Defying the Odds: How Ukraine’s Military Outmatched Russia’s Invasion

When news of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine first reached the world, everyone had doubts if Ukraine could defend itself. 

Ukraine’s military capabilities, after all, were nowhere near that of Russia. Plus, with over five thousand nuclear warheads in its arsenal,  Russia winning the war, if push came to shove, seemed like a foregone conclusion. Talking heads and even a handful of analysts did not ask who was going to win the war, but how quickly the Ukrainian forces would hand over a win to the Russian military, and on a platter. 

Ukraine certainly hasn’t won the war yet, but they have so far overcome many of the odds stacked against them. They have proven that though military power is important, it means very little if your troops don’t know how to wield that power. Russia making so many decisive mistakes tells us as much.

Here’s how the Ukrainian Army managed to thwart Putin’s main war objectives, demonstrating their remarkable counteroffensive abilities and essentially making their undersized military better than Russia’s larger, more equipped one.

The Ukrainians Western Military Training Is Key to Their Advantage

“In no other profession are the penalties for employing untrained personnel so appalling or so irrevocable as in the military.”– Douglas MacArthur

Ukraine has been reforming its military with the help of Western advisers, trainers, and equipment since its loss of Crimea to Russia in 2014. Their goal is to have a military force that can perform up to NATO standards. 

Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said, “Tens of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers have received training since 2014, and that pace has accelerated following Russia’s unprovoked invasion in February. U.S. service members are providing Ukrainian soldiers with training on various weapons systems that we’re providing to Ukraine.”

Adopting NATO fighting tactics, the Ukrainian military’s warfighting capabilities have improved. They have won many battles by combining modern strategies with older military hardware from the Soviet era. And even with a majority of modern weapons systems, Russia stood little chance in many battles.

The Outpouring of Support from Foreign Allies Boosted Ukraine’s Military Power

The perceived disadvantage of Ukraine against Russia had the world sending not sympathies but military grants and support. Since the beginning of the war, for instance, the US has been providing Ukraine with billions for its military needs. As of February 2023, Kyiv’s biggest foreign support comes from Washington. 

The help that Ukraine is receiving makes its army better today than it was when Putin first declared war against them. 

Russia Underestimated Ukraine’s Resistance

“It is astounding what well-trained and dedicated soldiers can accomplish in the face of death, fear, physical privation, and an enemy determined to kill them.”—Lieutenant General Ace Collins

The morale in Ukraine is high. The Ukrainians reacted to the Russian invasion with nationalism and renewed tenacity. Ordinary people have done everything in their power to fight back, assisting in stalling early Russian forces’ movements toward the capital. Despite enduring a great deal of hardship and loss, the Army as well as the people have not wavered in their commitment to deny Putin his wish to wipe out Ukraine as a nation-state and the Ukrainians as the people. 

Expect a win when effective performance is matched by passion.

The Kharkiv Counteroffensive Served a Pivotal Role in the War

The Ukrainian military has a habit of using all opportunities that present themselves on the battlefield. The Kharkiv counteroffensive is proof of that. That battle change the dynamics of the war when it exposed the inadequacy of undermanned and poorly equipped Russian forces to maintain control of the front line. 

The victory gave fresh momentum for the Ukrainian forces to recapture Kherson and made the world start to believe Ukraine may actually win the war. 

Ukrainian forces blow a Russian helicopter out of the sky. Video courtesy of YouTube and the Daily Mail.

Overall Poor Battle Tactics

Throughout the war, the Russians have been criticized for poor planning and execution, which included anything from overarching military strategies to specific battle tactics. Russian forces have suffered great casualties and the losses seem to have led to growing resentment among the troops. One video that’s making its round on social media today showed a disgruntled troop making a series of complaints.

The war between Russia and Ukraine is still very much ongoing with the conflict currently focused on the city of Bakhmut. In the upcoming months, Ukraine is also expected to launch a counteroffensive to recapture Russian-occupied territories.

Unfortunately, it seems the war is definitely far from over. The Harvard Gazette noted that many scholars and military analysts believe 2023 may be the year this war will end. But no one can tell for sure.

However, one thing is for certain: One thing proves true through all of these: Ukrainian’s military defense is better than Russia’s and the Ukrainians are stronger than the world thought.