> We will accept anything the higher-ups define as victory

It seems that realistically the way the war will eventually end is without Russian victory, but with Russia withdrawing and either claiming "mission accomplished", or shifting strategic interests such as better relations with Europe and/or the US.

The fact that most of the Russian population don't understand, or won't accept, the goal of the war, just makes it politically easier for someone to eventually say that it is time to end it, which is anyways going to be popular the more it is being felt at home in Russia.

How/when such at outcome may happen remains to be seem. With the Soviet war in Afghanistan it took new leadership in the form of Gorbachev to end the war in similar fashion, and that may be true here as well, although it seems it may require the Russian situation to deteriorate further, and for the West to consistently communicate and push for some "win-win" outcome before any such leadership change happens and becomes entrenched in their own position on the war.