[Trump.Deplorable]

I never understood why they took that in the first place.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

“I never understood why they took that in the first place.”

Yes, it made absolutely ZERO sense to do that.

[Paleo Conservative]

I never understood why they took that in the first place.

They were only planning to be there for a couple of days after which the Ukrainian government would collapse. That was the plan or what counts as planning in the Russian army.

[Jamestown1630]

I thought we read when they went there that it was important geographically to their plans to surround Kiev.

[Colinsky]

I never understood why they took that in the first place.

It was a large, empty, undefended area where troops and materiel could be staged. The Exclusion Area is not intensively radioactive on the surface--wildlife is prospering. But if tank treads stir up the dirt...