On a side note, what follows is what someone in contact with 2 Russian friends reported. Source is unknown, so take with a grain of salt, but to me it makes sense.
I'm still in contact with 2 x friends i made in Moscow while i was there in 2012
Both are serving on the front lines, in different units, in different areas of operations.
Both have told me the same thing, and the messages are so similar its almost spooky, this is by the way with them not knowing each other or in contact with the other.
They have both separately asked me if i can help them in someway if they desert and manage to somehow make it to an EU country, and both have said the amount of armoured vehicles they have lost is staggering, and entire tank crews are deserting rather than advance. They are more terrified and low on morale than the infantry. They mention entire armoured groups with barely a serviceable vehicle available at the moment, and one tells me of his unit having to report back to command on fictitious attacks they invent as they simply cannot follow many of the orders they are given. He lives in constant fear of being found out and executed / imprisoned for disobeying orders.
Take that for what you will, but they have no reason to lie, and to me it speaks volumes as to how things are really going. They've sent me pictures and these poor guys are unrecognisable from the men i got to know, and they are I imagine like many troops on the Russian side who are desperately looking for any way to get out.