Thread by @P_Kallioniemi

In today’s 300th #vatniksoup, I’ll go through some of the most heroic feats that Ukrainians have achieved since Russia launched its full-scale invasion.

In the last 900 days, under-equipped underdog Ukraine has fared well against the imperialist and genocidal Russia.

1/23

As in most conflicts, Ukraine relies heavily on leadership. For this reason, the Kremlin first focused their main propaganda efforts on Zelenskyy, even claiming that he had already fled from Ukraine to Poland. Soon after these allegations, Zelenskyy and his cabinet…

2/23

… published a video from the streets of Kyiv to fight this propaganda campaign. This video quickly became one of the biggest morale boosters for Ukraine, and it has become one of the most legendary and symbolic videos of the Russo-Ukrainian War.

3/23

On the first day of the invasion, Russian navy captured the strategically located Snake Island. Russian cruiser Moskva contacted the Ukrainian defenders, calling them to surrender. This was met with the legendary reply, “Russian warship, go fuck yourself”.

4/23

Even though the Russians took over the island, Ukrainians later got their revenge: Ukrainians re-captured it, and Moskva, the flagship of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, was sent to the bottom of the sea and the incident was commemorated with an official postal stamp.

5/23

Russians initially planned to take over Kyiv and overthrow the government in 3 days. This plan included the capture of the Hostomel (or Antonov) Airport that is located less than 10km from Kyiv. Its quick capture would’ve allowed Russia to airlift troops…

6/23

…and heavier equipment to threaten the Ukrainian capital. Russia sent their elite VDV troops for the operation, but the Ukrainians were ready and encircled the Russian soldiers. The airport was eventually captured by the Russians, but it was too damaged to be used as an…

7/23

…airstrip and the Russian plan of capturing Kyiv was quickly foiled. Atlantic Council stated that Ukraine’s ability to defend the airport “possibly prevent[ed] a rapid capture” of Kyiv. RUSI associate director @JEyal_RUSI described it as “a turning point” in the war.

8/23

During this time, Russia was also sending a 64 kilometer long column of military equipment towards Hostomel. This convoy was stalled at around 30km from Kyiv due to food and fuel shortages, weather and Ukrainian attacks, especially those made with Turkish Bayraktar drones.

9/23

Even with the convoy eventually retreating, the situation looked quite dire for Ukraine - on 5 Mar 2022, Russia had captured large swathes of land in Northern, Eastern and Southern Ukraine. One of the most brutal battles was fought in Mariupol, where heroic Ukrainians…

10/23

…held against a Russian siege for almost three months. According to the Red Cross, the situation in the city was “apocalyptic”, & Ukrainian officials estimated that around 25k civilians had been killed & 95% of the city had been destroyed,mostly by the Russian bombardment.
11/23

The Ukrainian defenders, including soldiers from the Azov Regiment, finally retreated to the Azovstal steel plant, which Putin ordered to be blockaded. The brave defenders finally gave up on 16 May 2022, when their food and water supplies were running dangerously low.

12/23

In the autumn of 2022, Ukraine launched two major counteroffensives - one in Kherson and Mykolaiv oblasts, and the second in Kharkiv oblast. The former concluded by Nov 2022, after Ukrainians had liberated 1170 square kilometers of land and recaptured the city of Kherson.

13/23

In Kharkiv oblast, Ukrainians advanced nearly 50kms in just three days. According to ISW, Ukrainians recaptured around 2500 square kms of land.

Journalist Harald Stutte stated that Oleksandr Syrskyi, the commander of the offensive, had achieved a “tactical masterstroke”.

14/23

These heroic feats can clearly be seen when you compare ISW’s battle assessment maps from Mar 2022 and Aug 2024 - even though the frontlines have been static for a while, heroic Ukrainian defenders have managed to recapture large areas previously under Russian control.

15/23

Ukraine has also been extremely succesful at sea, especially for a country with no significant navy! Their most succesful operation was of course the sinking of Russian flagship Moskva, but they’ve also sunk several other large ships, and even Russian submarines.

16/23

Ukraine claims to have taken out a third of Russia’s navy in the waters by attacking them with sea drones and subsonic Neptune cruise missiles. A while ago, Russians finally took the clue, and have now retreated their fleet from Crimea to safer waters.

17/23

Even though Ukraine has been hindered by its Western allies, Ukrainians have finally started attacking targets deep in the Russian territory. These include oil refineries, airbases, ammo depots and military quarters.

18/23

On 6 Aug 2024, Ukraine launched a surprise cross-border attack into Kursk, Russia. Ukrainians have taken control of the city of Sudzha, and have posted videos of “dozens, maybe hundreds, of Russian POWs”. The objective of this so far successful incursion is still unclear.

19/23

There have also been several feats of heroism done by individuals. For example, Vitaly Skakun who sacrificed his life by blowing a bridge before the Russians could cross it. Or the execution and iconic final words of Oleksandr Matsievskyi just before he was murdered.

20/23

We also shouldn’t forget the resilience of Ukrainian civilians, who have been constantly bombarded by Russian missiles and Iranian drones. Many have lost their homes, yet they’re still ready to help their country in any way they can, be it drone production or donations.

21/23

Regular Ukrainians have also often defied the invaders, like the grandma that gave a Russian soldier sunflower seeds, telling him that “at least the sunflower will grow when you die here”, or the civilians who prevented Russians from invading the town of Sumy.

22/23

Ukraine has been extremely succesful in its operations, and Ukrainians have shown tremendous heroism while defending their country against Russian invaders. No doubt, there would be much more success if Ukraine’s allies in the West wouldn’t worry so much about “escalation”.
23/23

You can support Ukraine in their defense against genocidal Russia by donating to @U24_gov_ua:

u24.gov.ua