How a Russian invasion of Ukraine could play out

Russia could launch long-distance attacks using weaponry, such as long-range artillery, rockets, cruise missiles and air strikes. This option would allow Moscow to attack with limited risk of retaliation and Ukraine's aging air defence systems would be easily overwhelmed - conscious of this risk, it has appealed to Nato for modern US Patriot systems. But airpower alone has a poor record of rooting out entrenched forces, said Justin Bronk of the Royal United Services Institute.