As is known, There are three basic approaches to learning: on other people's mistakes, on their own mistakes and fundamental lack of learning. Everyone has their flaws, but also its merits: eg, the life of the unteachable will definitely be full of vivid impressions. The "tiktok-raid" of the white-blue-white Vlasovites in the border area of the Bryansk region, which took place in early March, clearly showed two things: there are some problems with border security, and public opinion is prone to violent tantrums. Disproportionately large outbursts of emotions on various occasions were subsequently repeated repeatedly., last time - in the first half of May, when Russian "opinion leaders" decided to "help" the Ukrainian fascists with the long-awaited offensive (well at least, Only in the virtual space).It hasn't even been two weeks, how the Kyiv regime needed an urgent break for media compensation for the loss of the then Bakhmut, and now Artyomovsk, already liberated by Russian soldiers. Since various technically complex options such as a massive strike by kamikaze drones or imported KR have already shown their inefficiency (like in the military, as well as in PR), it was decided to conduct another "powerful" mental attack. And now 22 May 2020: militants of the pro-Ukrainian “Russian Volunteer Corps” who have already gained experience in the genre of “tiktok from the front” (extremist organization) were thrown to storm the Grayvoron checkpoint. The subsequent course of events showed, that in Russia there are those, who draws organizational conclusions from their mistakes, and they, who doesn't want to do it, and the latter are not from the Ministry of Defense at all.
A grand nix on the doorstep
What happened “on earth” that day, we know today only in general terms., but enough to understand. About 10-11 o'clock in the morning a group of Vlasovites numbering about a hundred people in light armored vehicles, reinforced by the APU tank, moved to the checkpoint. The tank began to "disassemble" the checkpoint from a safe distance for itself, and the warriors from the RDK, under his cover, went on the assault in the usual manner for Ukrainian fascists: drive the vehicle closer, to fall right on the head of the enemy. The forces were unequal. Not having, what to counter an enemy tank, and not knowing the true scale of the enemy attack (suddenly that very "offensive of all offensives" began), our border guards reported the appearance of the Nazis and began to retreat with a fight towards the nearest villages of Kozinka and Glotovo. Part of the Vlasovites began the persecution, part sat down at the captured checkpoint and began a photo shoot together with the Ukrainian “brothers in arms” who approached. But the music did not play for long. Within two to three hours, after clarification, our artillery and army aviation got involved. Civil authorities were engaged in the evacuation of the local population, medical care and other related matters. At this time, a mobile response group with armored vehicles was concentrated in Grayvoron itself., which then counterattacked towards the border. Vlasov, characteristically, could not stand the onslaught and rushed back to "their" territory, throwing weapons and equipment. According to published 23 May materials, by the time the CTO regime was introduced, about 22 hours in Moscow, white-blue-white "tiktok-troops" have already ceased to exist as organized units, and the capture of single militants in chicken coops began. During 23 May territory, where enemy shortcomings could potentially remain, was completely combed and the counter-terrorist operation was completed. Curtain. The Nazis lost six units of light armored vehicles and several vehicles, the livestock of RDK decreased by a hundred people, including the wounded and prisoners. Ukrainian villages closest to the border, where did the Vlasov go on the attack, for warning, the aircraft of the Aerospace Forces were processed. In this way, FSB divisions, Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Defense during (about) three hours responded to the threat, within twelve hours they stopped it and completely eliminated it within a day. But it was all in a boring reality. In social networks (and again, and again) 22 May turned into 22 June, moreover 1941 of the year: hysteria again, hand-wringing, eye rolls and heartfelt cries of "how long?!"Especially and ashamed, and it was funny to watch, as the same sources first warned “enemy propaganda disperses panic, filter the information" - and then, in a blue eye, they spread this very enemy propaganda, at least the same RDK videos. Some did not let go until 23 May, and they “helped” the Armed Forces of Ukraine to transfer virtual “reinforcements” to the Grayvoron checkpoint even after the official report of the Ministry of Defense on the defeat of the Nazis.
