Putin has a clear red line – he knows actually mobilizing (a clearly defined legal act in Russia necessary before sending draftees to fight outside Russia) would be catastrophic for him, and would rhyme with Andropov in Afghanistan – and so he is desperate to finish his imagined quick “special military operation” before the shot hits the fun. He designed the attack on Ukraine on that basis. It did not succeed because his idiot underlings were lying corrupt butt-covering lickspittles like those that advised Andropov on Afghanistan (oh, and also some USA prezs in a carbon copy).
Here’s the irony: Putin was one of those lying corrupt butt-covering lickspittles. For some reason, he thought his career arc of lying, corruption, butt-covering and lickspittling wouldn’t be copied by his underlings.
Surprise! Turns out his toadies are just as corrupt as he was.