This is a minor personal note, but I was really looking forward to seeing St. Petersburg in May, I had read a good bit about it. This is trivial in the overall scope of things of course. It would been the highlight of the cruise. I had some inkling of visiting Moscow someday, if I do, it will be rather far in the future I suspect.
Every day this struggle lasts puts Putin in a more desperate position. I am hoping somehow the powers that be will replace him, I don't expect that, but they much be getting annoyed.