[jacknews]

But those figures will likely try to seize power in the chaos of a humiliating defeat for Putin, and possibly use the situation as an excuse to escalate, even if Putin himself does not.

Far better to keep things on a slow boil, so when things eventually shift internally in Russia, there is at least some stability externally. And when they do shift, it may be in the other direction, with the hawks washed away by popular dissent, or just fatigue for the war.