Armed forces chief of staff Valery Gerasimov is now in direct charge of Ukrainian theatre operations. This and other appointments fall within a substantive ramping up of the Russian war effort that has been evident since September. They effectively create a war command that will enhance coordination and use of all armed forces, not just the military but also police and Russian National Guard forces.
Although the Kremlin has denied it, there is sustained speculation about additional military mobilisation, even a formal declaration of war.
The president's promise of no limits to funding for the armed forces will clash with fiscal prudence and falling export revenues.
Wagner Group owner Yevgeny Prigozhin's public rows with the armed forces are essentially about political status, not military operations.
