In a rare admission, Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged Friday that Russia is sustaining “significant losses” in the war on Ukraine.

“In recent days, we have seen significant losses in Ukraine, they exceed the classical figure,” he said, according to the Kremlin.

The Russian president also confessed that Russian forces were dealing with artillery problems, adding in his remarks that “Yes, we still do not have enough of these modern weapons, but the defense industry, the country’s military-industrial complex is developing rapidly.”

[That’s a rather abrupt shift, likely made to deal with Yevgeniy Prigozhin’s robust criticisms about the Ministry of Defense. The ground is shifting in the Kremlin, and one has to wonder whether Putin is starting to prepare Russians for a pullout from Ukraine, or worse. — Ed]