Ukraine recap: Putin remains popular at home, unlike his puppet rulers in occupied regions

By Jonathan Este, Associate Editor, International Affairs Editor

Once it became clear – which it did, early on in this conflict – that Ukraine’s defenders would not wilt before the onslaught of Vladimir Putin’s war machine, analysts predicted a long and drawn-out war of attrition, particularly in the east of the country where Russia already controlled a fair bit of territory.

And so it has proved. More than six months in, Russia controls only a fraction of the country and, close observers excepted, if you were to look at the war maps we have been publishing in these updates over the weeks, it’s hard to discern terribly much movement in the lines…

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