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Since the start of the “special military operation” in Ukraine, President Putin has had a loud cheering section on television. These nationalists commentators have been saying that Russia would face little opposition. In fact, they expected to have seized Kyiv within a few days and from there to work out what, if anything, would remain of Ukraine.

Obviously that didn’t work out for Russia, which retreated from the capital months ago and hasn’t show much initiative since. Then, over the past week, the Ukrainian counteroffensive has made it clear to some of Putin’s cheerleaders that they can lose territory as well as gain it. They lost 1,000 square kilometers of territory they’ve held since February and they lost it in a matter of days. And that advance is still happening. Today they took control of another town called Bohorodychne.

The reality of that is starting to sink in. Boris Nadezhdin, a former state Duma deputy, can’t quite bring himself to place the blame where it belongs. (If he did, he might fall out a window after the show.) Instead, he blames the “people who convinced President Putin” that the special operation would be fast and effective. In any case, he says it’s “absolutely impossible to defeat Ukraine” unless there is a mass mobilization of Russian troops. And if Russia isn’t willing to do that then it’s time for peace talks.

As you’ll see, another Duma representative (who is wearing a ‘Z’ lapel pin) says “There can’t be any negotiations with Zelensky’s Nazi regime.” He’s toeing the party line and even quotes Putin saying the Russians haven’t started fighting yet.

A third guest, listed as a policy expert, asks “What are we waiting for?”

Watch through to the end when there’s a debate about how long this war could go on.

Perhaps the clearest sign that Russia is in retreat is their decision to shell power stations, not to gain any advantage on the battlefield but just to vent some anger.

President Zelensky turned the blackouts to his rhetorical advantage in a message published Sunday which was clearly meant for Russian ears.

“Do you still think that we are ‘one nation?’ Do you still think that you can scare us, break us, make us make concessions?”

“You really did not understand anything? Don’t understand who we are? What are we for? What are we talking about?,” said the post, which published Sunday.

“Read my lips: Without gas or without you? Without you. Without light or without you? Without you. Without water or without you? Without you. Without food or without you? Without you,” Zelensky wrote.

“Cold, hunger, darkness and thirst are not as scary and deadly for us as your ‘friendship and brotherhood,’” he added. “But history will put everything in its place. And we will be with gas, light, water and food … and WITHOUT you!”

This is definitely a low moment for Russia and I’m sure the pendulum will swing the other way at some point. But I think Boris Nadezhdin is basically correct. Russia has already lost a lot of men and a lot of equipment and it’s war effort was stalled even before last week’s setbacks. There won’t be a dramatic turn in their favor unless Russia commits a lot more troops and a lot more money to the effort.

In the meantime, if Putin has another bad week it may dawn on more TV talking heads that Russia is in real danger of losing this war.

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