logo
episode-header-image
Mar 2022
24m 21s

Why is Russia’s invasion plan failing?

Bbc World Service
About this episode

Russia's military dwarfs Ukraine's by comparison, so it was expected that Ukraine would fall under Russian occupation quickly. One month later and Russia have made very little progress and Kyiv, the capital, remains under Ukrainian control. Given the overwhelming odds stacked against the Ukrainian military, why has the Russian military failed to conquer Ukraine?

Charmaine Cozier takes a closer look at where the Russian military have made their mistakes. Producer: Christopher Blake

(Russian tank destroyed by Ukrainian forces on the side of a road in Lugansk. Credit: Anatolii Stepanov /Getty Images)

Up next
Mar 3
How will Spain’s migrant amnesty work?
Half a million people are in Spain without official permission. They come mainly from Colombia, Peru, Honduras, Paraguay, and Argentina. It’s thought that most outstay their work, student, or tourist visas. An amnesty to grant them legal status to remain and work is due to start ... Show More
24m 5s
Feb 24
Can the world catch China in the rare earths race?
Control of critical minerals is becoming a source of geopolitical tension. They are essential to modern technology and industries around the world, and China currently dominates the mining and processing industry.As demand grows, governments in the United States and elsewhere are ... Show More
24m 6s
Feb 17
Is the 2026 World Cup an own goal?
The 2026 men’s football World Cup will be the biggest ever staged. For the first time, 48 teams will compete, playing more than 100 matches across North America.But the expanded scale comes at a cost. Ticket prices are far higher than at the last World Cup in Qatar. With matches ... Show More
23m 58s
Recommended Episodes
Mar 2022
Why Russia Hasn’t Defeated Ukraine
<p>After invading, Russia’s military was expected to sweep through Ukraine within a few days, quickly seizing the capital, Kyiv, and installing a pro-Moscow government.</p><p>It hasn’t worked out that way.</p><p>Now, with Russia’s advance stalling, there are signs that President ... Show More
30m 28s
Apr 2023
Ukraine marks anniversary of the Russian withdrawal from the Kyiv region
President Volodymyr Zelensky has marked the anniversary of the retreat of Russian forces from Kyiv with a statement claiming Ukrainian troops had defeated the greatest force of evil of our time. We will be speaking to the leader of a delegation from South Africa's governing ANC v ... Show More
48m 19s
Mar 2022
The Ukraine War: A View from Moscow
<p>Russia’s war in Ukraine thus far has not gone Moscow’s way. Russian President Vladimir Putin appears to have expected that Russian forces would capture Ukraine without much resistance, but Ukrainian forces have put up a fierce fight. The Western response has been more united t ... Show More
41m 46s
Dec 2021
Why Ukraine Matters to Vladimir Putin
<p>The Russian military is on the move toward the border with Ukraine, with American intelligence suggesting that Moscow is preparing for an offensive involving some 175,000 troops.</p><p>Could the moves herald a full-scale invasion? And if so, what is driving President Vladimir ... Show More
26m 2s
Mar 2022
Russia's military is now encircling several Ukrainian cities
Russia's military is now encircling several Ukrainian cities, but the capital Kiev is still firmly in Ukrainian hands. What mistakes did Russia make, and what are its next likely moves? NPR's Rachel Martin talks to Admiral James Foggo.To manage podcast ad preferences, review the ... Show More
6m 16s
Feb 2023
How Does Ukraine Continue to Beat Back Russia?
February 24 marks one year since Russia invaded Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin believed the country’s military would be defeated quickly and Kyiv, the capital, would fall. Instead, Ukraine’s clever, nimble — and motivated — military has fought back Russia’s forces desp ... Show More
31m 31s
Jan 2022
Why Putin has his sights on Ukraine
Growing fears of a Russian invasion of Ukraine have prompted the US and UK to pull the families of staff at their embassies in Kyiv out of the country. Moscow’s forces have been amassing on Ukraine’s border for months prompting fears of a major escalation in a war that’s been und ... Show More
49m 3s
Feb 2023
Another Year of War in Ukraine?
<p>One year into Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, prospects for a settlement remain bleak. On 21 February, President Vladimir Putin announced in a belligerent yearly address that he would suspend Russia’s participation in New START, its last remaining nuclear arms control ... Show More
42m 40s
May 2023
What to Expect from Ukraine’s Counter-Offensive
<p>As fighting rages in Ukraine, with high casualties but little ground gained or lost on either side, Kyiv seems poised to launch its much anticipated counteroffensive. New Western equipment, including tanks, has arrived and Ukraine appears to have struck Russian supply lines, i ... Show More
41m 32s