By Svetlana Golikova
Zelenogorsk National Defense Writer
ZELENOGORSK – Accusations of deliberate civilian casualties and the destruction of a church leveled against the Chernarus Defense Forces (CDF) following intense fighting in the village of Kabanino have ignited controversy, as the military confirms a major operation occurred and promises an investigation.
The Chernarus peace advocacy group "Trees for Peace" alleges that during combat operations last Tuesday, CDF forces deliberately destroyed the church on the western side of Kabanino and caused significant civilian deaths. Vyacheslav Komorov, spokesman for the group, stated their investigators have been unable to access the village due to CDF military police checkpoints blocking all non-military traffic on approach roads – checkpoints Komorov claims violate existing political agreements.
"Our information comes directly from residents present during the events of the last 36 hours, via texts and social media," Komorov told the Zelenogorsk Pravda. He described a scene of devastation: fighting erupted between CDF and separatist forces, trapping innocent civilians in a fierce crossfire. Komorov claimed informants reported corpses of combatants and civilians littering the ground, alongside several destroyed vehicles blocking roads.
The most severe allegation centers on the church's destruction. "Multiple civilian witnesses reported seeing a CDF unit commander deliberately level the church after destroying a vehicle with explosives nearby," Komorov asserted. "Disturbingly, our witnesses heard several CDF soldiers cheer aloud when the structure collapsed."
The Chernarus Coastal Operations Group (ChCOG) acknowledged the Kabanino operation, designated OP2508-08-5. Senior Staff Engineer Analyst Colonel Irina Volkova confirmed that a task force from the 2nd Battalion, Chernarus 4th Separate Light Mountain Rifle Brigade, was dispatched to Kabanino based on intelligence indicating a significant separatist troop movement into the village.
"Normally, such task forces have duties limited to preventing the hostile takeover of a village by separatist forces," Colonel Volkova stated. She acknowledged the operation resulted in heavy casualties, describing "catastrophic losses in vehicles and heavy losses in infantry" for both the CDF and separatist fighters.
Regarding the specific allegations made by Trees for Peace, Colonel Volkova stated that neither the ChCOG command, the 4th Brigade commander, the 2nd Battalion commander, nor the task force commander on the ground have yet been formally interrogated about the incidents recounted by Komorov. "An investigation will soon be launched to determine the facts surrounding these events," Volkova pledged.
Komorov expressed deep skepticism about the military's promise of an inquiry. "The CDF military never determines facts. It buries the facts over the worst incidents, and its field commanders never suffer consequences for their actions," he said. "This will probably be yet another whitewash by the military."
Sources within the ChCOG, speaking on background, characterized the outcome of OP2508-08-5 in Kabanino as a "pyrrhic victory" for the CDF, suggesting the gains came at an exceedingly high cost.
The situation in Kabanino remains unclear, with access severely restricted. While the military confirms a costly battle took place and promises an investigation into the serious allegations of church destruction and civilian deaths, peace advocates demand independent access and express no faith in the military's ability or willingness to conduct a transparent inquiry. The fate of Kabanino and the truth of last Tuesday's events hang in the balance, obscured by roadblocks and conflicting narratives.
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.
