 2022, whether or not he would have gone over the border knowing this is where he would be today. We all joke about how everything is going according to plan even today, but really the entire vision Russia had for this was dead the moment they had to retreat from Kiev. Everything since has been desperate flailing to try and salvage something from the disaster.
Given how much information control Putin has over Russia to the point the majority of the country is largely unaware of how bad things are, Putin likely could have salvaged this mess after the 40 mile convoy to nowhere by just saying "yes, the special military operation was completed" and pulling back. Russia's reputation was already reduced to a burning paper tiger at that point, it couldn't be salvaged, but he could at least prevent further loss of material and manpower.
But Putin blinded himself with ambition. Kiev was
right fucking there and surely the Ukranians couldn't mount that much more of a defense, right? Remember that the Russians were so sure Ukraine would keel over at the mere sight of such equipment on display that all the deployed convoy troops had dress uniforms with them and the brass had made dinner reservations
in Kiev.
It really is poetic irony at how what Putin thought Ukraine would do, is in fact what is happening in Kursk right now. And unlike Stalin, Putin wasn't caught with his pants down because of a supposed ally breaking a non-aggression treaty, this is Putin getting caught not wearing pants to begin with by a country he intentionally antagonized in the first place. The morale of whatever forces the Russians even have anymore must be six feet in the dirt by this point that they couldn't even stop a counter invasion from the country they've been trying to invade for nearly three years.
I was thinking that too. While Russian aviation bombing their own troops is lulzy, I don't think we can chalk that up entirely to shear ineptitude. It indicates more that Russia still doesn't fully know where the Ukrainian Army is, or how far they've advanced.
Could also be a problem with material. Ukraine got a critical hit on that airfield when this invasion started, blowing up a LOT of ordinance and a few precious combat planes besides. Drones are fucking taking down helicopters and goddamn warships. MANPADS(?) are also blowing planes out of the sky if they even think about getting close to the front lines.
It could be hesitance on Russia's part simply out of fear to even commit assets like fighters and bombers to counter this assault if they get taken out, because those simply can't be replaced. The simple fact it doesn't seem like Russia has mobilized ANYTHING beyond that one convoy that got blown the fuck up by turning itself into a missile shooting gallery.
Putin managed to fucking lose the Second Battle of Kursk. To what he calls Nazis. Stalin must be spinning in his grave fast enough to break the sound barrier by now.
