As war enters second month, Kremlin says everything is going 'according to plan'

As the war in Ukraine enters its second month, members of the Kremlin inner circle are pumping out the message that everything is just fine and going "according to plan."

Despite reports of consistent losses on the side of Russia's military, Maria Zakharova, the spokeswoman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, says that all is progressing at pace for Russia's "special military operation" in Ukraine.

"Exactly one month since the start of the special military operation in Ukraine; it is going according to plan, and all the stated goals will be achieved. Life is returning to normal in the territories already liberated from nationalists," she tweeted via the ministry's official account.

Russia has, thus far, been unable to secure most major cities, with the notable exceptions of Kherson and Melitopol in the South. Kharkiv and Sumy, both front line cities in the East, remain in Ukrainian hands. Russia has further failed to fully secure the separatist Donbas region, which borders the aggressor nation.

Though Russia recently launched a new, aggressive military strategy, some Western officials believe Putin will soon abandon his efforts to seize Ukraine's capital city of Kyiv. 

It is unknown precisely how many Russian soldiers have died during the war, though one NATO official believes the figure exists somewhere between 7,000 and 15,000. Russia has admitted to losing just 498 soldiers. 

Despite Russia's unexpected losses, continued fighting bodes well in the direction of Putin's army, which far outnumbers Ukraine's and is out-resourced by far, as Ukraine has become entirely reliant on shipments from foreign nations.