Quote (Goomshill @ 11 Oct 2022 19:25)
Yes, it was clearly their objective. They wanted a fast collapse of the government like the Taliban got in Afghanistan and to not have to commit to an extended war. It was a clear gambit, and it failed. The difference between this and an operation like Market Garden is that the latter had cripplingly heavy casualties on both sides. Seems more like when the Russians realized their objective of seizing Kiev would not occur without protracted fighting, they left without taking such heavy losses and in such haste they left behind plenty of materiel. It makes plenty of sense from a military strategy perspective. The amount of risk they took and losses they suffered was relatively low for the chance to preclude it becoming a long term and large scale conflict. There was plenty of reason to think it could succeed.
Chances are that Ukraine's government, and with it the whole resistance, collapses if Zelensky accepts the offer to leave Kyiv. (I think it was on day 3 or 4 of the war.)