There isn't a military solution to Russia (taking over Ukraine)...

There isn't a military solution to Russia (taking over Ukraine) without resorting to carpet bombing every major city to rubble; similar to what the US and Nato did to Raqqa.

Which would result in the deaths of millions.

And that would rouse decades of resentment, and fuel an insurgency against the occupying Russian.

IMHO, that would be a strategic mistake, as nations representing more than 7 billion people would turn against them - resulting in most joining the sanctions bandwagon.

The Russian economy as a consequence would be bled dry.

It would be better they take the East and the South and call it a day, as it would:

- secure a corridor to Crimea,
- secure the Azov sea,
- secure water supplies to Crimea.

Note, residents in Kherson city (one of the early cities they took) are now using Rubles as the currency instead of the Hryvnia.

Once they call a ceasefire, they can then build walls around these areas - like Cyprus.

And with the country (Ukraine) split, they would achieve their primary objective of denying Ukraine entry into Nato and their secondary objective of securing the Azov sea and a corridor to Crimea.