Putin’s “Special Military Operation” Becomes Europe’s Deadliest War Since WWII | APT скачать в хорошем качестве

Putin’s “Special Military Operation” Becomes Europe’s Deadliest War Since WWII | APT

Join this channel to get access to perks:    / @apt_news   What began on February 24, 2022, as a rapid, multi-axis invasion ordered by President Vladimir Putin has evolved into one of the longest and most consequential wars in modern Europe. Russia’s initial offensive — launched from Belarus, Crimea, and the Donbas — was widely expected to deliver a swift strategic outcome. Instead, the war in Ukraine transformed into a prolonged, attritional conflict defined by entrenched frontlines, drone warfare, infrastructure strikes, and geopolitical endurance. In the early weeks, Russian forces advanced toward Kyiv, capturing key positions such as Hostomel Airport and pushing deep into Ukrainian territory. But Ukrainian resistance, rapid mobilization, Western military aid, and intelligence support prevented the fall of the capital, marking a critical turning point by March 2022 when Russian troops withdrew from northern Ukraine. Following this withdrawal, Moscow recalibrated its strategy toward eastern and southern Ukraine, shifting the war into a second phase dominated by heavy artillery, siege warfare, and fortified defensive lines. Battles such as Mariupol, Bakhmut, and Avdiivka became defining symbols of modern attritional warfare, where territorial gains were often measured in meters at the cost of heavy casualties. Over time, the conflict evolved into a 1,200-kilometer frontline stretching across trenches, artillery zones, drone-monitored corridors, and layered defensive belts. The war’s character shifted from rapid maneuver warfare to a hybrid model combining World War I-style positional fighting with advanced surveillance, precision strikes, and unmanned systems. One of the most transformative elements of the war has been the unprecedented integration of drones. Both Russia and Ukraine now rely heavily on unmanned aerial systems for reconnaissance, targeting, and deep strikes, fundamentally reshaping battlefield transparency, logistics vulnerability, and operational planning. Ukraine has increasingly conducted long-range strikes on Russian logistics hubs, oil refineries, and military infrastructure, while Russia has intensified missile and drone attacks on Ukraine’s energy grid and urban infrastructure. These sustained strikes have expanded the conflict beyond traditional battlefields into economic, industrial, and energy domains. Sanctions, defense production, and economic adaptation have also become central pillars of the war. Despite sweeping Western sanctions, Russia has reoriented trade flows, expanded domestic weapons output, and sustained military operations through wartime economic restructuring. Meanwhile, Ukraine remains heavily supported by Western military aid, intelligence sharing, and financial assistance, transforming it into one of the most internationally backed armed forces in modern history. Diplomatically, multiple negotiation attempts since 2022 have yielded limited progress, with core disagreements over territory, neutrality, and long-term security guarantees continuing to block a comprehensive settlement. Geopolitically, the war has reshaped Europe’s security architecture, strengthened NATO unity, and led to the accession of Finland and Sweden into the alliance, signaling a long-term strategic shift triggered by the invasion. Four years on, the Russia-Ukraine war has become a multi-domain conflict: a trench war across hardened frontlines, a drone war across surveillance-dominated skies, an infrastructure war targeting energy systems, and a geopolitical contest shaped by sanctions, alliances, and strategic endurance. As the war moves deeper into its fifth year, it is no longer defined by speed or decisive offensives, but by endurance, technological adaptation, and long-term geopolitical will — with no immediate resolution in sight.