Details the second year of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, focusing on drone warfare, strategic battles, and global impacts.

This book describes, in great detail, the second year of Putin’s 'Special Operation' to obliterate Ukraine. General (Ret) Harrel’s previous book, entitled The Russian Invasion of Ukraine, February - December 2022, described the initial invasion, identifying the units and weapons on the battlefield with military precision. Now he continues the story of Ukrainian resistance in the face of overwhelming odds.

The author knowledgeably reports on twenty-first century mechanized warfare, and how drones and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have evolved to dominate the tactical, operational, and strategic levels of war. The year 2023 saw the dawn of drone warfare as combatants on both sides of the conflict at first tinkered with the use of civilian hobby-type machines but then, having had great success, rushed forward to design, purchase (often with crowd funding) and deploy drones through all domains of the battlefield. Drones performed reconnaissance, targeting for artillery and direct attacks, seeking, identifying, and striking targets not only on the battlefield but in the Black Sea and deep inside Mother Russia.

As the fighting raged, Russia successfully continued its worldwide cyber campaign to influence elections, divide allies and undercut support for Ukraine. The Pyrrhic Russian victories at Bakhmut and Avdviika were offset by Ukrainian victories in the Black Sea, after its failed counteroffensive in the Summer of 2023. Finland and Sweden joined NATO, while US support was stymied and delayed by internal politics. NATO clearly assumed its place as the bastion of Western freedom as the war continued into 2024.

• Cover
• Dedication
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• List of Abbreviations
• Map Symbols
• List of Maps
• List of Charts
• List of Photographs
• Acknowledgements
• Introduction
• Chapter 1: Russia’S Need for Security Drives Russian Need to Expand
• Chapter 2: Strategic Situation, February 2022–January 2023
• Chapter 3: Strategy, Operations and Tactics
• Chapter 4: Russian Armed Forces, January 2023
• Chapter 5: Russian Sea and Air Operations
• Chapter 6: Pmc Wagner and the Spetsnaz
• Chapter 7: The Ukrainian Armed Forces 2023
• Chapter 8: The Russian Strategic 2023 War Plan
• Chapter 9: Battle for Luhansk Oblast the Russian 2023 Winter Offensive
• Chapter 10: The Battles of Avdiivka and Marinka Russian 2023 Winter Offensive
• Chapter 11: The Battle of Vuhledar. the Russian Winter Offensive, January–April 2023
• Chapter 12: The Battle of Bakhmut. the Russian Winter Offensive January–May 2023
• Chapter 13: The Russian 2023 Winter Offensive Lessons Learned
• Chapter 14: Lend-Lease January 2023–October 2023
• Chapter 15: Non-Government Military Support Crowdfunding Goes to War
• Chapter 16: Cyber War
• Chapter 17: The Campaign Plan to Liberate Ukraine Spring–Summer 2023
• Chapter 18: Ukrainian Strategic Drone Campaign
• Chapter 19: Russian Strategic Bombing Campaign
• Chapter 20: Ukrainian Ground Counter-Offensive 4 June–5 July 2023
• Chapter 21: Ukrainian Counter-Offensive Ground Operations, July–October 2023
• Chapter 22: Wagner’S Revolt 22–25 June 2023
• Chapter 23: Nato Expansion, Russian Containment and the New Cold War
• Chapter 24: The Short-Lived Grain Deal
• Chapter 25: The Battle of the Black Sea
• Chapter 26: The Russian Luhansk-Kharkiv Diversionary Attack
• Chapter 27: The Establishment and Defence of the Dnipro Bridgehead
• Chapter 28: The Israeli-Hamas War, October 2023 Impact on the Russian-Ukrainian War
• Chapter 29: Friction between President Zelensky and General Zaluzhnyi
• Chapter 30: Russian 2023 Autumn Offensive, the Battle of Avdiivka
• Chapter 31: The Myth of Russian ‘Human Wave’ or ‘Meatgrinder’ Tactics
• Chapter 32: Have Missile, Will Travel
• Chapter 33: Conclusion
• Epilogue
• Notes
• Select Bibliography
• Plates