That's part of the point. Russia would have moved its military in, secured the territory and formally annexed it into Russia. Victory party. They could have man

That's part of the point. Russia would have moved its military in, secured the territory and formally annexed it into Russia. Victory party. They could have managed that soundly, declared victory, and called it a day. They could have even taken a little bit more territory in the region while they were at it. None of that would have put their military at risk of being revealed to be a mess.