Normally, a public utterance from Russian President Vladimir Putin is either a paean of Panglossian optimism, or an aggrieved lecture on the injustices of modern Russian history. Or both. But on Tuesday, he emerged with a surprising new hymn sheet.

Speaking at a Kremlin meeting with 18 war correspondents and military bloggers – who support him ardently in principle but are somewhat critical in practice – he made an uncharacteristic admission of weakness.