Learn more about how these tanks were received in the USSR and how effective they were in combat in my book Sherman Tanks of the Red Army.

6/ Russia will likely face a number of materiel, manpower, and economic issues in 12 to 18 months if Ukrainian forces continue to inflict damage on Russian forces on the battlefield at the current rate — likely increasing the economic burden that the Russian population will feel in the future.

4/Putin likely perceives anything short of total political or military victory in Ukraine as risking mobilizing Russian veterans against the Kremlin. A near-constant state of military mobilization is therefore one of the least politically risky configurations for Putin.

3/Putin's regime’s stability relies on the social contract that he had made with the Russian people to avoid the socioeconomic turmoil Russia experienced following the fall of the Soviet Union, and this consideration will likely continue to dictate his policies and calculus in the long term.

Last update: Good news! According to the Federal Returning Officer, with no election districts left to count, the pro-Russian BSW is at 4.972% and thus just below the 5% hurdle it would have to cross to enter the Bundestag! Drama until the end. So now I can go to sleep...