BAD OMENS FOR UKRAINE: A sobering analysis from the Hudson Institute suggests Russian President Vladimir Putin is hunkering down for a protracted battle of attrition in Ukraine and is making moves that will reinforce trench and minefield defenses with fresh, untrained conscripts.

“The Russian State Duma voted to raise the maximum age for conscription from 27 to 30, providing more available manpower for Russia’s war effort. The move will enable the Kremlin to replenish its forces participating in the invasion of Ukraine without initiating another mobilization,” Can Kasapoglu, a senior fellow at Hudson, wrote in a military situational report released yesterday.