Russia has lost as many troops in the last 7 months of fighting in Ukraine, (almost 54,000), than we lost in 10 YEARS in Vietnam! Their equipment losses are even more staggering.
This war is going horribly wrong for Putin. It is devastating Russia both morally, as well as economically. They can't keep this up, and Putin knows it. Last week someone from his elite inner circle gave up his location. They hit his limousine, and damaged it.
Ukraine is now taking back captured Russian territory with the advanced weapons they're receiving from us and other countries. The Javelin Missiles are proving to be devastating to their tanks and armored personnel carriers.
The people of Russia are turning against him, and he is on borrowed time. It's only a matter of time before they get him. He has cost the politically powerful Russian oligarchs there billions of dollars in seized property and currency worldwide. They are NOT happy with him.... And remember, they are the ones who put him in, and keep him in power.
https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-ato/3571795-russias-military-death-toll-in-ukraine-rises-to-53850.html
Who they? Source?
The cited source is Ukrainian, not trustworthy as they have a serious axe to grind in this, may just be propaganda.
OTOH, Russia is buying materiel from North Korea, stuff they sent the Koreans back in the Soviet days. The losses in men and materiel are high, though. It's tough watching the MSM because they show old, burned out and rusty equipment while crowing over the materiel seized by the Ukrainians after it was abandoned by the Russkies. Can't trust the MSM at all.
Also, the recent cozying up between Putin and Xi is disturbing for a whole lot of reasons. Two in particular are the fact that Russia now has an outlet for oil sales (China), and China now has a target for its goods (Russia) that have been tied up due to Xi's insane zero-covid lockdown policy as well as diminished demand from the West. If you look at the marine traffic maps, China has hundreds (if not thousands) of ships anchored at sea, dormant, with no crews. They've been moved into harbors and bays of late due to the pending typhoon, but in a couple weeks they will be towed back out and anchored again. No demand for them.
Lots of cargo flights, though, from China to the States. Probably real necessities that are now much more expensive because air freight is more expensive than boat.
Boat traffic in China IS flowing northward, though. To Beijing's harbor area and beyond.
Another issue with the Ruskkies is that they have Europe over a barrel. Come winter NATO may well be an organization in name only.
I follow Forward Observer and Monkeywerx to get a better picture of stuff the MSM won't even hint at.