[dforest]

This war was never about taking territory, it was always about attrition.

It is a proxy war that went far longer than it ever had to.

Taking a village. Big whoop. How many had to die for it?

[Gunslingr3]

This war was never about taking territory, it was always about attrition.

So explain the Russian attempts at annexation (especially from territory they’ve subsequently been expelled, like Kherson Oblast) and how that fits into your assertion that it’s not about ‘taking territory’.

[Cronos]

This war was about taking territory.

First, Putin tried to decapitate Ukraine and make it a complete vassal - on the path to assimilation (like Belarus)

That Failed.

Now, after 4 more failures, he’s trying to desperately hold on to the ill-gotten territory he has gained.