Is Russia tired of all the winning yet?

A few more "victories" like Bakhmut, and the Ukrainian flag will be flying over the Kremlin.

It took them only ten months and thousands of casualties and may turn out to be a trap, but a win’s a win, I guess.

Your reward: an all-expenses-paid trip to The Hague!

The heroic, glorious seizure of Bakhmut may end up having been much more trouble than it was worth for Russia, though, writes David Patrikarakos in the Daily Mail:

Putin and Prigozhin may be gloating – but they know what a Pyrrhic victory this truly is. Even if the city has fallen – and I am reliably told that Ukrainian resistance continues fiercely – the battle exposes two truths about this war: The insanity, chaos and total disregard for human life at the heart of Putin’s unprovoked invasion; and the ferocity and growing tactical intelligence of Ukraine’s defence.

Bakhmut has no real strategic value, but Russia has been sending its men to die there for almost ten months. Why? For no other reason than Putin is determined to make good on his fantastical promise to take the entire Donbas region. This is madness.

But it is a …