Thread by @alexanderkhara

A year of the nine-year war (longread)

LONG-TIME APPEASEMENT (1991-2014). Due to the immense potential to destroy humanity, vast resources, and incurable optimism of the renaissance nations, 🇷🇺has been a prism through which the West has been looking at the nations in-between.

The brutal second #Chechen war, orchestrated by @putin to grip power, was hardly noticed. 🇷🇺was let in from the cold just a year after the invasion of #Georgia.

Contrary to common sense, the Kremlin was awarded more say in global affairs and even more role in #Europe, thanks to the Partnership for modernization Angela #Merkel had championed.

The injected poison of strategic corruption paralyzed old Europeans, while President #Obama saw no serious stakes in 🇺🇦 to stop 🇷🇺imperial advent. The war started on 20 Feb 2014. 🇺🇦 was put on hold after the #Minsk theatrical performance became dull for the enemy and partners.

THE SHOCK OF 24/02/22. All of the actors failed, each and everyone in its own sense. The old Europeans didn't believe #Ukraine would stand a chance against a superior force.

The #US and #UK didn't think the UAF were able to repel aggression but were hoping that the resistance would be fierce, so SOF had to be trained and armed. The #Poles and #Balts knew that #Ukraine would withstand the blow and fight tooth and nail.

#russia believed in the success of a new "Operation Storm-333" (seizure of Tajbeg Palace and assassination of Afghan leader Hafizullah Amin). Ukraine believed everything would start in the East but took precautious measures that saved the lion's share of assets and capabilities.

RESILIENCE. The Ukrainian society showed its unity in the face of the existential threat and readiness to sacrifice for freedom and democracy. Ukrainians conscripted into the Defence Forces in huge numbers.

Along with professional militaries, first blow was met by a newly organized territorial defense. Ordinary citizens were fighting and assisting the UAF. Volunteers stepped in in their invaluable support by providing everything the soldiers needed, from clothes to lethal weapons.

PERSONAL COURAGE. "I need ammunition, not a ride" by President Volodymyr @ZelenskyyUa is both a symbol of a turning point in history and a sign of personal courage a comedian turned to be a wartime leader.

"Russian warship, go F yourself," pronounced by what seems to be a doomed soldier, became a motto of the war. People made of steel defended Mariupol and #AzovStal. "#Bakhmut Stands" and degrades russia's special forces, regular forces, and #Wagner criminal forces.

OPEN HEART. Nations of the free world rushed to give asylum to refugees and help Ukrainians who stayed at home. People across the globe show their support to Ukraine and its people, sending humanitarian aid, donating to various causes, and even buying weapons for the UAF.

Foreign #volunteers are fighting alongside Ukrainians, helping people in need on the ground, reporting from the battlefields and cities under missile barrages. Foreign cities turned blue and yellow in a show of support.

GENOCIDE. Russian history is rich in #genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity, systemic muss murders, deportation, suppression, and other types of violence against its own people and those abroad. Impunity for previous crimes enabled this tool against Ukrainians again.

That's the reason why Ukrainians are determined to bring russians to justice in the name of millions of people murdered by the previous russian regimes, which contemporary #russia and russians en masse adore.

WITTY DEFENSE. The UAF showed readiness for asymmetric warfare, the ability to absorb the blow, and constantly adjust to the changing environment. The manurable defense wore down the disproportionate size of enemy forces while saving the Ukrainian ones.

The UAF easily integrates new (Western-made) weapon systems and adjusts its operational behavior to employ newly acquired capabilities in accordance with modern warfighting doctrines. Innovation is one of the key drivers of success.

The successful counter-offensive in the South and East proved that the UAF is capable of getting things done, provided it has the necessary tools.

RAMSTEIN. The UAF's unexpected (in the West) success made it possible to rethink strategies for supporting Ukraine. While acknowledgment of fallacies of the self-drawn "red lines," crossing thereof, in the mind of Western politicians, could have triggered a russian escalation,

was important in widening the range of capabilities provided to Ukraine. The United States took a leading role in a coordinated effort to sustain Ukraine's ability to defend itself.

While the #Poles and #Balts were fierce lobbyists for more support, the #Brits have been playing a galvanizing role by providing certain types of weapons ahead of the others (missiles, helicopters, tanks, etc.).

The (falsely) perceived trigger of World War III has been shifted from #Leopard MBTs to #ATACMS and fighter jets, so there's a way to go. The Ramstein is equally important for fighting a war now and, hopefully, enabling 🇺🇦 to deter and defend further 🇷🇺aggressions in the future.

TREASURE. Ukraine has been receiving an unprecedented amount of financial and humanitarian support. While the Free world was aiding Ukraine, it was imposing the cost on Russia.

Though sanctions didn't stop the 🇷🇺war of aggression, they limited the Kremlin's ability to wage war and, along with export control measures, restrained its ability to replenish. The global eco suffered from war-related factors (energy, food), increasing cost of war for everyone.

to be continued in a new thread (thx to @Twitter limits)