It is a political, military and social history of the East European subcontinent at constant war imperial, national, civil, and brigandage for scholars and readers interested in warfare, empires, and the phenomenon of Ukraine. Overlapping major powers the Ottomans, Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and Muscovy-Russia clashed over the grand geopolitical Ukraine, stretching from the Danube through the Black Sea and Caucasus to the Caspian Sea. Embedded in this turbulent conflict is the emergence of Ukraine or several Ukraines, proto-states of military groups, bound together by strategic objectives, social class and economic interest. They were sponsored by the empires and overwhelmed them from within, developing superior resources and fighting capabilities. It is a link to contemporary Ukraine and a fascinating glance into the current confrontation. AUTHOR: Vladimir Shirogorov is an independent Russian scholar interested in military history, strategy and geopolitics, currently living in Italy. He has authored high-level academic books in English and Russian. Books in English include War on the Eve of Nations: Conflicts and Militaries in Eastern Europe, 1450 1500 (USA, Lexington, 2020) and four volumes published in Germany and Italy. His series in Russian on the military history of Eastern Europe and Soviet political biography caught major attention. He is working on a sequel to the current book, Strategies of Ukrainian War, 1800 2000. Lords of Disaster and Progress, and Military Strategy for Warfare, Politics and Business, a study and textbook, converting the strategic history into a guide for leaders and executives. 16 b/w illustrations