摘要: |
Russia invaded Ukraine on February 22, 2022, on multiple fronts to establish Russian dominion on several provinces where separatist movements had contested Ukrainian government control. However, Russian aims were not restricted to annexing territory (at least initially) but extended more broadly to challenge a Ukrainian regime that had been moving steadily away from Russia. At the outset of this invasion, the Russian military enjoyed a reputation as a professional and modernized force—a reputation widely accepted in the West (Global Firepower, undated; O’Brien, 2022). Clearly, the Russian military’s battle- field performance has not lived up to expectations. |