Alexander Grable is currently a PhD candidate and Graduate Teaching Assistant in the Department of War Studies at King’s College London.

He has a Bachelor’s degree in International Studies from Johns Hopkins University and a Master’s degree from Sciences Po Paris in International Security, with a regional focus on Russia and the post-Soviet space. He spent a month study abroad at the Moscow State Institute for International Affairs (MGIMO).

Prior to becoming a PhD candidate he worked in 2017-2018 in the Global Outreach and Regional Support directorate of INTERPOL and then for the Crown Prosecution Service. He is a dual UK/US citizen. 

 

Key Research Areas

> The Russia-Ukraine War
> History of the Russian Army
> History of the British Army
> History of the French Army
> Contemporary conventional warfare
> Eastern Front of WWII
> Counterinsurgency

 

ABSTRACT OF THESIS

The dominant view of the opening phase of the Russo-Ukraine War (24 February 2022 – 7 April 2022) is of stark Russian military failure and inspiring Ukrainian military success.

The thesis argues that view is incorrect. The Russians typically outperformed the Ukrainians on the operational and tactical level, and achieved several important operational objectives, all while being outnumbered more than 2-to-1. However, they were unable to impose the strategic objectives of the Russian leadership on Ukraine and NATO.

The thesis will demonstrate this through an operational analysis using open primary sources, including the Russian press. Using these sources, the thesis will demonstrate Russian military effectiveness in this period as it unfolded.