International presentation of the book In the Ring of Fire: Defense of Luhansk Airport in Kyiv

On November 11, 2025, the Yaroslav Mudryi National Library of Ukraine in Kyiv hosted an international presentation of the English-language edition of the chronicle In the Ring of Fire: Defense of Luhansk Airport.

The chronicle tells the story of one of the biggest battles of the early stages of the Russo–Ukrainian War – the battle for Luhansk Airport in the spring and summer of 2014. And now this story will become known outside Ukraine.

The expanded and updated English-language edition contains forewords and comments from military personnel who defended the airport and now hold important positions in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as well as from well-known military experts, scientists, and public figures.

“The defense of Luhansk Airport in April–August 2014, followed by the defense of Donetsk Airport in September 2014 – January 2015, were not only heroic episodes, but also conceptual breakthroughs that forced Ukraine to rethink not only the nature of war, but also the very nature of the aggressor. … This book is a powerful element of strategic memory and should be read by anyone who wants to understand how a nation that was considered weak began to write new rules of war in the 21st century,” says military expert Valentyn Badrak, author of one of the forewords to the English edition, assessing the events described and the book.

From the perspective of 2025, the feat of the Ukrainian defenders in the first stage of the war becomes even more apparent. And this heroic and instructive story must be brought to the attention of the world community.

Hundreds of people from all over Ukraine and abroad have joined in supporting the project. However, the hard work of spreading this story and the book is still ahead. Therefore, the authors and defenders of Luhansk Airport will be grateful to anyone who joins in distributing the book outside Ukraine.

The presentation was attended by the authors of the book, participants in the defense of Luhansk Airport, friends and colleagues, volunteers, and concerned Ukrainians who support the project, including former activists of the Luhansk Maidan and public figures from the Luhansk region. Participants from Germany, Great Britain, and the United States joined the presentation via video link.