As his attack falters, Putin could become more brutal – and even more irrational

‘The situation is changing: mass fires and shelling are happening increasingly in Kharkiv and Kyiv.’ The aftermath of Russian shelling at the Karazin Kharkiv National University, Kharkiv, on Wednesday. Photograph: Sergey Bobok/AFP/Getty Images

Russian military operations against Ukraine are moving beyond the initial period in which the aim was creating quick superiority. Many observers have been surprised at Russia’s failure to achieve early gains and the defeats it has suffered.

The heroism and resistance of Ukrainian forces have initially constrained Russia. Ukrainian command and control systems – the ability to communicate, move and fight – are still functioning. Ukraine’s air defence is still standing, thus denying Russia the superiority Moscow would have hoped to achieve quickly.