The Battle for Kyiv

On 24 February 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin launched an attack on Ukraine, marking the most significant European conflict since World War II. The invasion aimed to capture Kyiv and replace President Zelenskyy with a puppet regime, but the Russians faced fierce Ukrainian resistance, forcing them to retreat and re-direct their efforts to other fronts. The Battle of Kyiv chronicles the Ukrainians' heroic resilience against a vastly more powerful enemy. Despite Russia's population and economic superiority, Ukraine's military, bolstered by NATO and international support, held its ground. The book details the early phase of the war, when Russian forces pushed toward Kyiv, surrounded cities like Chernihiv, seized Kherson, and threatened the Ukrainian state. U.S. intelligence predicted Kyiv's fall within days and offered to evacuate Zelenskyy. His response: "I need ammunition, not a ride." The book covers the fighting in Kyiv, Kherson, Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, and Mariupol, documenting military operations, destruction, civilian suffering, and survival struggles. Written as the battle unfolded, it provides an urgent historical account of the uncertainty, anxiety, and global significance of the war, reflecting the pivotal moments in Ukraine's defense against the Russian invasion. AUTHOR: Christopher A. Lawrence is a professional historian and military analyst. He is the Executive Director and President of The Dupuy Institute, an organization dedicated to scholarly research and objective analysis of historical data related to armed conflict and the resolution of armed conflict. The Dupuy Institute provides independent, historically-based analyses of lessons learned from modern military experience. His published works include the 1,662-page Kursk, papers and monographs for the Congressional Office of Technology Assessment and the Vietnam Veterans of American Foundation, as well as over 40 articles written for limited-distribution newsletters and over 60 analytical reports prepared for the Defense Department. 16 b/w illustrations