For many months, Russia has been withdrawing its troops to the Ukrainian borders.

Alarming warnings with a detailed attack plan came from intelligence, but the Ukrainians continued to be assured that everything would work out.

On February 24, many were caught off guard, TSN reports. 

November 2021.

Almost a hundred thousand Russian soldiers are gathering near the borders of Ukraine under the guise of regular exercises.

"This accumulation will continue and will reach its peak around the end of January," - in an interview with Military Times on November 21, the head of Ukrainian military intelligence, Kyrylo Budanov, bluntly says that Russia is preparing an invasion.

"Russia is preparing for an attack in late January or early February. Such an attack is likely to include airstrikes, artillery as well as tank attacks with amphibious assaults in the east, in Odesa and Mariupol, and an invasion through neighboring Belarus. The attack Russia is preparing will much more destructive than anything seen before in the conflict that began in 2014," Kyrylo Budanov said in an interview with Military Times on November 21, 2022.

The publication also publishes a map of the direction of the strike.

In a few months it will become clear - she was very accurate.

However, at that time Budanov's forecasts seemed too gloomy to many.

Economist and popular commentator on Ukrainian channels Andriy Illarionov categorically declares: this is disinformation.

"Currently, there is no threat of a large-scale attack by Russian troops on Ukraine.

A large-scale offensive by thousands of groups, BTG, according to this map, which was published on November 20 on the Military Times resource along with an interview with the head of the GUR Budanov - this is not an option.

This map is a vivid example of a propaganda war... This is disinformation," he repeats from the screens.     

December 21 January 2022.

The number of Russian troops on the border is doubling.

Despite this, Ukrainians continue to be reassured.

Foreign intelligence agencies share detailed information about the Russian threat with Ukraine.

Budanov confirms: these data coincide with the Ukrainian ones, and the numerous warnings and even the dates of the probable invasion, which were mentioned by the Western media with reference to sources in the special services and governments, are already visibly annoying the Ukrainian authorities, who are worried about the flight of investors and other consequences of the sown anxiety for the economy.

On January 19, President Zelensky recorded a speech that critics still criticize him for.

"These risks have existed for more than one day, and they have not become bigger, the excitement around them has become bigger.

Everything is under control and everything is going according to plan.

In April, we will celebrate Easter, in May, as always, the weekend, sun, barbecues, Victory Day," the president said. 

Some top officials continue to openly question the US warning.

They even mock: we ask you to announce all the dates of the future attack in advance.

"The majority of the people, seeing that three, four, five "exact dates" have already passed, realized that this is just intimidating people and an attempt to sow panic.

I don't know the real reasons why the USA is doing this, but it definitely does not work in favor of the economy of Ukraine..." Davyv Arahamiya told journalists. 

While Western sources criticize Ukraine for alarmism, top Russian officials and Belarusian dictator Lukashenko also assure in one voice: no, no, they will not attack.

In mid-February, foreign countries begin mass evacuation of their embassies from Kyiv and call on their citizens to leave Ukraine immediately.

Even military instructors are ordered to leave.

Russia is also evacuating its diplomats.

One after another, planes with Western weapons land at Boryspil airport.

These transporters have only light defensive weapons, because even those countries that support Ukraine the most do not believe that we will hold out for more than three days. 

Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba recalls his meeting at the White House on February 22.

"They come out and everyone literally looks at me in farewell.

It seems that a conference of doctors just took place and they decided that you have stage 4 cancer.

Each of them shook my hand, gave such a compassionate sigh and went on... Everyone agreed that 72 hours would be the end of Ukraine," he says. 

Even President Biden, Kuleba says, hinted to him that it was time to think about children and evacuation.

"He tells me: 'Mr. Minister, you should always think about your children.' When the President of the United States tells you in the White House, in the Oval Office, that it is of course good that you are a minister and think about how to protect your country , but first of all you are a father and you have to think about your children," Kuleba recalled. 

Zelensky invites President Biden to come to Ukraine, but then he does not accept the invitation.

Instead, foreign leaders visit Ukraine almost every day.

With their presence, they seem to protect Ukraine from disaster, but, of course, this is an illusion.

Last February 23, Ukraine was visited by its closest neighbors - the presidents of Lithuania and Poland.

Later, the Polish president admits that he said goodbye to Zelensky with the feeling that this could be the last meeting with him.

"Yes, I thought that I would see him, maybe for the last time.

Yes, there was a moment when we said goodbye.

And I got goosebumps when he himself said that this could be our last meeting," Duda recalled. 

One by one, charter flights take off from Boryspil, transporting oligarchs, some deputies and businessmen.

In just one day - February 13, there were two dozen such flights.

On February 23, after Putin recognized the sovereignty of the quasi-entities in Donbas, a state of emergency was introduced in Ukraine.

A few hours before the nighttime Russian invasion, the most popular experts continue to assure that the threat is no greater than ever.

"Let's imagine something incredible and very bad: a full-scale war has begun.

What is Putin's goal?

A group of 200,000 is not enough to capture even one large city.

They will not be able to capture large territories or cities.

It is impossible.

For example, Mariupol or Kharkiv.

Mariupol has a population of 400,000, it cannot be captured," Oleksiy Arestovich said on the air. 

"Where Russia can suffer losses, they will not budge.

The troops that are now standing along the borders of Ukraine are not deployed to warring states," Oleg Zhdanov assures. 

Later, the authorities explained: the military was preparing as it should, but the rest of the Ukrainians had to rely on their own intuition to avoid panic and chaos. 

On the other hand, MPs from OPZZ were definitely aware of the attack.

Many representatives of Medvedchuk's faction flew out of Ukraine early and still have not returned.

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