Recruiting helpful allies who replenish his war machine.
Building up the Russian DIB.
Finding marginal groups to supply new casualties— immigrants, Central Asian minorities, others living east of the Ural Mountains. The closer you live to Moscow or Saint Petersburg, the less likely you are to fight in this war. The Russian public is fine with a war that is not being fought by anyone they know.
Putin's best moves in this war are three:
Recruiting helpful allies who replenish his war machine.
Building up the Russian DIB.
Finding marginal groups to supply new casualties— immigrants, Central Asian minorities, others living east of the Ural Mountains. The closer you live to Moscow or Saint Petersburg, the less likely you are to fight in this war. The Russian public is fine with a war that is not being fought by anyone they know.