The War for Ukraine

Revealing the cover design and synopsis for my book to be published in 2024

I am excited to unveil the design for the cover for my forthcoming book on the war in Ukraine, which is called The War for Ukraine: Strategy and Adaptation Under Fire.

I really like the design. The graphic designer at my publisher (US Naval Institute Books) has done a fabulous job.

This is a project that I commenced not long after the beginning of the large-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Based on a variety of different sources, including my own visits to Ukraine over the past two years, I sought to explore the war through the lens of two important themes: strategy and adaptation.

An important lesson from this war (and all wars, actually) is that strategy matters! The ability to build strategies that are evidence-based, able to be resourced, founded on appropriate assumptions, able to be evolved, and with clear purpose is essential to national war-making and war-winning capacity.

My book explores wartime strategy from the perspective of Ukraine and Russia, looking back well before February 2022 for the foundations of the strategies that both nations have adopted and adapted in the past two years. I explore the strategies of the United States and NATO. These external strategies and how they are resourced impact on Ukrainian and Russian strategy, and therefore must be understood in developing an appreciation of how strategy is developed, resourced, executed, adapted and led in the 21st century.

Adaptation is the other key focal area of my book.

I explore the antecedents of Ukrainian and Russian adaptation through their programs of military reform that took place in the decade before February 2022. I also explore adaptation at the strategic, operational and tactical levels that has occured during the war, on both sides.

The concept of ‘the adaptation battle’ is one I have explored at length throughout this war. I also wrote about this subject extensively in War Transformed, my book about 21st century conflict and competition, published by USNI Press in 2022. The second part of my new book covers the array of adaptations that have taken place in Ukraine, and offers recommendations for contemporary military institutions on the kinds of individual and institutional traits required to ensure that they too can be effective at multi-level adaptation in peace and war.

The back cover for the book will (subject to any changes) read as follows:

THE WAR FOR UKRAINE explores the ongoing Russo-Ukraine War and how it is being fought. The focus on those aspects of the war related to strategy and adaptation builds a picture of how military forces are fighting, while at the same time learning and adapting, to succeed in war in modern conditions.

Ryan examines the foundations of Ukrainian and Russian strategy for their war, looking back over several decades how they have evolved their military strategy and force structure. He also conducts an examination of how the Ukrainians and Russians have adapted their tactics, organisations, operational approaches and strategic foundations for war-making throughout the war. Central to the discussion is that regardless of cutting-edge technology, the human factors of leadership, nurturing learning culture in military units and institutions, as well as leading rapid adaption are vital elements in effective battlefield and strategic performance.

A range of insights for modern strategy and its constant adaptation provide a basis for strategists, policy makers and military leaders to build strategies for military organisations so that they may survive and succeed in new era high technology, large scale and long duration wars. General readers of contemporary global conflict will also find the work of high interest for understanding the ongoing evolution of strategy in those fighting the war, as well as within major nations and alliances such as NATO that are supporting Ukraine. The centrality of evidence-based but iterative strategy is explored in detail.

The book will be published in mid-2024 by the United States Naval Institute Press and will be available from their website as well as Amazon and other book sellers.

I will provide subsequent updates on publishing dates and where you can purchase a copy.

Finally, I wish to thank all those who have helped in preparing the manuscript including friends and colleagues who have observed and analysed this war, as well as the wonderful staff at USNI Press.

Most importantly, I have been inspired by the courage, resilience and determination by the Ukrainian people and their military personnel. I hope this book is an adequate reflection of my admiration for the Ukrainian nation, how it has defended itself, and its worthy aspirations of living as a free and prosperous society.