and European political and military officials.Ī reconstruction of events shows that even as Ukraine’s political leadership had downplayed the likelihood of a full-scale invasion, the military had taken critical steps to withstand Russia’s initial assault. This account of how Ukraine forces defended, and saved, their capital is based on interviews with more than 100 people - from Zelenskyy and his advisers, to military commanders, to volunteer militiamen, as well as senior U.S. To the surprise of the world, the offensive against the Ukrainian capital would end in a humiliating retreat, which would expose deep systemic problems in a Russian military he had spent billions to rebuild.ĭespite the flaws that would emerge in Russia’s war planning, the outcome of the battle for Kyiv was far from predetermined. His assault on the city instantly reordered the security architecture of Europe against Moscow and isolated his nation to a degree unseen since the Cold War. Instead, what transpired in and around Kyiv in the ensuing 36 days would represent the biggest foreign blunder in the 22-year rule of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
#Stars and stripes hey dudes install#
Moscow could install a puppet government.
If the Russians could seize the seat of power in Ukraine, or at least cause the government to flee in panic, the defense of the country would quickly unravel. The question everyone faced at that moment, Monastyrsky said, was: “How far can the enemy go with that enormous fist?”
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