Putin’s depleted army is running out of time

There is a useful military adage often used by generals in times of war: no plan survives contact with the enemy. Vladimir Putin’s plan, it now appears, didn’t even survive contact with his own troops.

Russia’s leader has combined a major strategic miscalculation with tactical stupidity on a scale unprecedented in recent times. Four weeks after the launch of his special military operation, his generals have failed to achieve any of their planned objectives. Advances on all fronts have stalled and no decisive battles have been won. There have even been reports (currently unverified) of Russian units being encircled by Ukrainian forces near Kyiv.

Russia has still not acquired air superiority and has failed to take a single major city. The latest casualty figures from Ukraine claim that 12,814 Russian soldiers have been killed in action, at least four of whom are generals. Nearly 5,000 mercenaries are also thought to have perished. The number wounded could also be as high as 40,000 personnel.