According to four main factors - Russia is losing the war

Russia is surely lose in Ukraine, according to Feng Yujun, Chinese Russia -relations chief expert.

"The war between Russia and Ukraine has been catastrophic for both countries. One thing is clear, though: the conflict is a post-cold-war watershed that will have a profound, lasting global impact.

With neither side enjoying an overwhelming advantage and their political positions completely at odds, the fighting is unlikely to end soon. "

But now four main factors will influence the course of the war. 

The first is the level of resistance and national unity shown by Ukrainians, which has until now been extraordinary. The second is international support for Ukraine, which, though recently falling short of the country’s expectations, remains broad.

The third factor is the nature of modern warfare, a contest that turns on a combination of industrial might and command, control, communications and intelligence systems. 

One reason Russia has struggled in this war is that it is yet to recover from the dramatic deindustrialisation it suffered after the disintegration of the Soviet Union.

And here comes the last final factor: this is information. When it comes to decision-making, Vladimir Putin is trapped in an information cocoon, thanks to his having been in power so long. The Russian president and his national-security team lack access to accurate intelligence. The system they operate lacks an efficient mechanism for correcting errors. Their Ukrainian counterparts are more flexible and effective, wrote Feng Yujun in The Economist.