Book Reviews

deserves praise for tackling the complex and fast-moving target of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine War in his well-researched tour de force, Putin' s War on Ukraine.His book details tactical and operational military decisions, even though Ramani is a professor of politics and international relations, not a military historian.He relies heavily on primary and secondary sources from local press, social media apps like Telegram, Russia's pro-Kremlin punditry, and his extensive interviews with experts.I appreciated his attempt to capture the confusion in Moscow ahead of the February 2022 Ukraine invasion and his blow-by-blow account of the war's opening phase, revealing the ugliness of the war effort and why it faltered.For wonks who follow the war closely, the book might feel like familiar terrain, but its insightful analysis and colorful quotes make it a must-read for diplomats and defense experts.The book's central argument describes why Russia invaded Ukraine in 2014 and 2022.Spoiler alert: it was not fear of NATO encirclement but of regime change and popular revolution from within.What motivated the Kremlin is what Ramani calls "counter-revolution." Anything with a whiff of revolutionary fervor is anathema to Vladimir Putin's brand of authoritarianism.Ramani then gives readers a front-row seat to the war.Military historians should skip to chapter 4, which provides an intriguing overview of the botched battle of Kyiv and should be required reading at war colleges.The book decently details the Russian military's operational blunders and strategic setbacks throughout 2022.Ramani points to the Russian armed forces' "hierarchical rigidity," a legacy of its Soviet predecessor (129).Followers of Ukraine will appreciate how the author recalls incidents that may be buried in readers' memories.For example, I had largely forgotten about the fusillade of cyberattacks Russia carried out against Ukraine in the years before 2022.