How Ukraine stood up to the second most powerful army
how a small Slavic nation baffled a superpower on the world stage
Russia invaded Ukraine more than a month and a half ago, and Moscow has yet to achieve virtually any of the goals it had hoped to achieve in days. A senior US defense official told reporters on Wednesday that Ukrainian forces and civilians across the country have banded together to defend themselves against Russian invaders with their own "bravery," the leadership of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, military training received in recent years from Western countries, and the military aid those countries are now providing.
"There are a number of factors that have contributed to the Ukrainians' capacity to fight so successfully and so expertly so far, and to truly beat back the Russians on so many different lines of axes." And you simply have to say it because it's true: [their] own talent, bravery, and daring, as well as their desire and capacity to adjust to Russian tactics in real time. "They're talented and brave warriors, and you can't take that away from them," the official stated.
According to the insider, Zelensky and top Ukrainian defense officials "still have effective command and control over their forces," and they haven't faced "the obstacles that the Russians" have. Russian forces began their invasion in Belarus from the north, then moved south and east, but the initial axis, which was aimed at Kyiv, failed, retreated, and left a trail of destruction in its wake. They were having logistical and supply issues, and some Russian conscripts were sabotaging their own efforts.
Russian soldiers had taken control of many villages surrounding the city, and the fallout from their devastation is still being felt on a daily basis. A mass grave was discovered in one of these suburbs, including hundreds of dead, while other citizens were shot and died with their hands chained behind them. The discovery of these murders prompted worldwide outcries of war crimes, while Russia has denied any involvement in the executions.
Ukraine's prosecutor general's office announced earlier this week that it has begun investigating approximately 5,800 allegations of Russian forces committing war crimes and crimes against humanity, while the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe released a report on Wednesday that "found clear patterns of [international humanitarian law] violations by Russian forces in their conduct of hostilities."
The US official also stated that the training that the US and UK militaries provided to Ukrainian forces in the years leading up to the current conflict was "crucial" to their success, as well as the "profound impact" of billions of dollars in military aid from more than 30 countries, including $1.7 billion from the US and another $750 million expected later this week.