In its war on Ukraine, is Russia’s vast size becoming a liability?

A Russian service member unpacks a guitar during a ceremony to receive new vehicles and military equipment handed over by the Russian movement, 'People's Front', for the military in Rostov-on-Don, Russia [File: Reuters]

Kyiv, Ukraine – A flight from Moscow to the Pacific port of Vladivostok takes almost nine hours – a domestic flight that covers two-thirds of Russia’s span between the Baltic and the Pacific.

There are about 10,000 kilometres (6,200 miles) from east to west in Russia, which is 17 million square kilometres (6.6 million square miles), comprising 11 percent of the Earth’s landmass – a bit more than the areas of China, India, Indonesia and Saudi Arabia put together.