Almost half of Russians want Putin to open talks to end the war in Ukraine, indicating potential domestic pressure for policy change.

Putin won the 2024 Russian election with 87% of the vote, indicating strong political control and consolidation of power.

Despite the increase in troop numbers, Russia has been unable to induce sufficient numbers of volunteers for combat, with official numbers of 'volunteer recruits' being exaggerated.

Russia's economy is under pressure with inflation spiking, leading to a record high interest rate of 21% as of December 2024.