Putin Just Ordered His Generals to Plan the Capture of Kyiv — After Failing 15 Straight Deadlines to Take a Single Region

Putin has reportedly told his General Staff to draw up options for a fresh offensive on Kyiv, according to Ukraine's top commander. The reality behind the order is starker: Russia has blown 15 deadlines to fully capture the Donbas, its advance has slowed to under 4 square kilometers a day — a fraction of last summer's pace — and analysts say commanders are filing exaggerated or fabricated reports of gains. Meanwhile the head of Russia's largest bank says 81% of Russians want the war to end now.