The War for Ukraine

My new book about the war in Ukraine since February 2022 will be released in just two weeks.

There are a myriad of old and new observations to be drawn from this war. These should inform Western military and national security institutions in deterring – and preparing for – conflicts against the authoritarian powers. We must ensure that the sacrifices of the Ukrainian soldiers and the Ukrainian nation are honored with not only our support for them, but with our preparations to ensure that they and other democracies do not have to endure such a catastrophe again in the future.

In two weeks my next book, The War for Ukraine: Strategy and Adaptation Under Fire, is published by U.S. Naval Institute Books.

The War for Ukraine studies wartime strategy from the perspective of Ukraine and Russia, including their pre-February 2022 strategies which provided the foundation for their strategies in the past 28 months. My book also examines the strategies of the United States and NATO. These strategies from external supporters of Ukraine have an 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 topic in my book. The War for Ukraine examines the intellectual and organisational foundations for Ukrainian and Russian adaptation through the lens of their military transformation programs in the decade before February 2022. Building on this pre-war work, I then explore adaptation at the strategic, operational and tactical levels that has occured during the war.

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 book covers part of the war - that between February 2022 and the NATO summit in Vilnius in 2023. I had to stop writing at some point and get the manuscript to the publisher, and this was the cut off point that I chose. Perhaps in the future I will look at a subsequent book to explore the war from this point onwards.

Some of the early reviews for the book are as follows:

Mick Ryan's book is a solid attempt to paint a comprehensive picture of the first 18-months of Big War at different levels with diverse conclusions worthy of broader attention and consideration. In the process the author managed to highlight the eternal issue of continuity and change in strategy and warfighting using specific examples of Russo-Ukrainian War while constantly reminding that every war is unique and context dependent. I believe this book about the ongoing Ukrainian confrontation with Russia will aid countries which cherish peace and security to quickly learn back the art of strategy and warfighting, which atrophied after the end of the Cold War. --Mykola Bielieskov, National Institute for Strategic Studies in Ukraine

This wonderful book shows Mick Ryan's excellence as a teacher of military strategy and adaptation in warfare. He's observed carefully and often at close range the choices Ukraine and Russia have made to achieve their objectives in the war. I hope it will be required reading in staff and war colleges, as well as garnering a wide public readership. — Kori Schake, Director of Foreign and Defense Policy, American Enterprise Institute

The War for Ukraine combines deep yet accessible military expertise with admirable moral clarity, and an acute sense of both the geopolitical stakes and human cost of this war. Moving at speed, Mick Ryan cuts through the fogs of war and social media alike to illuminate the operations, tactics and strategy that have shaped the conflict. The lessons he draws from Ukraine's fight, particularly on the need for grand strategic alignment of political, military and economic means and ends, are ones that all democratic leaders must heed if we are to prevail in the conflict against authoritarian regimes.--Benjamin Tallis, Senior Research Fellow, German Council on Foreign Relations

Eschewing the breathless focus on the employment of technology that dominates too much commentary on the Russo-Ukraine War, Mick Ryan valuably tackles the strategic level of the conflict before honing in on how both sides have adapted. Ryan's sound insights will most benefit current and future military professionals who have the grave responsibility of preparing for future warfare.--Heather Venable, USAF Air Command and Staff College

In the aftermath of Russia's brutal, unprovoked and illegal invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Mick Ryan quickly emerged as one of the war's essential analysts. Mick brings to bear his extensive command experience and historical understanding to explain the strategies employed by both Moscow and Kyiv, and how they have adapted these strategies. He draws out the lessons which military planners should take from this conflict. Through it all, he never loses his moral compass or his sense of outrage at Russia's behaviour. I commend Mick Ryan's book to anyone wishing to understand the war in Ukraine and its implications for warfare in the twenty-first century.--Michael Fullilove, Executive Director, Lowy Institute

I want to thank all those who have helped in my research for the book, 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 of the Ukrainian people - both soldiers and civilians. I hope this book is an appropriate statement of my respect and admiration for the Ukrainian people, how they have defended their nation, and their aspiration to live as a free and prosperous society. My book is dedicated to them.

One final thing: I will be donating all of my royalties from this book to charities and crowd-funding efforts that are supporting the Ukrainian war effort and humanitarian activities for the people of Ukraine.

So, if you buy the book, you will also be supporting Ukraine in its struggle against Russia.

You can order The War for Ukraine at USNI Books and Amazon.