Reflections on the Russia-Ukraine War

The Russia-Ukraine war is a complex conflict involving various aspects, from ground fighting to high diplomacy, domestic protests to international weapon supplies, justification through sham referenda to coercion via economic sabotage, and operational misdirection to covering up war crimes. This volume explores these facets and their interconnections, offering comprehensive and timely reflections on the armed conflict. It covers historical and contemporary narratives, intelligence, digital technologies, communication strategies, operational aspects, international involvement, normative framework, and armed forces' transformation.

Format: Hardback
Length: 534 pages
Publication date: 24 February 2024
Publisher: Leiden University Press

The Russia-Ukraine War is a complex and multifaceted conflict that encompasses various aspects, including ground fighting, high-level diplomacy, domestic anti-war protests, international weapon supplies, justification through sham referenda, coercion via economic sabotage, and operational misdirection to cover up war crimes. These facets are intricately connected, with each one influencing the others in various ways. For instance, the collapse of a front can lead to the discovery of mass graves, while the delivery of weapon systems depends on the international community's response to Zelensky's appeals. Sham referenda followed by annexation can be used to accuse soldiers of unwillingly mobilizing and refusing to defend their motherland. This volume aims to shed light on the Russia-Ukraine War by exploring its numerous facets and their interconnections. It brings together the expertise of colleagues at the Netherlands Defense Academy (NLDA) to offer a comprehensive and timely reflection on this armed conflict. The volume comprises 27 chapters organized around five themes: historical and contemporary narratives, intelligence, digital technologies, communication strategies, operational aspects of the war, international involvement, normative framework, and armed forces' transformation and learning from the war. The first section covers historical and contemporary narratives, intelligence, digital technologies, and communication strategies. The second section provides in-depth analyses of the operational aspects of the war, including warfighting on land, at sea, in the air, and in the space and cyber domains. The third section on international involvement covers topics such as sanctions, burden sharing, arms support, and the implications of the war on international institutions and the world order. The fourth section provides analyses of the normative framework that applies to the Russia-Ukraine War. Finally, the fifth section deals with the way armed forces can transform their organizations and learn from this war, and concludes with questions on how and when to end the conflict.

Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9789087284343