When the US entered Iraq, the PR guy in Baghdad constantly said the US had lost and was being defeated by Iraqi forces. Even when fires could be seen behind him, he said the US was far away.
Why is the media doing the exact thing with the Ukraine and Russia? Heck, why are they doing that with everything?
What are they losing? It really does look like they are losing, and trying to cover up the losses.
To add to your list, we are in a bad economy, and war does raise it. It helps that war is a government controlled thing as well.