It was never about conquering Kiev.
Quit lying for Putin, he doesn't love you anyway. Of course Russians wanted to take Kyiv and close the "kettle" along Dnipro. Didn't work out, nor did any of the reduced plans of encirclement.
For those who wonder why there seem so many vehicles lost by the Russians - they have a completely different tank strategy: the Western strategy relies on high-tech as-long-as-possible-operationable tanks while the Eastern strategy relies on the whole formation where a single tank is not essential and losses (vehicles and soldiers) are part of the strategy of mass formation attacks with cheap equipment in order to be able to make huge breakthroughs with it (background: formidable battle formations against NATO). In contrast, they are not suitable for operations with guerrilla tactics.
"Single tank is not essential" but they already lost 1000+, is that "essential"? Didn't make any huge breakthroughs either. Damn Ukrainians are not fighting the way it would be convenient for Russians, how shocking.