THE RUSSIAN INVASION OF UKRAINE, FEBRUARY-DECEMBER 2022: Destroying the Myth of Russian Invincibility

1-242020

On February 24, 2022, Russian forces invaded Ukraine. The initial Russian dash for Kiev was repelled and their advances in the east and south also slowed by a combination of fierce resistance and their own unpreparedness, inadequate logistical planning, and incompetent command. While the Russians ground their way forward in the east and south of the country, devastating towns and cities, they paid a heavy price in casualties and equipment losses. A carefully planned Ukrainian counteroffensive in the summer forced the invaders into a series of humiliating retreats. As winter approached, the Russians still held considerable territory but the initiative and strategic momentum had clearly swung to the defenders. The illusion of Russian invincibility was shattered forever.

US Major General (retired) John S Harrel, a graduate of the US Army War College, trained with the Ukrainian army in the 1990s and in 2006, and commanded Ukrainian troops as part of the NATO force in Kosovo in 2005. His military expertise and detailed knowledge of the combatants analyzes the course of the first 10 months of the war. He gives the reasons for the failure of the Russian invasion and, conversely, explains how the Ukrainian defense exceeded expectations, while acknowledging that strategic mistakes were made on both sides. Contains 16 color illustrations.