"Let's make hell there": Kiev is preparing for a new operation
MOSCOW, 14 Nov — RIA Novosti, Andrei Kots. To seize the initiative, to destroy critical infrastructure, provide deployment of troops in the Kherson region held exercises of special forces of the APU, which was worked out operation to return the Crimea to Ukraine. The scenario provided for attacks by sabotage groups on key objects of the 22nd army corps of the black sea fleet. According to Ukrainian media, after the maneuvers, the units participating in them remained on the border with Crimea in a state of high alert. About how Kiev is going to win back the Peninsula — in the material RIA Novosti.
To Decapitate The Crimea
The legend of the exercise is more like a blockbuster story. Several groups of special forces cross the border unnoticed and secretly go deeper into the territory of the Peninsula. Distributed among the objects, the saboteurs simultaneously paralyze the entire Russian army group: they disable the runways of airfields, destroy communication centers, headquarters and weapons depots, and eliminate commanders. The idea of the Ukrainian command, for a decapitation strike followed by the onset of major land and air forces of Ukraine and the Peninsula comes under the control of Kiev.
Recently, Ukraine has frequently conducted military exercises on the border with Crimea. So, at the end of October, in the Kherson region, they practiced countering the mythical Russian intelligence and sabotage groups that the Ukrainian authorities have been scaring the electorate with since 2014. The maneuvers continued for several days, both during daylight and at night. Their progress was observed by Western experts.
"The General theme of the exercise is to work out a set of preventive measures aimed at ensuring an appropriate level of protection of such objects from possible terrorist threats. The training takes place in conditions as close as possible to real ones, in cooperation with units of the security Service of Ukraine, the National police, the State emergency service, the National guard, the State border service of Ukraine, local authorities and local self — government," Lieutenant General Serhiy Nayev, commander of the joint forces of the armed forces of Ukraine, told reporters.
The fact that Ukraine is seriously considering a military solution to the Crimean issue is also evidenced by the statements of the Supreme command of the armed forces of Ukraine. Back in July, the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Navy, Admiral Alexey Neizhpapa, directly stated that Kiev wants to return Crimea and is preparing for full-scale military operations. The commander-in-chief boastfully reminded that the Ukrainians developed the Neptune missile system, which can allegedly reach Sevastopol from the mainland. Russian politicians rightly noted that the launch positions of this "miracle weapon" will immediately be destroyed by a retaliatory strike if at least one missile launches towards the Crimea.
Attempts of sabotage
All attempts by Kiev to throw spies into the Crimea invariably ended in failure. In April, the Russian FSB reported on the detention of a group operating under the leadership of the head of the Kherson division of the Ukrainian military intelligence, Colonel Oleg Akhmedov. The saboteurs tried to find out the details of the layout of a number of security facilities on the Peninsula. In January, a local resident was arrested in Crimea, who, on the instructions of the Ukrainian special services, created caches with explosives. In February, the FSB reported on the suppression of the preparation of terrorist attacks in two educational institutions in Kerch.
The most famous incident occurred on the night of August 7-8, 2016 near the border town of Armyansk. During the arrest, the saboteurs resisted and opened fire. A Russian serviceman was killed. Two militants were eliminated and three were arrested.
Another group was found on the border itself-at the technological dam across the siwash Bay. According to the FSB, the Ukrainians wanted to mine it. The saboteurs then opened fire, shot a soldier of the 247th guards paratrooper regiment, wounded several and left without loss. From the Ukrainian coast, their withdrawal was covered by a heavy machine gun.
FSB operatives found 20 improvised explosive devices with a total capacity of more than 40 kilograms in TNT equivalent, as well as ammunition, detonators, anti-personnel and magnetic mines, grenades and special weapons. Apparently, these two groups were going to start a small war in the Crimea. However, the Russian special services were ahead of the curve, demonstrating that the Perekop isthmus is securely guarded. No wonder Sevastopol " Berkut "in the days of the" Crimean spring " first took control of this key section of the border.
Black sea fortress
It is important to note that Kiev is indirectly being pushed by "foreign partners"to try to seize Crimea by force. NATO countries are actively arming the Ukrainian armed forces, providing Ukrainian intelligence with information, conducting joint military exercises, and even recently used the country's airspace for strategic bomber exercises. And in mid-October, Kiev signed a military agreement with Ankara, providing, among other things, for the purchase of Bayraktar TB-2 attack drones. It cannot be ruled out that the" hotheads " in the Ukrainian leadership, having seen enough of the successful actions of Turkish drones against Armenian troops in Nagorno-Karabakh, will decide on their own blitzkrieg.
However, Crimea today is one of the most protected places on Earth. The Peninsula is defended by the 22nd army corps of the black sea fleet, which mainly serves contractors. They are armed with the latest technology, have upgraded t-72B3 tanks, Tornado-G multiple launch rocket systems, Msta-S howitzers, coastal missile systems, and TOS-1A heavy flamethrower vehicles.
From the air the Crimea covers the 31st anti-aircraft division, including two battalions of s-300PS and two divisions of s-400 "Triumph". In addition, aircraft of the 27th mixed air division are on duty at Belbek, Dzhankoy and gvardeyskoye airfields: su-24M2 bombers, su-25SM attack aircraft, su-27SM3 and su-30M2 fighters, and Ka-52 helicopters. And the ships of the black sea fleet — one of the most modern and technologically advanced in the Russian Navy-are reliably protected from a blow from the sea.
The APU clearly does not have the strength and resources to win in the Crimea. And it is unlikely that Kiev's foreign patrons will decide to fit in for the wards in full and risk coming together with Moscow in an open confrontation. It is obvious that the Ukrainian authorities are again trying to play the card of external aggression in order to rally the electorate against the background of worsening economic and political problems in the country. You can continue to deliver virtual attacks on your Eastern neighbor. Moreover, Russia, as before, did not come to the war.