Srednik points out the military verity that to repulse an invasion is considered a victory. Monocacy. Antietam. Gettysburg. While Confederate arms proved potent, these three invasions of the North were repulsed. Ergo, the were Union victories. That Ukraine is intact deserves more eloquent praise from WSJ than “tilting in their favor.”
BTW - Consider that considerable oil and gas reserves were discovered in Donbas and Crimea just before RasPutin invaded in 2014. Get the picture?
The real basis for the invasion is resource control.