On February 24, 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine under the pretence of a “special military operation,” but it started a major conflict. Ukraine resisted Russia’s attempts to reintegrate it into the Soviet era. Russia launched missiles, troops and other weapons at Ukrainian military installations to start the conflict.
Russia did not try to win the war initially, and its initial attack was unsuccessful. Russia should have taken the conflict seriously, underestimated Ukraine’s defences, or needed better strategic and tactical skills. Additionally, Russia’s logistics may have yet to be able to support a large amount of its air power, and there may have been complacency and underestimation of Ukraine’s fighting capabilities.
Putin’s intelligence failed, embezzled money, and gave Putin false information about Ukraine’s resistance during the invasion. The use of defective tyres on expensive vehicles and the lack of adequate logistics and supplies, which contributed to the failure of the Russian advance into Kyiv, are further arguments that Russia’s military and government are dishonest and incompetent.
Ukraine’s strategy of destroying Russian trucks, applying pressure to the logistics system, and forcing Russia to retreat was a huge success. Ukraine has reclaimed enough ground, so northern Russian forces are forced to withdraw immediately. In the first significant counteroffensive of the Ukraine conflict, Ukrainian forces stunned Russia with the result that no one anticipated on February 24. They did this by using a combination of brilliant deception, real-time intelligence provided by the US, and sheer guts and tenacity.
Approximately 2,000 tanks, 4,500 infantry fighting vehicles, 1,300 self-propelled and conventional artillery pieces, 250 of Russia’s most advanced aircraft, and 217,000 casualties, of which 54,000 are estimated to have been killed, are believed to have been lost by Russia. Due to these defeats, Russian morale has reached critical lows, and they no longer send new units into Ukraine. Additionally, with energy sales supporting the entire economy and a sharp decline in energy sales to Europe, the Russian economy is also experiencing weakness due to the sanctions.
Russia invaded Ukraine with poor planning due to Putin’s desire to return Ukraine to Soviet-era status. The Ukrainian military has effectively fought back, causing significant losses for the Russian army. Economic sanctions have also hurt Russia’s economy, which relies heavily on energy sales.
The conflict has also revealed a high level of corruption and incompetence within the Russian military and government, as shown by the use of defective tyres on vehicles costing millions of dollars and the inadequate logistics and supplies that prevented the Russian advance on Kyiv. Since they have stopped sending new units into Ukraine and are instead attempting to make up for combat losses through a significant nationwide recruitment drive, Russian morale is at an all-time low.
On the other hand, using a combination of deception, real-time intelligence, and tenacity, Ukraine successfully retook territory and handed Russia a significant defeat. Russian trucks have been successfully destroyed by the Ukrainian military, putting strain on the supply chain and forcing Russia to withdraw.
Russia has suffered significant losses from the Ukraine crisis, including economically and militarily. By being defeated by the Ukrainian army, the Russian military experienced a serious blow. By the time the war is through, it seems that Ukraine will have gained more land while Russia will have suffered severe economic and military losses.
