After not updating my TW VM for two weeks (last zypper dup: 2024-01-17),
today's 'zypper dup' destroyed the package management stack:

(all commands entered as root)

# zypper dup -y --download-only

  (worked without any problem, downloaded 3181 packages)

# zypper dup -y

( 330/3181) Installing: openssl-3-3.1.4-3.2.x86_64
...........................................................................................[error]
Installation of openssl-3-3.1.4-3.2.x86_64 failed:
Error: Subprocess failed. Error: RPM failed: Command exited with status 1.
Abort, retry, ignore? [a/r/i] (a): a
Warning: %posttrans and %transfiletrigger scripts are not executed when
aborting!

Problem occurred during or after installation or removal of packages:
Installation has been aborted as directed.
Please see the above error message for a hint.

# zypper dup -y
zypper: error while loading shared libraries: librpm.so.9: cannot open shared
object file: No such file or directory

# ldconfig
# zypper dup -y

zypper: error while loading shared libraries: librpm.so.9: cannot open shared
object file: No such file or directory