Abstract: This talk focuses on the author鈥檚 personal experiences with the Russia-Ukraine war. The author will discuss specific aspects of this conflict, including its geographical specifics, Russia鈥檚 poor performance at the beginning of the invasion, major mistakes by Russia鈥檚 leadership and their consequences, Western failures, Ukrainian gaps, and the path forward. The author will also describe local nuances such as corruption, the derussification of Ukrainian culture, and Russia's efforts to build the so-called Russkij mir (Russian world) in post-Soviet countries.