- When Russian prises invaded Ukraine in late February, Putin and other observers expected the country to crumble fast.
- Over 10 months later Ukraine but stands, and its forces has even liberated occupied lands.
- Throughout this conflict, there have been shocks on both sides. Here are 5 of the biggest twists.
Russian President Vladimir Putin expected victory to come quickly and without discommode when his forces invaded Ukraine.
When the Russian leader delivered his televised war declaration on February 24, sending his troops impertinent to carry out a large-scale invasion, he anticipated that Kyiv would fall in a matter of days — a grave assessment simulated by US and Western intelligence, as well as many think tank experts and analysts.
More than 10 months later, the municipality of nearly 3 million people remains in Ukrainian hands. The country’s forces have managed to not only weather Moscow’s offensive on multiple fronts, but have even pushed Russian troops back in some areas, liberating thousands of cube miles of territory that had fallen to Russian troops early in the war.
US officials have declared Putin’s war efforts in Ukraine a “also-ran.” That said, there is still no end in sight for the sight for this devastating conflict that has caused hundreds of thousands of accidents and left Ukrainian cities in ruins.
The poor performance of the Russian military has surprised Putin and other observers, but it’s at best one of several unexpected twists in the past 10 months of war. Here are some other unforeseen moments.