War in Ukraine Volume 2

On 24 February 2022, eight years after invading the Crimean Peninsula of Ukraine and organising an illegal referendum in support of a subsequent Russian annexation, President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin ordered a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Both Western and Russian intelligence services expected the invasion to quickly topple the democratically elected government in Kyiv and, with the help of collaborators, to overrun the Ukrainian armed forces in a matter of between 3 and 14 days.

Early on 24 February, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (VSRF) launched a series of missile and artillery strikes on the main air bases and dozens of other military facilities in Ukraine. Immediately afterwards, the VSRF launched a ground invasion, with its forces advancing on Kyiv, Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Mariupol, Melitopol, and Kherson. Although following a build-up that had begun in April 2021, and expected by many, the onslaught still came as a major surprise for the Ukrainian government, the Ukrainian armed forces, and the majority of its allies in the West, and also for the mass of officers and other ranks of the VSRF, many of whom believed that they were only to participate in exercises.

However, the deeper the Russians rolled into Ukraine, the more resistance they encountered: while some Russian units performed as expected, elsewhere whole armies began falling apart when ordered to advance at maximum possible speed without the necessary firepower and logistic support. After suffering catastrophic losses while failing to reach downtown Kyiv, and failing to reach and enter Chernihiv and Kharkiv, the war in northern and north-eastern Ukraine quickly settled down into a bloody stalemate. In the south, the Russians initially advanced at an astonishing rate, securing Melitopol during the second day of their invasion, and Kherson only a few days later. It was only once President Putin attempted to accelerate the rate of advance through ordering heliborne operations deeper into Ukraine that the VSRF suffered a severe blow in the fighting for Voznesensk and Mykolaiv, and its advance in this part of the country also came to an end.

Richly illustrated with colour photography and full colour artworks, and providing a detailed study of the organisation and order of battle of the armed forces involved on both sides, Volume 2 of War in Ukraine provides the first detailed account of the first two weeks of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

 

Watch the War in Ukraine Volume 2 Virtual Book Launch click here.

 

"Helion continues its excellent record on relevant and concise reference material on current events and military operations. This ongoing series on the war in Ukraine is fascinating to me....Tom Cooper has proven to be a valuable asset for those yearning to keep abreast of what is currently happening in this brutally long war that does not seem to have an end in sight. For anyone interested in modern warfare and the lessons being currently learned as both sides improvise, this is a worthy book to pick up when it is available. Highly Recommended for those interested in the current actions in the war in Ukraine." AMPS

"....It makes for interesting reading, even if additional facts may emerge in years to come. What facts will emerge from among the fiction....The book gives a good account of what happened at the start of the war and will make an interesting reference going forward. ....I wonder what the next books in this series will reveal." Robin Buckland, Military Model Scene

“This is the book for those who are interested in current events and will recommend the book to those interested in this particular event.” IPMS/USA

“....Looking forward to the next volume.” Historical Miniature Gaming Society

"The reader will be hard pressed to find another book providing this sort of detailed information. It is liberally illustrated with battlefield photographs and good maps." Military Heritage Magazine

 "These volumes have provided greater clarity about the war, since the media’s reporting on the war has been, by necessity, lacking in important details. If one is interested in the background to the war and, especially, who has been fighting it, then read these volumes." The Journal of the Air Force Historical Foundation

"....This book, while short, is our lead review for this issue because of its very thorough coverage of the Ukraine War’s initial weeks. The authors deftly provide information on how Ukraine rebuilt its forces after the disasters of 2014-15. Their accounting of the military aid Ukraine received is very informative. They also lay out the preparations of both sides as far as is reliably known, give orders of battle and describe the action along the various Russian lines of advance. The reader will be hard pressed to find another book providing this sort of detailed information. It is liberally illustrated with battlefield photographs and good maps." Warfare History Network

"Richly illustrated with colour photographs and full colour artwork, the book provides a detailed study of the order of battle of the armed forces involved on both sides, along with a number of detailed maps to assist the reader in understanding the situation on the ground. The book is highly recommended to modellers who wish to research the conflict, and to anyone with an interest in modern history, and indeed the current world of politics". IPMS Magazine, No 3, 2024