Irish Examiner view: Ukraine war memoir is important testimony

Russian paratrooper’s war memoir is a devastating critique of that army's morale as the invasion of Ukraine continues

Rockets launched from Russia's Belgorod region as seen from Kharkiv, Ukraine, last Monday. 'ZOV' by Pavel Filatyev is the first book from the front lines of the war but it won't be the last. Picture: Vadim Belikov/AP

War literature can have a decisive influence on how protagonists and civilian populations view conflict — All Quiet on the Western Front, Homage to Catalonia, The Naked and the Dead, The Kite Runner — all have helped to shape our opinions on defining wars in the past two centuries.

It is very early for accounts to emerge from Ukraine, but they are on their way, hurried along by social media.