Our Enemies Will Vanish

Yaroslav Trofimov's "Our Enemies Will Vanish: The Russian Invasion and Ukraine's War of Independence" stands as one of the most comprehensive and immediate accounts of the conflict that began with Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. As the chief foreign affairs correspondent for The Wall Street Journal, Trofimov brings both journalistic rigor and on-the-ground access to a conflict that continues to reshape European security and international relations.

The book draws its title from a Ukrainian military saying, encapsulating the defiant spirit that characterized Ukraine's resistance from the earliest hours of the invasion. Trofimov was present in Kyiv when Russian forces launched their assault, providing him with a front-row seat to the chaos, confusion, and determination that defined those initial critical days. This positioning allows the narrative to capture the human dimension of war alongside its strategic and political implications.

Trofimov's reporting methodology combines traditional war correspondence with deep sourcing across multiple levels of Ukrainian society and its military. The narrative moves between the presidential office in Kyiv, where Volodymyr Zelensky and his team made decisions that would determine their nation's survival, to frontline positions where Ukrainian soldiers faced overwhelming odds. This multifaceted approach provides readers with both the strategic overview and the granular reality of combat operations.

The book examines the miscalculations that plagued the Russian military campaign from its inception. The assumption that Ukrainian resistance would crumble quickly, that Kyiv would fall within days, and that the government would flee or capitulate proved catastrophically wrong. Trofimov documents how these faulty premises led to operational failures, including the disastrous convoy that stalled on its approach to Kyiv and the failure to secure key objectives in the opening phase of the war.

Ukrainian resilience emerges as a central theme throughout the work. Trofimov captures how civilian volunteers joined territorial defense forces, how local governments organized resistance in occupied territories, and how Ukrainian society mobilized to support the war effort. The transformation of Zelensky from a comedic actor and political outsider to a wartime leader who rallied international support receives detailed attention, though the portrayal remains grounded in documented facts rather than hagiography.

The international dimension of the conflict receives substantial coverage. The book traces how Western nations, initially hesitant and divided over the appropriate response, gradually coalesced around providing military and financial support to Ukraine. The evolution of weapons systems supplied to Ukrainian forces, from anti-tank missiles in the early days to more sophisticated artillery and air defense systems later, reflects the shifting nature of the conflict and Western calculations about escalation risks.

Trofimov's access to Ukrainian military and intelligence officials provides insights into the tactical and operational decisions that shaped key battles. The defense of Kyiv, the fighting around Kharkiv, and the brutal contest for cities like Mariupol receive detailed examination. The narrative conveys both the courage and the costs of these engagements without romanticizing warfare or minimizing its human toll.

The book also addresses the darker aspects of the conflict, including documented war crimes, the humanitarian crisis triggered by mass displacement, and the destruction of civilian infrastructure. These elements are presented with the careful attribution and verification expected of serious journalism, avoiding sensationalism while not shying away from difficult truths.

One strength of the work lies in its treatment of the conflict's historical context. Trofimov connects the 2022 invasion to earlier Russian actions, including the 2014 annexation of Crimea and the war in Donbas, while also exploring deeper historical narratives about Ukrainian identity and its relationship with Russia. This context helps readers understand why the invasion unfolded as it did and why Ukrainian resistance proved so determined.

The writing maintains clarity even when dealing with complex military operations and political maneuvering. Trofimov's prose serves the story rather than drawing attention to itself, a quality that keeps the focus on events and their significance. The pacing moves efficiently through developments while providing sufficient detail to convey the texture of lived experience during wartime.

As a work of immediate history, the book necessarily captures a conflict still in progress at the time of publication. This contemporaneous quality gives the narrative urgency and relevance, though it also means the account represents a particular moment in an ongoing war. The book serves as an essential record of how the conflict began and evolved through its crucial early phases, offering insights that will remain valuable for understanding this pivotal period in European history.