The ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine has unfolded as a stark contrast of military strategies, with each side pursuing distinct objectives with markedly dissimilar tactics. While Russia has employed a brutal strategy of targeting civilian infrastructure and residential areas, Ukrainians have focused more on protecting those civilians and ending the suffrage caused by the aggression being brought down on them. This analysis will delve into the tactics employed by both sides, examine the devastating humanitarian consequences, and explore the broader implications of this conflict, particularly for the innocent civilians caught in the crossfire.
Genocide
Russia’s military strategy in Ukraine has been marked by a deliberate and devastating focus on civilian infrastructure and other populated areas. From the onset of the full-scale invasion in 2022, the Russian government has employed tactics designed to instill fear and terror among the Ukrainians, specifically civilians. These attacks have caused massive destruction, widespread casualties, and a humanitarian crisis of unprecedented proportions. Even before the full-scale invasion that began in 2022, Russia’s aggression against Ukraine had already inflicted significant suffering. The annexation of Crimea in 2014 marked the beginning of a conflict that has since escalated dramatically in recent years. Still, it pales in comparison to the devastation wrought by the more recent air campaign authorized by Putin just over two years ago.
One of the invader’s primary goals appears to be to break the will of the Ukrainian people, and not just the freedom fighters, but everyone, including other Russians living inside the country that they’re invading. By repeatedly striking civilian targets, Putin seeks to create a sense of hopelessness and despair, undermining the legitimacy of the Ukrainian government and eroding public support for the ongoing resistance.
The targets Putin has chosen to strike are disturbing:
- Residential areas: Indiscriminate attacks on neighborhoods have led to countless deaths and injuries, with cities like Mariupol and Kharkiv enduring near-total devastation.
- Schools and hospitals: Vital institutions, often sheltering the most vulnerable, have been intentionally bombed, disrupting essential services and placing already fragile lives at further risk.
- Infrastructure: Attacks on power plants, water treatment facilities, and transportation systems have caused widespread hardship, particularly during harsh winter months.
- Cultural heritage sites: Russian forces have also targeted significant Ukrainian landmarks, a symbolic attack on Ukrainian identity and culture in an attempt to erase it from history.
On March 16, 2022, Russian forces bombed the Donetsk Academic Regional Drama Theater in Mariupol. At the time, it was being used as a shelter for civilians. Despite the word “children” being written in large, visible letters in the Russian language on both sides of the building, clearly marking it as a civilian refuge, the theater was still targeted, perhaps deliberately. The attack resulted in the deaths of hundreds of people, making it one of the deadliest single strikes against civilians during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Russian officials denied responsibility, but satellite imagery and eyewitness accounts confirm the tragic reality of the event.
Another particularly cruel aspect of Russia’s game plan involves launching follow-up attacks on the same locations after the initial strike, intentionally hitting first responders working to save lives. An infamous example of this occurred in Kramatorsk, where a missile strike on a crowded train station killed dozens of civilians. While rescue workers attended to the victims, another missile was launched, causing further loss of life.
State sponsored Russian media, primarily controlled by the Kremlin, has often attempted to justify these actions by claiming that Ukrainian forces were using such areas for military purposes. However, numerous independent investigations have discredited these claims, concluding that Russia’s strikes overwhelmingly target civilian infrastructure without any rationale whatsoever. Another of their egregious acts was the attack on the Kakhovka Dam, threatening the water supply used to cool the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and putting millions at risk of a radioactive catastrophe.
The Kremlin’s approach is marked by a blatant disregard for human life, a campaign designed to terrorize the population, and a clear violation of international humanitarian law. This isn’t a bug in the design, but rather a feature for a nation intended on maximizing casualties, especially amongst the most vulnerable such as children and the elderly.
Fortitude
Despite Putin’s relentless actions, the Ukrainian people have displayed extraordinary resilience. Cities remain active, even while under siege, and the government has taken extraordinary measures to provide essential services despite the chaos of war. Temporary schools and hospitals have been set up in underground shelters, ensuring that children continue their education, even as air raid sirens ring out just above them.
But the challenges of daily life are still immense. Widespread power outages, food and medicine shortages, and disruptions to transportation and water services have pushed many to the brink of being thankful for mere survival. Countless civilians rely on wood-burning stoves, generators, or solar power for basic needs, while humanitarian aid organizations scramble to meet the escalating demand for supplies, only to be interrupted by further attacks upon delivery.
Nonetheless, stories of survival and resilience abound. Families remain united despite being displaced, children continue their studies in bomb shelters, and many Ukrainians refuse to abandon their homes, choosing instead to rebuild amid the ruins. Those who remain in besieged areas are a testament to the extraordinary strength, adaptability and determination of a population that once knew only peace.
Counterstrike
Despite what can only be described as a near apocalyptic way of life in some areas, Ukraine has adhered to international humanitarian law in its defense. The chosen counteroffensive has primarily focused on military assets only, aiming to disrupt the invader’s supply lines, destroy ammunition depots, and degrade the logistics and the operational capacity of enemy forces.
One of the key components has been targeting Russian bases and command centers, significantly disrupting the ability to coordinate attacks against Ukrainian cities. This well thought out strike dealt a significant blow to the invader’s capabilities, forcing a retreat of the intruder in some areas while also disrupting their supply lines to discourage further onslaught.
