The 200 Who Defied Russia: How Hostomel’s Battle Still Shapes the War
That Day Must Never Be Forgotten. We Cannot. Ever.
Russian President Vladimir Putin had a plan.
Blitz through Ukraine as he had through Crimea. A rapid, overwhelming strike. A force too vast to resist, too swift to stop. By the time the world scrambled to react, he would have control, his troops dug in, daring anyone to dislodge them. With the ever-present nuclear threat, he knew there was little the world could do once he stepped foot in someone else’s house. It had worked before. There was no reason to believe it wouldn’t work again.
It almost did.
A ragtag group of 200 conscripts—barely trained, under-equipped, an afterthought in the grander scheme—crippled Russia’s grand design for swift conquest.
CIA Director Bill Burns later told U.S. lawmakers that Putin expected to seize Kyiv within the first two days of the campaign. He counted on a shock and awe campaign to paralyze Ukraine before the West could react. The entire plan hinged on momentum—hitting fast, hitting hard, and overwhelming resistance before it could solidify.
Shock → Paralyze → Win.
The Kremlin believed Kyiv’s fall would shatter Ukraine’s government, dissolve military resistance, and leave civilians in disarray. A swift, decisive capture of the capital would force Western leaders into a dilemma—accept the new reality or risk escalation. That plan ran straight through Hostomel Airport.
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Six miles north of Kyiv, Hostomel’s long runway was the perfect gateway. Large enough to handle Russia’s Ilyushin Il-76 airlifters, it could funnel troops, armor, and weapons directly into Kyiv’s outskirts, cutting the head off Ukraine’s leadership in hours. Russian forces, striking from Belarus, would simultaneously race toward the city by land, ensuring a rapid encirclement.
If the airport fell, so too would Kyiv.
By 4:00 AM on February 24, Russian armored columns were rolling across the Ukrainian border. But Ukraine still wasn’t convinced an invasion was real. Even in January 2022, former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko stated, “Nobody knows, including Putin,” if war would happen. The uncertainty left Ukraine unprepared for a full-scale attack. The 72nd Mechanized Brigade, responsible for Kyiv’s defense, was still repositioning when the first wave of Russian paratroopers arrived at Hostomel airport.
Russia struck first.
Cruise missiles screamed through the sky, targeting air defenses. At 9:30 AM, Russian helicopters lifted off from Belarus, flying unchallenged until they reached the Dnipro River near Kyiv’s hydroelectric power plant. Ukrainian troops at the airport knocked out two of the lead attack helicopters with their missiles, forcing the rest to scurry back.
The first wave was pushed back.
The Russians launched a second wave of attack helicopters, determined to seize the airport and clear the runway for incoming transport planes packed with airborne troops. Waiting for them were just 200 soldiers from Ukraine’s National Guard 4th Rapid Reaction Brigade—hardly an elite force. Mostly conscripts, barely trained, ill-equipped, and unprepared to face Russia’s finest. Yet, they stood their ground. And they fought.
One of the soldiers at the base noted that the “small number of officers” left to lead the defence were “financial officers” as opposed to infantry officers.
Truck barricades blocked the runway, denying Russian aircraft a safe landing. The defenders downed more attack helicopters. One crashed spectacularly onto the airstrip, its burning wreckage littering the tarmac. But Russian troops kept coming, and they slowly gained ground. By 1:00 PM, the airport was in Russian hands. The Ukrainian defenders withdrew, outgunned and unsupported.
But the Russians had a problem. Their airbridge wasn’t secure. The helicopters had left, taking their firepower with them. The Russian transport aircraft Il-76s, meant to bring reinforcements, never arrived. Russian troops at Hostomel were stranded, holding a vulnerable position with no armor, no heavy weaponry, and no backup.
Ukraine saw the opening and struck back.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, Ukrainian artillery and Su-24 bombers pounded the airport. That night, Ukrainian forces stormed back in, reclaiming the airfield. The next morning, Russian ground forces arrived, forcing Ukraine to withdraw again. But by then, it was too late for Putin’s plan.
Hostomel was supposed to be the gateway to Kyiv. Without it, the entire Russian timetable collapsed. They had no contingency, no backup strategy. The arrogance of expecting an easy victory left them scrambling. With Russia’s advance towards Kyiv slowed and no quick victory in sight, Ukraine made a defining choice—turn every street into a battleground
Zelensky refused to flee. Instead, he armed his people. .
Residents were warned to avoid windows and balconies. Eighteen thousand guns were distributed among citizens on the first day. The Ukrainian Territorial Defense Forces, usually held in reserve, were activated.
Russia’s push stalled. Kyiv held. And the world saw, for the first time, that Ukraine could fight back.
Undeterred, Putin sent more forces.
The infamous convoy—miles of tanks, artillery, and vehicles—choked the roads leading to Kyiv, only to grind to a halt. Ukraine systematically dismantled bridges, ambushed supply lines, and turned the advance into a logistical nightmare. The rapid invasion had become a slow, grinding disaster.
By the end of March, reality set in for the Kremlin. Kyiv wouldn’t fall. The Russian army, battered and undersupplied, quietly withdrew.
The world had witnessed something few believed possible—Ukraine had punched back and won. It wasn’t just the military that held the line. It was the will of a nation, solidified in those first hours at Hostomel, where 200 Ukrainian soldiers—conscripts, not elite warriors—threw a wrench into Putin’s war machine.
Ukrainians had almost nothing to stop the Russian army. The world believed Russia could steamroll NATO in 60 hours—what chance did Ukraine have? They must have been told the same. Through January and February 2022, Zelensky and Ukrainian officials begged the West for help. Instead, they were offered 5,000 helmets.
Words, not weapons.
And yet, this was the force that stopped Russia from seizing Kyiv. Not even a proper army—just raw defiance and an unbreakable will.
Today, Ukraine’s military is transformed. Fighter jets, air defenses, modern tanks, and infantry vehicles—nothing like the desperate force of February 24, 2022. If that army, with almost nothing, could hold the line at Hostomel and change the course of the war, this army can fight, with or without American aid.
33% of the weapons and equipment used at the front in Ukraine are Ukrainian-made
To simply say Trump will throw Ukraine under the bus is to ignore Ukraine’s agency, resilience, and evolving strength. This is no longer the vulnerable nation of February 2022, scrambling for aid. Ukraine has fought, adapted, and built a battle-hardened military capable of standing on its own. The world may shift, allies may waver, but Ukraine’s will to fight—and win—remains firmly in its own hands.
Long live Ukraine 🇺🇦. Stand up Europe 🇪🇺. Shame on America 🇺🇸
Great account. I was vaguely aware as it happened. I support Ukraine!!