Claims that Ukraine suddenly made the first hundred miles off a hostile coast unusable overlook a danger zone already understood in World War II. Aircraft, sensors, coastal artillery, and attack craft made roughly 200 nautical miles the relevant historical range. The practical lesson is to enter littoral waters with a task group, layered protection, and realistic expectations that expensive warships can still be sunk. Technology changes how navies manage coastal geography, but it cannot remove the exposure created by operating near hostile shores.
Chapter · 2:38-6:50
Coastal threat zones did not begin with Ukraine
A comparison with World War II explains why operating close to an enemy coast has long required mass, protection, and acceptance of losses.