Running out of options to prevent loosing face. As I see it, If he waits too long, then he will fall to internal pressure to remove him from power. That never goes well in Russia.
If he does nothing, eventually he will loose control over the contested regions and Russia will be forced out. This would be a very bad loss of face.
If he acts quickly, his only choices are 1) massive mobilization and all out attack but that is unlikely to work. Or resort to nukes.
Pretty sure that none of these options will end “well”. He has been backed into a corner of his own making.
“He (Putin) has been backed into a corner of his own making.”
Yup.