Ukraine's intel chief names two events that changed course of war in its early days
Photo: Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Defense Intelligence (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
The battles for Hostomel and Moshchun thwarted Russia's plan to take "Kyiv in three days." They changed the course of the operation, according to a statement by the head of the Defense Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense, Kyrylo Budanov, in an interview with Ukrinform.
According to him, two events that changed the course of Russia's operation took place in Hostomel and Moshchun.
"The heart of the plan was the landing of a tactical airborne assault force using a landing method on the strip in Hostomel. And the planes were in the air. These are well-known facts. But in the end, we disrupted these plans together with the National Guard units, which were stationed there and engaged in the first battles. Ultimately, we created conditions that prevented the Russians from landing a single aircraft there," Budanov said, noting that the second key event was Moshchun — had Moshchun fallen, the Russians would have entered Kyiv.
Budanov also highlighted the battles in Irpin as another significant event, as they partially split the Russian forces, leading to the occupiers' retreat.
You can also read RBC-Ukraine’s feature on a family from Bucha that survived the occupation, a defender of the Hostomel airport, and a veteran who defended Irpin in the first weeks of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
