By Svetlana Golikova,
National Defense Writer
ZELENOGORSK — A Chernarussian peace advocacy group has leveled explosive allegations against the government, claiming the Chernarus Defense Forces (CDF) deliberately shelled the village of Staroye in eastern South Zagoria and concealed responsibility for the destruction. The accusations, met with swift denial from military officials, have ignited a bitter public dispute over transparency in ongoing counterinsurgency operations.
At a press conference near the Balota naval aviation base, Trees for Peace spokesperson Ruslan Belvidorov presented video footage purportedly showing a Chernarus rocket artillery vehicle firing moments before shells devastated Staroye, destroying 60% of its structures. “The government is lying to its citizens,” Belvidorov declared. “This was not separatist aggression—it was our own artillery that turned Staroye to rubble.”
The Chernarus Coastal Operations Group (ChCOG), the strategic command overseeing the region, dismissed the claims as “dangerous misinformation.” An anonymous ChCOG press representative asserted the video actually depicts a counterbattery unit—a system designed to locate and neutralize enemy artillery—firing in response to separatist attacks. “The CDF saved Staroye from total annihilation,” the representative said. “Our forces destroyed at least one hostile artillery piece poised to strike again.”
Contradictory Narratives, Mounting Questions
Belvidorov criticized the military’s refusal to engage with his group, revealing that repeated attempts to contact commanders of the 4th Light Mountain Rifle Brigade and its 1st Battalion were “rebuffed.” “What is the Army hiding?” he demanded. “If their actions were justified, why silence?”
The ChCOG defended the opacity, citing operational security: “Field commanders cannot divert resources to press inquiries during active combat.” The representative further argued that the task force entered Staroye only after separatist shelling ceased, enabling troops to fortify defenses ahead of a “massive combined arms attack” by insurgents. Both sides suffered “heavy casualties,” the representative noted, but the village remained under government control.
Belvidorov rejected this timeline, insisting commanders could not have pinpointed artillery impacts without entering the strike zone. “You don’t march into an active bombardment,” he countered. “The military knew where shells landed but not their origin—unless they fired them themselves.”
A Village Caught in the Crossfire
Staroye, a rural settlement of fewer than 800 residents, has been a flashpoint in the grinding conflict between Chernarus and separatist factions in South Zagoria. The ChCOG maintained that counterbattery operations and the subsequent ground defense “prepared the battlefield” to repel insurgents. Yet locals describe a harrowing scene. “The earth shook for hours,” said one displaced villager, who requested anonymity. “Whether it was our army or rebels, we paid the price.”
With no independent verification of the artillery’s origin, the dispute underscores deepening mistrust between Chernarus’ military and civilian watchdogs. As reconstruction efforts limp forward, Trees for Peace vows to release additional evidence, while the ChCOG urges “faith in our defenders.”
For now, Staroye’s survivors remain trapped between competing narratives—and the rubble of a battle neither side will admit to starting.
Svetlana Golikova is a national defense writer for Zelenogorsk Pravda, specializing in military affairs and security policy.
This is based on the Arma 3 wargame. The report and reporter are AI generated and represents no individual, living or dead. The text of the transcript, while AI generated, is based on data provided by the channel author
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