Ukraine conflict: Focus on Kiev - historian explains Putin's "number one goal"

Created: 02/26/2022, 16:20

The Ukrainian capital Kiev is increasingly becoming the scene of Vladimir Putin's war of aggression in the Ukraine conflict.

Experts explain Russia's intention behind it.

Kiev- Just hours after Russia's war of aggression in the Ukraine conflict* and nationwide airstrikes began, Vladimir Putin's army is moving into the center of the country from the north, east and south.

The focus is on Kiev.* That's not surprising, after all it's the capital of Ukraine.

However, there are other reasons why Putin is targeting Kiev.

Already on Thursday (February 24), the Russian army took over the military airport Hostomel within a few hours.

It is only a few kilometers northwest of Kiev.

Meanwhile, tank units from the north made their way* to the Ukrainian capital.

According to the General Staff of the Ukrainian Army, Russian troops are also approaching the capital from the north-east and east.

Ukraine conflict: Russia's "clear target number one" is Kiev

The French military historian Michel Goya says: "Clear goal number one is to take Kiev." Russia's President Vladimir Putin* is about installing a "new government in a few days" and pursuing the old government, perhaps through the use of special forces".

Alexandra Goujon, a French Ukraine expert and lecturer at the University of Burgundy, adds: "The Ukrainian president is in danger." In the course of his attack, Putin spoke of a "denazification" of the country*.

"Russia's ambassador to the United Nations speaks of removing the junta in power in Ukraine."

Ukraine conflict: Resistance against the Russian war of aggression forms

President Zelenskyj has ordered general mobilization and called on reservists between the ages of 18 and 60 from across the country to take up arms.

This is a total of about 900,000 people.

Whether these reserve forces are adequately equipped and trained to play an effective role in support of the 200,000 career soldiers remains to be seen.

A Ukrainian soldier takes position.

Russian troops have launched the expected attack on Ukraine and are moving into the capital.

© picture alliance/dpa/AP |

Emilio Morenati

The civilian population is also called upon to resist: "We ask the citizens to inform us about enemy movements, to throw Molotov cocktails and to neutralize the occupiers," the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense said after fighting in the Obolonsky district of Kiev.

Ukraine conflict: NATO states on alert after Russian invasion by Putin

“If Russia wants to take complete control of all of Ukraine, it will be very complicated.

It's a country of 40 million people.

There will be resistance among the population,” says Ukraine expert Goujon.

The armed forces of the NATO countries are also on alert.

Several units are to reinforce the eastern flank of the alliance.

However, NATO does not want to intervene directly in Ukraine.

"No country wants to declare war on Russia," stressed French Defense Minister Florence Parly recently, referring to the country's nuclear weapons.

This map illustrates where the Ukraine War is raging and this map shows the areas already conquered in the Ukraine War.

Ukraine war: what targets is Russia targeting next?

Russia has so far advanced into Ukraine from three sides*: in the south from the annexed Crimean Peninsula to the city of Kherson on the Dnieper River, in the north from Belarus to Kiev along two routes northeast and northwest of the capital, and in the east from the Russian city of Belgorod to to the Ukrainian industrial city of Kharkiv.

According to military historian Goya, the area east of the Dnieper and the port city of Odessa to the south could be the Russian army's next targets.

Odessa could be attacked by naval units in the Black Sea.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian does not rule out that the former Soviet republics of Moldova and Georgia could be the next targets of the Russian army.

In both countries there are separatist areas oriented towards Moscow.

All information about the Ukraine conflict in our news ticker.