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One year into a bloody war - what's next for Ukraine? Let our experts help with your ongoing coverage

Feb 7, 2024

2 min

David R. Dorondo

The one-year anniversary of the Russia/Ukraine war has arrived and the already long and drawn out battle seems to only be getting worse.


Ukraine's defence minister has said Russia is preparing a major new offensive, and warned that it could begin as soon as 24 February.

Oleksii Reznikov said Moscow had amassed thousands of troops and could "try something" to mark the anniversary of the initial invasion last year.

The attack would also mark Russia's Defender of the Fatherland Day on 23 February, which celebrates the army.

Mr Reznikov said Moscow had mobilised some 500,000 troops for the offensive.

In September, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a general mobilisation of some 300,000 conscripted troops, which he said was necessary to ensure the country's "territorial integrity".

But Mr Reznikov suggested that the true figure recruited and deployed to Ukraine could be far higher.

"Officially they announced 300,000 but when we see the troops at the borders, according to our assessments it is much more," he told the French BFM network. February 01 - BBC



If this intelligence is true, a  lot of questions remain:


  • Can Ukraine withstand such an offensive?
  • Will NATO and other allies provide support for Ukraine to sustain a front this size?
  • What are the chances neighboring countries could be drawn in to the conflict?


These are all questions WCU's David Dorondo has been answering since the war began.  Recently he was featured on Queen City News speaking to the resilience of Ukraine's soldiers.




The war in Ukraine has been dominating headlines for close to a year and if you are a reporter looking to covering this ongoing story - then let our experts help with your stories.


David Dorondo is an associate professor of history at Western Carolina University and a member of a NATO Energy-Security Research Task Group. David is available to speak with media about the ongoing war in Ukraine - simply click on his icon now to arrange and interview today.



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David R. Dorondo

David R. Dorondo

Professor

David R. Dorondo's research interests include the history of the European cavalry and the military horse.

European Diplomatic HistoryMilitary HorseEuropean CavalryHistoryModern European History

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