THE war in Ukraine has busted many a myth. Most have felt, for some years now, that the days of direct military confrontation between nations are over and that national security will mainly be a matter of handling possible terrorist strikes and cross-border incursions limited in frequency, duration and depth, besides any internal strife. This writer, too, had, in a recent book, commented that “frontal attack wars between nations may become a rarity. Proxy wars — through terrorism…cyber attacks — will increasingly be the norm.” How wrong has been this prognosis!
An epitome of “civilization” and progress, especially over the past 75-plus years, Europe would have been the last place in which to expect a reversion to old-style wars of the first half of the 20th century and earlier. Yet, for some two months now, a full-fledged and brutal war has been on in Ukraine. There have been a few missile and drone strikes, besides aerial bombing, but we have also witnessed armies fighting on the ground involving soldiers, tanks and shelling — all facets of more conventional warfare.
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THE war in Ukraine has busted many a myth. Most have felt, for some years now, that the days of direct military confrontation between nations are over and that national security will mainly be a matter of handling possible terrorist strikes and cross-border incursions limited in frequency, duration and depth, besides any internal strife. This writer, too, had, in a recent book, commented that “frontal attack wars between nations may become a rarity. Proxy wars — through terrorism…cyber attacks — will increasingly be the norm.” How wrong has been this prognosis!