The authoritarian leader is known for his desire to cement his own legacy and determined to make “Russia great again”. The Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) found that Russian forces are “slower than almost any major offensive campaign in any war in the last century”. CSIS notes that Russian forces seized 0.6% of Ukraine in 2024 – an area smaller than the US state of Delaware. AdvertisementBut Putin continues to push his troops forward, even as his invasion turns into a war of attrition. CSIS estimates that as many as 325,000 Russian soldiers have been killed in battle.