My understanding is Russia do not want to be in Kiev. They want 2 things. 1/ No NATO in Ukraine. This is understandable because it would be a direct threat and the US have openly stated their goal is to destroy Russia. 2/ Stop the killing of the Russian speaking people in the Donbas region.
Also it is generally accepted that Russia are waging a war of attrition. That is to deplete Ukraine of their US and EU supplied weapons and to de nazify Ukraine.
How can you say with certainty the numbers a total bs? And does it really matter who is right on this count. What really matters is that Ukrainian and Russians stop dying. The US and the EU do not care how many Ukrainians are killed.
