On February 24, 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine. One of the principal targets was Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital. Most outside observers, including U.S. intelligence, believed that the political center of would fall quickly. But as the hours turned to days, and the days turned to weeks, Ukraine proved that Kyiv would not fall so easily. But the story of how Kyiv survived is complicated.
A combination of Russian miscalculations and clever Ukrainian strategy made the difference. The dreaded 64-kilometer Russian Kyiv convoy fell apart, giving Ukraine a fighting chance for the rest of the war. This is the story of the Battle of Kyiv.