This book was written with a Western reader in mind It is intended for those who despite huge media coverage of Ukrainian events are still pretty much in the dark about the real Ukraine its relations with Russia and both the origins of the present war and its future implications Also it will be of value to those interested in contemporary military conflicts and how they may unfold in a modern environment The author is a Ukrainian everyman living in Kharkiv Born shortly before Ukraine proclaimed independence he witnessed all turbulent events his country went through from 1990 s to Russian invasion of 2022 This book follows those events through his personal experience