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DEWe are talking to military experts about the first experience of the war.
It’s the fourth day of the war with Russia. The agenda changes with lightning speed, several times a day, however, certainly not in favour of enemy occupation troops. Total losses of the enemy as of the morning of 27 February: aircraft – 27; helicopters – 26; tanks – 146; armoured combat vehicles – 706; mortars – 49; BUK systems – 1; Grad systems – 4; automotive equipment – 30; tanks – 60; operational and tactical UAVs – 2; ships/boats – 2; manpower – approximately 4,300.
Ukraine and its truly majestic army are holding on; they are standing confident. At the same time, as a result of these difficult days, there are some things that are not entirely clear to ordinary Ukrainians who are not directly involved in military affairs. For example, regarding the armoured vehicles of the occupiers, which were and still are observed on the approaches to Kyiv – Ivankove, Makariv villages… How did they manage to get there on such a massive scale – from the North? It seems that we have overlooked this direction, thinking that despite all the forecasts, they would not dare to attack from the territory of Belarus. There is another point related to the Russian sabotage and reconnaissance groups. There seems to be no doubt that the first sabotages were carried out by enemy groups that had penetrated into Ukraine earlier, before the invasion, and were just waiting for H-hour: they dressed, got armed in underground hideouts, and went to Kyiv. Maybe it’s not, maybe it’s something else… In any case, it’s the experience of war, which, of course, should be and will be taken into account in the future.
In the meantime, first of all, we are asking military experts to share their views whether Ukraine and our Armed Forces have encountered something unexpected during this war?
Pavlo Lakiychuk, retired captain 1st rank, head of military programmes of the Centre for Global Studies Strategy XXI, said in a comment to Ukrinform said that nothing new had happened to our military. Tactics of the use of troops is an old Soviet one. And our commanders know their disadvantages and advantages.
“The equipment is also not advanced weapons. Training of personnel is not that impressive. A significant preponderance of forces. But our intelligence officers and the structure of the command forces knew about it. So, as the first four days of the war have shown, the enemy can be beaten with the right approach. We are shooting down the vaunted Kalibr rockets, burning ‘ultra-modern’ Su-30SM aircraft and Ka-52 helicopters, and we already have the experience in destroying Russian tanks. Thanks to our brave soldiers!” the expert emphasised.
Oleh Zhdanov, a military expert, and retired colonel, also says that nothing unexpected happened to us. According to him, the only problem is that the enemy invasion was very powerful in the first two days: “And we had to withstand the pressure. A very large number of troops invaded our territory in four directions. This is the only thing that was for us, say, not so much unexpected as difficult. If they caught us unexpectedly, believe me, the situation would be much different. However, we waited for them, and we met them with dignity. ”
On the night of the enemy offensive, the Ukrainian military and political leadership knew the exact time of the missile strike on our territory. Therefore, our combat aircraft were not damaged.
“They were not at the airfields at the time of strike,” he said.
Orcs who disturbed the Chornobyl zone: if they are not destroyed today, they will die tomorrow
As for armoured vehicles…
“We really underestimated the Belarusian direction. This is due to two factors. First, Belarus is not Russia, a formally independent state that is not at war with us. So, whether the Belarusians are ready to stain their hands with blood in order to fulfill Putin’s whims – it turns out they are ready,” says Pavlo Lakiychuk. “Secondly, the Russians chose the territory of the Chornobyl Radiation and Ecological Reserve, the “Chornobyl Zone,” for the breakthrough. It must not have been touched in any case! This is a danger not only to us and to Belarusians, but to all. Kremlin strategists do not care. And those tankers who passed through radioactive forests with heavy equipment, if they do not burn themselves in their tanks now, will die in agony soon; this is the law of nature and karma.”
Changing the direction of “main strike”? To your own harm!
“Neglected… In fact, this is not quite true,” says Oleh Zhdanov.
The fact is, he claims, that on the first day we completely broke the “master plan” of the invasion. Donbas was believed to be the direction of the main strike. And the main task they set themselves was believed to break through the defense and reach the administrative borders of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions.
