THE FOLLY OF WAR: Putin’s drive to expand Armed Forces intensifying labour shortages in Russia’s economy. “Citing people familiar with the plan, the report suggested that Kremlin is now seeking 400,000 more contract recruits this year to fight in Ukraine as Putin digs in for a long fight. Putin has approved a goal to increase the size of Russia’s military to 1.5 million from 1.15 million, which may take until 2026 to achieve, added the report.”

Related: Putin looks for positives as Russia’s consumer demand, industrial output slide.

The result so far: Russia’s Winter Offensive Has Failed Due To “Extreme Attrition” of Forces.

I don’t know if Russian losses are actually “extreme,” but there’s been an awful lot of fighting and virtually nothing to show for it on the map.