Since the start of the “special military operation” in Ukraine, President Putin has had a loud cheering section on television. These nationalists commentators have been saying that Russia would face little opposition. In fact, they expected to have seized Kyiv within a few days and from there to work out what, if anything, would remain of Ukraine.

Obviously that didn’t work out for Russia, which retreated from the capital months ago and hasn’t show much initiative since. Then, over the past week, the Ukrainian counteroffensive has made it clear to some of Putin’s cheerleaders that they can lose territory as well as gain it. They lost 1,000 square kilometers of territory they’ve held since February and they lost it in a matter of days. And that advance is still happening. Today they took control of another town called Bohorodychne.

The settlement of Bohorodychne, in northernmost Donetsk region, is under the full control of Ukrainian defenders.

Bohorodychne was in the “grey zone” of the battlefront for several months. The rashist invaders attacked constantly but the Ukrainians never gave up. pic.twitter.com/1RqNIgbM07

— Michael MacKay (@mhmck) September 12, 2022

The reality of that is starting to sink in. Boris Nadezhdin, a former state Duma deputy, can’t quite bring himself to place the blame where it belongs. (If he did, he might fall out a window after the show.) Instead, he blames the “people who convinced President Putin” that the special operation would be fast and effective. In any case, he says it’s “absolutely impossible to defeat Ukraine” unless there is a mass mobilization of Russian troops. And if Russia isn’t willing to do that then it’s time for peace talks.

As you’ll see, another Duma representative (who is wearing a ‘Z’ lapel pin) says “There can’t be any negotiations with Zelensky’s Nazi regime.” He’s toeing the party line and even quotes Putin saying the Russians haven’t started fighting yet.

A third guest, listed as a policy expert, asks “What are we waiting for?”

Watch through to the end when there’s a debate about how long this war could go on.

Life comes at you fast: pundits on Russian TV realize that their military is failing and their country is in trouble. They are starting to play the blame game. Some of them finally understand that their genocidal denial of the Ukrainian identity isn't working in Russia's favor. pic.twitter.com/jNNn5xifI5

— Julia Davis (@JuliaDavisNews) September 11, 2022

Perhaps the clearest sign that Russia is in retreat is their decision to shell power stations, not to gain any advantage on the battlefield but just to vent some anger.

Russian forces launched missile strikes on Kharkiv causing a total blackout

Kharkiv, Sumy, Poltava, Dnipropetrovsk, and Donetsk oblasts are left without electricity. 1 man, 35, was killed in the attack, Kharkiv Reg Mil Head Oleh Synehubov reportedhttps://t.co/nMgzzWJHMs pic.twitter.com/dCkZOWajLk

— Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) September 11, 2022

A total blackout in the Kharkiv & Donetsk regions, a partial one in the Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk & Sumy regions. RF terrorists remain terrorists & attack critical infrastructure. No military facilities, the goal is to deprive people of light & heat. #RussiaIsATerroristState

— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) September 11, 2022

Russia is not only a state sponsor of terrorism. Russia is also a state sponsor of cowardice. Russia lost the ground in the battle of Kharkiv region and suffered the humiliation before the eyes of the world. And what it does: Russia attacks the infrastructure, causing blackout.

— Taras Berezovets (@TarasBerezovets) September 11, 2022

President Zelensky turned the blackouts to his rhetorical advantage in a message published Sunday which was clearly meant for Russian ears.

“Do you still think that we are ‘one nation?’ Do you still think that you can scare us, break us, make us make concessions?”

“You really did not understand anything? Don’t understand who we are? What are we for? What are we talking about?,” said the post, which published Sunday.

“Read my lips: Without gas or without you? Without you. Without light or without you? Without you. Without water or without you? Without you. Without food or without you? Without you,” Zelensky wrote.

“Cold, hunger, darkness and thirst are not as scary and deadly for us as your ‘friendship and brotherhood,'” he added. “But history will put everything in its place. And we will be with gas, light, water and food … and WITHOUT you!”

This is definitely a low moment for Russia and I’m sure the pendulum will swing the other way at some point. But I think Boris Nadezhdin is basically correct. Russia has already lost a lot of men and a lot of equipment and it’s war effort was stalled even before last week’s setbacks. There won’t be a dramatic turn in their favor unless Russia commits a lot more troops and a lot more money to the effort.

In the meantime, if Putin has another bad week it may dawn on more TV talking heads that Russia is in real danger of losing this war.

Update: Some Russian TV commentators are finally coming to terms with reality but on Tucker Carlson’s show, not so much.

Tucker Carlson's top Russia-Ukraine war expert Douglas MacGregor, on Friday night: "This entire war may be over" soon, "right now things are going very, very badly" for the Ukrainians and they're "desperate," "they're losing once again just south of Kharkiv." pic.twitter.com/BBwCL6QSpB

— Matthew Gertz (@MattGertz) September 12, 2022

Update: Putin’s chief propagandist Vladimir Solovyov is now suggesting some of the Russian commanders who allowed this to happen should be executed.

I am not excusing anyone, even more so I am not arguing with the fact that many chiefs in epaulettes (the language does not return to call them commanders) are worthy of dismissal with dishonor, and a part of the criminal term or even execution, and I can even name a few to the decision-makers last names …,” the propagandist wrote.

He’s still more in touch with reality than Douglas MacGregor. At least Solovyov knows Russia is losing at this moment.