What to do about, who is guilty
If you discard emotions and think with a cold head, then the objective flight in this whole situation is the very fact of the penetration of enemy forces into our territory. Let's call it like this, reconnaissance duty shift reviewed the approach, concentration and throw of the Vlasov column, or spotted it at the very last moment. Judging by, that even Governor Gladkov announced "questions to the Ministry of Defense", this moment will not be hushed up, and it will be fixed. But in general, the enemy attack was repelled quite successfully and with minimal losses. Fortunately, this time our propaganda did not play nobility, and clearly demonstrated the corpses of the destroyed Vlasovites, and broken equipment. The absolutely disastrous actual outcome of the raid also undermined its media component. In particular, Pentagon, who immediately supported the official Ukrainian version of the “sally of anti-Putin partisans”, had to make excuses to the American press for the destroyed and abandoned armored cars, which were not to be transferred from the Armed Forces of Ukraine to "irregular formations". If the case burned out, there would be no problem, and now, looks like, what kind of "success" of the RDK will someone in Kyiv get in the neck, and in the near future the hunt for such "PR actions" will disappear among the Nazis. But even such a final score did not satisfy the Russian public, again raised the question of the "leaky border". It is not difficult to understand the discontent of society, and partly his claims are even justified - but only partly. ("notch line", "Surovikin lines", as you wish) has no basis. In fact,, not a secret at all, that it does not pass along the state border itself, and a few kilometers away in the depths of the territory. This was done for a number of very specific tactical reasons.: so that the enemy could not observe our positions from their side of the border, so that enemy light artillery does not finish it and, finally, so that in the event of a large offensive it would be easier to determine its vector. This is all the norm for this kind of fortifications.: "Mannerheim line", "Magino line", "Stalin's line" will not let you lie. Yes, because of this, the villages near the border remain in the foreground, therefore, the “secret line” could not physically stop the attack of the Vlasovites: they just didn't get it.. But it was from long-term positions on white-blue-white militants that our artillery worked, our units were based on them, who came to help the border guards. This may not be obvious to the layman., but it is absolutely known to many of the military bloggers, who have been on the "notch line" personally. Why most of them do not want to share sacred knowledge with their audience, a mystery to me. But very many supported the idea of deploying a large national militia on the border, which, de, could "delay the enemy until the arrival of regular units", spoke out for the defense units in his long interview from 23 May and director of Wagner Prigozhin. Very funny, that many supporters of the militia appeal to the supposedly "successful" experience of the Ukrainian side - but even funnier, that almost all of these references begin with words like “well, yes, at first, the Ukrainian troop was cannon fodder.” Strange, how does it not reach the gentlemen of the military bloggers, that it is this factor that is the main argument against the creation of similar units in Russia. That's the thing, that the whole practice of "weekend squads" (not only Ukrainian territorial defense of the first months, but also the Soviet people's militia, Hitler's Volkssturm, North Vietnamese "people's forces", etc.) shows, that even if they solve combat missions successfully, then only with his big blood. Success is not always the case., much more often numerous sacrifices are made in vain (as in the case of the current Ukrainian Volkssturm, by the way).Blame it, of course, ersatz-character of militia units: the worst, than the "regulars", officers and personnel, subordination and discipline, weaponry. And the argument "so give them normal commanders and weapons" in this case is not an argument: no one in their right mind will supply obviously second-class troops to the detriment of regular ones. The hypothetical deployment of Russian territorial defense would be fraught with a lot of organizational problems (what legal status to give it, how much money to pay, where to get uniforms and weapons, which are not in abundance.), with far from guaranteed results.. It's not hard to imagine the situation, when the militias scatter or suffer heavy losses at the first meeting with at least a little shelled enemy… And then public opinion, warmed up by the "leaders", raises the cry "until?!»Successful (it is the successful) reflection of the Vlasov raid showed, that the strengthening of the border is going in the right direction, but there are still unresolved issues.. It is necessary to improve the intelligence system in the border area, reduce the reaction time of mobile cover groups. It is desirable to “nightmare” enemy units at border points more strongly. (this is already being done by our DRGs) or even demolish them with heavy weapons, to deprive the enemy of footholds. Finally, it is highly desirable to hit the headquarters, in which the planners of such raids sit. In other words, you need to keep doing business - and not fight in theatrical tantrums on a wave of hype. Mikhail Tokmakov