BOOKS & MORE: War in Ukraine

The Russian occupation of Crimea in 2014 took place using the political instability in Ukraine and with a quickly achieved local superiority of forces. More problematic was the Russian intervention in the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine. Despite fierce battles - using regular, militia, and proxy forces - the conflict seems to be largely deadlocked. Given Moscow's willingness to bring forces and resources into the region, this stalemate is likely to continue in the short term. Russia specialist Mark Galeotti does his best to make the conflict in Ukraine with its many facets understandable in this well-written book from the Osprey Elite Series.

After a detailed introduction, the author portrays the rebels in the Donbas region as well as the Russian and Ukrainian units involved in further battles. In many cases, the units participating in the conflict are improvised and/or temporary, others are quite regular even if the badges don't match. The author describes the unresolved conflict up to the year 2018. The text contains many photos, illustrations, and maps.

This conflict is also a fascinating example of Russia's new policy of "hybrid warfare," which mixes propaganda, misinformation, and the use of "deniable" special forces and regular troops with proxies and mercenaries to achieve strategic goals.

Mark Galeotti uses his extensive contacts in Russia and Ukraine and access to a variety of official and unofficial sources to present a thorough and fascinating overview of all the forces involved in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Well-illustrated, he analyzes both the course of the war and what the conflict teaches us about Russia's current military capabilities. SPARTANAT recommendation for all readers who want a solid introduction to the conflict in Ukraine.

"Armies of Russia's War in Ukraine (Elite, Band 228)" by Mark Galeotti, Osprey Publishing, Oxford 2019, 64 pages, Euro 13.27