A lot of people, including Chomsky, are operating on the assumption that Putin is a rational actor, but I'm much more inclined to agree with your assessment of the man. He's not just a bad guy, but a bad guy with a warped sense of reality (and, apparently, a very warped perspective on the might of his own military, judging by how much they've struggled against Ukrainian resistance).

Thank you for taking the time to read and comment! I appreciate it!