Vladimir Putin has underestimated the hostility in Russia to his war

Editorial: In seeking to ensure his legacy, Mr Putin might just have made his biggest mistake and hastened his own departure

(Seamus Jennings)

Although Russia’s advance into Ukraine continues, it seems that not everything has gone according to plan for Vladimir Putin – and we know that, despite Russia’s denials, he did have a detailed plan for a full-scale invasion, just as US and UK intelligence showed.

UK ministers claimed more than 450 Russian troops had been killed – more than the 157 Ukrainians – as Russia “failed” in its initial goals. According to UK intelligence: “It is unlikely that Russia has achieved its planned Day 1 military objectives. Ukrainian forces have provided fierce resistance across all axes of Russia’s advance.”

This verdict could prove premature, as Russia’s full military might has not have been unleashed yet. But Ukraine has learnt painful lessons from Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and is better prepared. The bravery of its people is a foretaste of the resistance movement, probably armed by the UK and some of its allies, that Russia will face. Mr Putin’s mission in Ukraine might never be fully accomplished. Some UK government advisers believe he has overreached and that Ukraine might even turn into a rerun of Russia’s disastrous adventure in Afghanistan.