It has about 700 000 living soldiers that have been specifically trained to blindly use violence against everything that moves or doesn't move, and to be completely okay with all forms of sexual violence, regardless of age or anything. They have been trained to rob and pillage. Now, once the war ends, those 700 000 will return home.

In the end of 1980's, USSR retreated from Afghanistan, and about 90 000 soldiers returned home. They had a similar training, and the results for the society were horrendous. Yet, the current training has been even more inhumane. And now the Russia has about half the population of USSR of 1989. Which means that the effect of one returning soldier is about doubled.

Those 90 000 veterans of the war in Afghanistan were one of the biggest reason for USSR collapsing, and they were the main reason for 1990's being such a traumatizing hellscape for the Russia. Now, 700 000 will return. And because of the population difference, their effect is the same as if 1 400 000 veterans had returned to USSR instead of the 90 000 that did.

And: At the same time, the Russian economy will be absolutely gutted. There will be a huge amount of unemployment. All the same pieces that caused Russians to get very strongly collectively traumatized by their 1990's will be present again, but now about a magnitude worse. The difference between 1 400 000 and 90 000 is 15-fold. If you take the 1990's mafia violence in the Russia and multiply that by whopping 15, you get the 2030's of the Russia as a result.

As much as the Russia is suffering from this war, it's nothing compared to what will happen once their soldiers return home. Every day that keeps the soldiers away from home is a day more without hell having broken loose for them.

I believe their only goal is to prolong the war as long as possible.