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.

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

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.