Vladimir Putin has been fighting not just Ukraine, but his own people

TWO YEARS after he launched his invasion of Ukraine on February 24th 2022, things are going Vladimir Putin’s way. Ukraine’s summer counter-offensive failed, and Russian troops are slowly creeping forward. On February 17th they took Avdiivka, a small town, now a smoking ruin, next to the Russian-held city of Donetsk. It is the first Russian achievement since May. But though it is of limited significance considering the cost in blood, it is a sign of Mr Putin’s determination to carry on his war. Russia’s military-industrial complex is now churning out five times as many shells as it did at the start of the war. Western aid to Ukraine is ebbing.