Russian dictator Vladimir Putin is still not giving up on his plans to take over Ukraine, despite the fact that the chances of achieving this goal seem increasingly remote.

 This is reported by Bloomberg.

 Some people close to the Kremlin believe that Russia will eventually be able to regain the initiative and push further into Ukraine, possibly capturing key cities, including Kharkiv and Odesa, that it has so far failed to capture.

 Sources say that as a result, Ukraine will be left with only a fragment of its pre-war state. While this seems implausible given Kyiv's recent successes on the battlefield, Russian officials are confident that their forces will be able to bring Ukraine to a standstill and achieve some sort of settlement that will validate at least some of their achievements.

 It is unlikely that 300 thousand mobilized soldiers, poorly trained and motivated, will be able to change the situation on the battlefield. Military analysts say that, most likely, they will only be enough to further slow Ukraine's advance.

 Kyiv has demanded more weapons from its allies, including tanks, longer-range missiles and fighter jets, but the US and Europe have so far been cautious about expanding the range of weapons supplied.