Ukraine has also invested heavily in air defense systems, employing fighter jets and anti-aircraft batteries to intercept incoming threats such as missiles and drones. While Russia still launches swarms of drones (followed by missiles) to overwhelm these defenses, the Armed Forces of Ukraine have adapted, developing counter-drone operations to help neutralize at least some of these threats. Despite the challenges, these measures have helped to mitigate much of the potential destruction that the Kremlin had intended to inflict almost daily.
Contrary to the objective of their opponent, Ukraine has apparently made every effort to avoid civilian casualties by employing precision-guided munitions to specifically mark infrastructure deemed only to be a threat to their existence, carefully avoiding densely populated areas in the process, even when Russian forces operate within them. During an ongoing counteroffensive in Kursk, Ukraine targeted such areas, clear of civilian populations, illustrating their commitment to minimizing collateral damage.
Lifeline
The most recent strategy, strikes against Russian weapon depots and airbases—critical hubs for storing and launching assaults on Ukrainian territory—have the potential to dramatically reduce the number of attacks on civilian infrastructure. By neutralizing these strategic locations, Ukraine can diminish Russia’s capacity to continue its offensive, specifically against the general population, while also limiting Russia’s ability to bring more war to the people of Ukraine. With drones alone, they have achieved what many experts once considered impossible. One can only imagine how many more lives could potentially be saved if the collective west were to ease some of the restrictions on weapon use imposed upon them.
In detail, Russia relies heavily on a network of airbases and depots to store and launch weapons, including missiles and drones used in attacks on residential areas, schools, hospitals, and infrastructure. Many of these weapons aren’t even of Russian origin, but rather those provided by both North Korea and Iran. Destroying these depots could deplete Russia’s weapon stockpiles and further disrupt supply chains, making it difficult to maintain the pace and intensity of strikes on Kyiv and other cities in the country. Strikes on ammunition depots in Crimea have already caused significant logistical challenges, forcing Russia to reallocate resources and delay further attacks. Such operations not only hinder an enemy’s ability to conduct offensive operations but also weaken morale and diminish the operational readiness of Russian forces, many of whom already lack proper training and other resources prior to being thrown into the chaos by superiors. Targeting these locations could also deter future aggressions by making it increasingly costly and unsustainable for Russia to continue its military campaign. By hitting at the logistical heart of their operations, Ukraine can better protect its civilians, reduce civilian casualties, and potentially create a security buffer for its own urban centers.
This plan could also shift the dynamics of the overall conflict, leaving Moscow with fewer resources and logistical capacity, possibly forcing it to reconsider its aggressive stance against its neighbors. The cumulative effect of these strikes alone could weaken Russia to the point where sustaining the war becomes untenable, potentially encouraging a retreat and even a permanent end to their overall agenda in Ukraine. At the very least, every weapon that is prevented from being launched at a Ukrainian city is a potential life saved, a family spared from the horrors of war, and a step toward a more peaceful resolution.
Contrast
The contrast in tactics and objectives between Ukraine and Russia are profound. Russia’s deliberate targeting of civilians has resulted in the displacement of millions, the destruction of homes, and severe psychological trauma for countless families. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s restraint and focus primarily on defense and the preservation of life, however, have helped reduce the suffering of non-combatants despite the war’s evolving intensity.
The international community has widely condemned Russia’s actions, with various nations imposing economic sanctions and pursuing war crimes investigations. However, Moscow’s ongoing disinformation campaign, targeting both Western politicians and their governed populations, seeks to shift blame to Ukraine and deny responsibility for their own atrocities. This campaign, combined with an extremely complex geopolitical landscape, complicates efforts to hold Russian leaders accountable.
Trajectory
As of right now, only one thing can be certain. This conflict remains ongoing, with no immediate end in sight. Despite Russia’s overwhelming firepower, Ukraine’s resilience and strategic counteroffensive have exposed the Russian military’s immense weaknesses. Nonetheless, the potential for further escalation remains, particularly as Ukraine receives more sophisticated weapons from its Western allies that can potentially be used abroad. But allowing them to target military sites deep within Russian territory with western weapons may not be a bad thing when we consider that their current approach appears to be working. In fact, among all of the operational benefits that have been covered in this article so far, convincing the US and others of that fact may be one of the objectives, or a favorable side effect at the very least.
While diplomacy remains the preferred solution, Russia’s continued aggression leaves few options on the table. Ukraine’s efforts to defend its sovereignty are widely supported by the international community, and many argue that increased military support, sanctions, and diplomatic isolation of Russia may be the only viable means to compel a resolution.
Ultimately, the civilians of Ukraine continue to bear the brunt of the conflict. The international community must stand firm in supporting Ukraine’s defense while pursuing avenues to hold Russia accountable for the crimes that they’ve committed. Without such decisive action, the suffering of the Ukrainian people will only continue, and the prospects for peace will remain distant. After all, most of us aren’t having to live with this monster that Putin has created, Ukrainians are. With all of that said, whether acting on the advice of NATO or at their own discretion, Ukraine appears to know what they’re doing. So let them do it.
