>>51284
The Russian army was hyped up for two reasons:
1. Russia looking stronger than in reality is a deterrent;
2. Western military has to live from something so they magnify opposing threat.
Besides this we were still under the spell of the Red Army of WWII despite extraordinary circumstances allowed them to occupy half of Europe.
Btw it's good to keep in mind that Russia isn't the Soviet Union or the Czarist Empire, has both's geopolitical heritage but it is a different entity with differing possibilities - forced by internal characteristics and external circumstances - and goals.

I think you summed it up well the changing expectations and commentary of the main narrations that were common to hear or repeated.
There was a hype of Ukrainian capabilities and possibilities they could do after the Russians retreated from the north, and then after the Kherson and Kharkiv offensives. Now it's gone due to the failed Spring/Summer Offensive, and only one thing left, the real losses of Ukraine we kept in dark about. At the moment people believe Ukraine can still hold, perhaps knowing the real numbers would change that - if the number is high, maybe it is maybe it isn't.
Yes, expectation about Russian performance grew, but they also has the initiative along the front, and they take land more rapidly than how Ukraine did. If that matters any. For sure Russia now has a system created for a prolonged conflict, solid defense lines, build up areas, rotation system, supply lines. For reaching war goals? Not even sure what are those.