The belief that the Russian army is barbaric today is built up on the prior involvement of Wagner which had elements that were described as being plainly illegal by international observers before the war.
The offset of Wagner as a military contribution has not dampened the spirits of Russia for a military victory in Ukraine. In fact it’s left to more native forces to pursue the end goal that is still in mind.
The use of some types of technology has come across in media reports so far and available footage on social media also shows the same uses of these. However, it’s not certain if Russia is going to use its more powerful weaponry.
The hallmarks of a real war are there but Russia has yet to deal heavy blows that would make Ukraine think again about its chances. It may be a tactic or it may be failures at home that are causing this to be so. The way forward is uncertain. 