“At the same time – simultaneously entering from three more directions: north, southeast, and south. Obviously, they expected us to sit at the negotiating table for 1-2 days. But when we withstood in Donbas, the enemy realised that its attack was repelled and that it had no success,” said the expert.
Therefore, the enemy decided to completely change the course of the operation. The direction of the main strike has now shifted from Donbas to Kyiv and Kharkiv. However, they won’t conquer these cities.
“Ukraine and our Armed Forces will not allow this. As for tanks… Yes, all these forces come to us from the North, that is, from Belarus. They go to their destination in marching columns, they are concentrated in one place. That’s why we see so many tanks and armoured personnel carriers. (…) They approach Hostomel and stand in marching columns, They can not deploy in battle order. There is no place to do this. And they seem to be standing in line at our position,” said Zhdanov.
The enemy battalion went on the offensive – our troops defeated it. The battalion rolled back with losses, and ours troops “catching it up” with it with artillery and aircraft. After that, the next enemy battalion goes on.
“You know, we work like a big machine to dispose of enemy forces. And our task is for our army to be able to grind this invasion in time. Some groups that break through, like in the town of Bucha (Kyiv region)… They are then destroyed because the main forces are cut off: we blow up a bridge in some place, our artillery work in some other place to create a barrier of fire. And the advanced groups which still manage to break through… We then destroy them separately, they do not pose a great threat,” said the expert.
Well, everything is clear with tanks, and what about Russian sabotage and reconnaissance groups? Is it true that they have been stationed in our territory for a long time?
Indeed, everything indicates that the attack did not start “suddenly,” that is, not at Putin‘s behest. This operation has been prepared for a very long time. Military experts have been talking about the signs of its preparation for at least a year, and our partners and allies are talking about three months. But what happened, already happened, we should not look for the culprits …” said Lakiychuk.
Indeed, the expert continues, such operations include early “arrangement of the territory,” recruitment and sending of spies, and sabotage and reconnaissance groups to the rear (i.e. to our territory), which are to “open up” at H-hour.
It is extremely difficult to detect sleeping agents. I think that Ukraine’s Security Service worked, someone was found and neutralised. But we have too much of this dirt. It is unrealistic to catch everyone.
We urgently need to take control of all Russian churches in Ukraine
“Sleeping saboteurs… The organisational core of the agency network was indeed brought in a long time ago, the rest are already being recruited here,” Zhdanov agrees with the previous speaker.
He emphasises that this issue must be urgently raised before the General Staff.
“Unfortunately, we are neglecting a very important thing: there is a large network of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Moscow Patriarchate throughout the country, especially where there are monasteries. I saw in peacetime suspicious guys there… Like monks, in robes, but for some reason wearing tarpaulin boots and army belts. It is necessary to pay attention to it. Ukraine’s Security Service must check all these places, check all the documents of these people. Because this is a nursery, because there, I think, there are weapons imported in advance, and ammunition. And the people who come out of there can form reconnaissance and sabotage groups.”
After all, according to military experts, Ukraine’s Security Service are not the only ones who can conduct such inspections.
“We urgently need to take control of all Russian churches in Ukraine. There may be means of collecting and processing information, storages. “Novices” must also be checked, probably, there can be leaders or organirers of these groups among them,” Zhdanov summed up.
The press service of the Verkhovna Rada informed about the presence of so-called “sleeping groups” of enemy saboteurs and fire adjusters on 26 February.
“‘Sleeping groups’ came to the territory of Ukraine, each settlement. They rented apartments, lived there, and waited for the H-hour. Most apartments were rented through realtors. Realtors have their working chats in settlements (cities). Realtors and all citizens, if you have information about Russian-like males who rented apartments in groups of two to three people between December 2021 and now, call 0679839403 or 102. These people currently work as fire adjusters and members of sabotage groups and may be armed,” the statement reads.
So. let’s be vigilant! We support our army and will destroy the occupier’s forces. Victory will be ours.
Glory to Ukraine! Glory to the Armed Forces!
Myroslav Liskovych, Kyiv
Source: Ukrinform
