This study explains Russia’s failure to establish an airbridge at Hostomel airport during the initial phase of the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The operation was carried out by the Russian airborne forces (VDV) with the aim of seizing the airport with the purpose to establish an airbridge into Ukraine to support an assault onward to Kyiv. Despite VDV’s success in earlier conflicts and improvements in training the operation failed to achieve its purpose, establishing an airbridge.
This study is a theory consuming case study using the method structured, focused comparison and applies McRaven’s theory of special operations. As a consequence of the fact that this study only examines one case the comparative part of the method is not used. By using McRaven’s six principles for achieving relative superiority as an analytical framework this study examines how shortcomings in these principles together contributed to the failure of the operation.This study concludes that shortcomings in McRaven’s principles limited VDV’s ability to achieve relative superiority early in the operation. VDV’s shortcomings in each of McRaven’s principles also interacted and affected each other which further reduced the ability to achieve relative superiority early in the operation.