In the first days of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, it was difficult to imagine an outcome in which much of the country would not end up under Moscow's control. Ukraine's military was outgunned, its air force outranged, and the invaders equipped with technologically superior hardware. A year on, however, thanks to Ukrainian boldness and bravery and significant amounts of Western-supplied weaponry, the defenders have managed not only to hold off Russian forces, but also to push them back, reclaiming territory taken by the Russians in the initial blitzkrieg-like push. The cost has been enormous: Tens of thousands of military personnel and civilians have lost their lives, and Ukraine's economy and infrastructure are in ruins. Despite this, the country may yet repel the invaders, restore its pre-2014 borders in the east and even recover control of annexed Crimea.
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