the war has “dramatically improved” the incomes of 20% of Russians, it is hugely socially divisive. “For the bulk of Russians, real incomes have fallen by 16% to 42%,”
Like most wars, this is why they tend to go on so long - because those that are making the most money from the war, reinvest some of it to keep the war going as long as possible. After all, they aren't paying the price in money or blood, they just collect the spoils.
Putin’s readiness to risk the lives and wellbeing of ordinary Russians is only too evident, symbolised by the cynical signing-up fees and death benefits paid to infantry volunteers from poor rural areas – whose average frontline life expectancy is 12 days.
This is what will eventually end the war - they will simply run out of draftees, or the people will finally get sick of sacrificing their sons to advance corruption, and revolt, although that could be tough with any fighting-age men off getting slaughtered less than two weeks after joining. We may see something crazy like a Mother's Rebellion, with a million mothers marching on the Kremlin and taking it over. It would be pretty tough to get Russian soldiers to fire on their own mothers.