Russian tanks and troops crossed into Ukraine on Thursday after a night of shelling. But why is Russia attacking Ukraine ? What is Putin's goal? Ukraine has recently suffered the most intense bombing it has seen since Russia began its full-scale invasion three years ago. What does Vladimir Putin hope to achieve? And how can the... Bogged down in a grinding war of attrition in eastern Ukraine , and now facing a counter-offensive by Kyiv, Russia ’s folly and miscalculation in invading its neighbour last February seems obvious. It begs the question of why Vladimir Putin launched his invasion, and why now. Yet, seen in the ... Russia hoped to overthrow Ukraine 's pro-Western government, but Moscow's war has dragged on for more than three years.
