"The Russians, having invaded in February 2022, had not anticipated that Ukraine would turn the tables and strike back with the first occupation of Russian territory since the second world war."
"Had Moscow known that combat medics were quietly moving into the remote Sumy region… Russia might have been better prepared."
"Local civilian authorities, meanwhile, had no idea… instituted an order to evacuate 7,000 people living between 5km and 10km from the border."
"There was really, really loud shelling… villagers had needed little persuading to evacuate, unlike in the eastern Donbas where there is a minority of stubborn pro-Russians willing to endure and remain."
#russia-ukraine-conflict #military-operations #surprise-attack #civilian-impact #medics-and-healthcare
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