Author: Alexander V. Kurban
Original title: ТЕРРОРИСТИЧЕСКАЯ ОПЕРАЦИЯ РОССИЙСКИХ ДИВЕРСАНТОВ В ВАСИЛЬКОВЕ: тактика действий российской армии в современной войне
Translation: Anton Ljamin, Department of Political Science, University of Latvia
Since 1991, a once can describe the nature and specifics of Russian-Ukrainian relations in the concept of hybrid geopolitical conflicts within its three main stages – latent, semi-open, and military. By the heart of the parties’ actions, during all this time, the transformation of the conflict took place from the stage of Russian hybrid aggression against Ukraine (1991-2013) to the hybrid Russian-Ukrainian war (2014-2022). Eventually, it escalated into an open war (from 24.02. 2022). The so-called “Gerasimov Doctrine” most clearly reveals the Kremlin’s geopolitical strategy, which is the main algorithm of a typical geopolitical conflict in the Russian interpretation; the military stage is not mandatory and makes up only 1/6 of the entire conflict within this algorithm. This stage is implemented in an army peace enforcement operation or a peacekeeping operation.
On February 24 at 5:00 am, Russia, without the official notification, started the so-called “special military operation” on the territory of Ukraine, which in the “Gerasimov Doctrine” corresponds to the fifth stage of the international conflict. As part of this operation, the Russian side used the tactics of mobile warfare, which manifested itself in local breakthroughs of columns of military equipment, airstrikes, and the activities of sabotage and reconnaissance groups, a significant part of which were on our territory already before the start of the invasion.
Initially, the Russian political establishment counted on the loyalty of the local people towards the Russian military. As they assumed, “tired of the Ukrainian Nazis” and passive Ukrainian civil society, which fell into a state of political atomization, would not resist. In such a scenario, repressions against the local population were not originally intended, and attacks on civilian objects were also not expected. The destruction of the most pro-active local Ukrainians and the psycho-physical attacks against pro-Ukrainian citizens were not expected much later after the final consolidation of the occupying forces.
Within a few days, the Kremlin’s political and military miscalculation of them in their original plans became clear to all. The General Staff of the RF Armed Forces began to change its tactics from the wheels. The techniques worked out in the Chechen (1994-1996 and 1999-2009), Georgian (2008), and Syrian (2015-2017) were introduced. Terror against the civilian population started with the hostage-taking, killings of civilians, robberies, and destruction of residential areas in settlements near hostilities.
The most indicative, in this regard, was the sabotage operation that the special forces of the GRU General Staff intended to implement on 03/03/2022 in the city of Vasylkov (Kyiv region). This settlement is one of the critical elements of the air defense system and ground defense of Kyiv. The operation’s main goal was to capture a military airfield and destroy air defense systems in Vasylkov. The use of hostages, which were supposed to be caught in one of the city’s bomb shelters, was planned. Events developed according to the following scenario.
The first target of the saboteur’s attack was secondary school No. 3, which houses the “Teroborona” headquarters and the largest and most reliable bomb shelter in the city, which can hide several hundred people at the same time. The task was to capture the headquarters, put the captured civilians on buses and use them as a human shield in attack the Vasylkovsky airfield.
A group of Russian saboteurs entered freely at night in the Armed Forces of Ukraine (under the legend of the reinforcement forces of the Vasylkovsky garrison). It settled down on the school’s first floor- a recreation area for the fighters of the local “Teroborona.” Closer to the morning, the sniper of the sabotage group climbed onto the school’s roof and took up position. Right after, the rest of the saboteurs seized the first floor and tried to go down to the basement for the hostages. Having understood the situation, the “Teroborona” fighters fought and blocked the sabotage group. During the first clash, several members of the “Teroborona” were killed. While the saboteurs were kept in the blockade, a group of special forces of the SBU “Alpha” approached. The saboteurs were detained through the joint efforts of the Ukrainian special forces and the Vasylkivska terrorist defense. After that, civilians were released from the bomb shelter.
There were several locals among the detainees and with Russian saboteurs. Russian special services who deliberately joined the terrorist defense to assist Russian saboteurs recruited them. The SBU is currently investigating the matter. There are suspicions that Russian agents remain in the local community’s leadership and the terrorist defense.
The video contains footage of the operational shooting of the scene after the end of the operation.
This case is a typical example of modern Russian military tactics. It includes several hybrid techniques, including asymmetric warfare (strike in unexpected places), unrestricted warfare (using civilians as cover), elements of network-centric war (infiltrating the system), enemy communications, and use in their operations). Of course, such methods of warfare are inhumane and violate the basic international conventions for the protection of life and human rights. But the Kremlin establishment and Putin himself are not particularly puzzled by this, showing the behavior of a typical terrorist state, such as ISIS or the Taliban.
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