How Ukraine thwarted Russia's plans in the spring of 2022
At the start of the full-scale war, Russian forces hoped to achieve all their objectives in capturing Ukraine "within three days." However, in March 2022, following Russia's failure to execute its "blitzkrieg," the war shifted into another phase, solidifying a new position for Ukraine.
This was reported by Major General and strategic security expert Vladyslav Klochkov in a column for Novyny.LIVE.
Russia's failure in Ukraine in Spring 2022
Klochkov emphasized that in the spring of 2022, Ukraine had already moved out of emergency response mode and shifted to a structured defense. According to him, planning appeared, along with long-term aid packages and training.
- Ramstein as a mode of compatibility and planning
The expert recalled that on April 26, 2022, the Ukraine Defense Contact Group was launched in the "Ramstein" format. This helped unite policy, training, and supplies into a single system of compatibility.
"Parallel to this, longer-term plans were laid: integrating Ukraine into the defense-industrial sphere of its partners, joint production, and expanded training on systems that were only being politically approved. Kremlin pressure and nuclear threats did not derail the coalition logic, which has operated on a monthly rhythm since April 2022," the statement said.
- Attempt to encircle Donbas and Russia's failed efforts
Vladyslav Klochkov noted that when Russia withdrew from the north, it concentrated massive artillery and armored forces in the east. The enemy expected an immediate effect in the form of encircling the Joint Forces and collapsing the defense. However, Ukraine responded with maneuver and precision.
"Integrated sensors, intelligence, targeting, high-precision strike systems, and flexible logistics hit warehouses, crossings, and command posts deep within the enemy's battle formations. The attempt at a wide "pincer" encirclement did not work, Russia's offensive pace faded, and the initiative gradually shifted to the defenders," the major general stressed.
- Russia's failures in the Black Sea
"In April, in the northwestern part of the Black Sea, something happened that shattered the sense of impunity among Russian sailors. The cruiser Moskva sustained critical damage from a strike and sank within a day, forcing enemy ships to retreat farther from the coast. The most visible "umbrella" of long-range air defense disappeared from the area of a possible naval landing, giving Ukraine's coastal defense additional time," said Vladyslav Klochkov.
In June, the Russians abandoned Snake (Zmiinyi) Island, which significantly complicated their control of the air and sea situation and increased the flexibility of Ukrainian naval and air operations.
According to the expert, Russia's Black Sea Fleet carried out demonstrative maneuvers and simulated the threat of a landing, but there was no real follow-through.
- European integration, sanctions, and macro-financial support
The major general added that in April, Ukraine received strong support from the EU. At that time, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe adopted a decision to establish a special international tribunal for the crime of aggression and to expel Russia from the UN Human Rights Council.
By June, Ukraine had been granted EU candidate status, which strengthened trust and opened the way for long-term and promising programs.
"Sanctions packages, macro-financial assistance, risk insurance for critical infrastructure, and planning of energy flows created a resource framework for sustaining the state during wartime," Klochkov's statement said.
In addition, Ukraine's position was also influenced by other factors and events, among them:
- the liberation of Bucha,
- international decisions in the field of justice,
- Russia's large-scale losses,
- the strengthening of Ukraine's air defense,
- Russia's loss of air superiority,
- demographics and social resilience (many Ukrainians began returning home between April and July),
- the rise of the defense industry.
"Spring and early summer 2022 stripped Russia of the illusion of operational freedom. At sea, the symbol of distant impunity disappeared; in the sky, no strategic advantage emerged; on land, the attempt to create a large encirclement failed. A coalition framework of support and accountability has been created at the political and legal levels, and it continues to bring in resources and decisions today. At the industrial level, service, standards, maintainability, and interchangeability appeared. Altogether, this solidified Ukraine's new role: not an object of influence, but a participant in the system, capable of changing the rules of the game and setting the pace of decisions," emphasized Vladyslav Klochkov.
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