Heroic Lieutenant Kharkenko. The Russians’ plans for a blitzkrieg were broken by a single man on the first day of the war – HNonline.sk

Lieutenant Anatoly Kharchenko has a shot in his leg and a rumor that exactly a month ago in the first hours of the fighting he broke Russia’s plans for a blitzkrieg and a triumphant occupation of Kiev. It was supposed to be like a dagger right into the heart. Image: Reuters With the passage of time, it is possible to see what was at stake: Kharchenko’s unit thwarted the Russians’ attempt to jump over the entire Ukrainian defense, airborne at the airport at the door of Kiev, then enter the city and shock the Ukrainians and the world with action comparable to when the German Wehrmacht in 1940 “flushed” France. The war came to Hostomiel Airport just about 15 miles from downtown Kiev a few hours after Russian leader Putin reported it on television. A swarm of dozens of helicopters arrived there, which began destroying Ukraine’s ground defenses with missiles and machine guns. This article is for subscribers only.
You have 74% left to read. Didn’t find out everything? Digital subscriptions Get access to complete content BUY Already have a subscription?
Log in You have read this article because you are a subscriber to Hospodárské noviny. Thank you for supporting quality journalism.