Illustrated investigation of the forces fighting today's civil war in
Ukraine, including Russian regular and clandestine units.
Using his extensive contacts in both Russia and Ukraine, and access to a
mass of official and unofficial sources, Mark Galeotti presents a
thorough and intriguing primer on all the forces involved in the ongoing
conflict in the Ukraine. Supported by specially commissioned artwork, he
analyzes both the progress of the war, and what it teaches us about
Russia's current military capabilities.
In February 2014, street protests in Kiev and other Ukrainian cities led
to the ousting of the Russian-backed President Yanukovych. The so-called
Euromaidan Revolution saw many changes to the Ukraine's constitution,
but the violent reaction in the east and south of the country led to
armed counter-revolution, unofficially backed by Russia.
This conflict is the essential example of Russia's new policy of "hybrid
warfare", which blends propaganda, misinformation, and the deployment of
"deniable" Special Forces and regular troops alongside proxies and
mercenaries to achieve its strategic ends.