ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the land domain and the different stages of the war, including: the Russian territorial gains in the early days of the invasion followed by the establishment of a relatively more static frontline in the spring; the complexity of the warfighting in spring: the Russian withdrawal from the north while losing the Battle for Kyiv; and the siege of Mariupol followed by its refocus on the Donbas; consolidation of the frontlines; the Ukrainian summer 2022 counteroffensives; the specifics of different approaches to artillery between the two countries; and consolidation of forces for the next stage of the war. It also addresses the shortfalls of the Russian ground forces in terms of training, skills, which undermined their ability to adapt to the warfighting in Ukraine. In this regard, the shortfalls of numerical superiority without having the right skills is shown to be ineffective. Also, the differences in morale between the Ukrainian and Russian combatants is discussed here. The chapter also addresses the battle of Bakhmut and the complexity of urban warfare in Ukraine.
