Russia just gave up on the biggest lie it tells itself

• Russia has clung to the term "special military operation" to describe its invasion of Ukraine.
• But a Kremlin spokesperson admitted on Friday that "we are in a state of war," blaming the West. 
• Putin signed a law effectively criminalizing calling the attack on Ukraine a "war" or "invasion."

Russia is finally calling its invasion of Ukraine a "war," after spending more than two years describing it euphemistically as a "special military operation."

The change became clear on Friday when Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov spoke to Russian publication Arguments and Facts.