By Svetlana Golikova
Zelenogorsk National Defense Writer
ZELENOGORSK, 17 AUG 2025 -- A redacted military after-action report, obtained by the Zelenogorsk Pravda and confirmed by the Chernarus Coastal Operations Group (ChCOG), details a costly but successful defense of Kabanino village against a significant separatist assault last Tuesday. While the report claims a tactical victory and attributes the destruction of a village church to enemy action, the peace advocacy group "Trees for Peace" remains deeply skeptical, renewing calls for an independent investigation into civilian casualties and demanding access to the contested area.
The report, classified SECRET but released in a public version per Chernarus Armed Forces Directive 12-5 (Operational Transparency), originates from the 1st Army Corps and the 4th Separate Light Mountain Rifle Brigade. It describes "Operation Kabanino Shield," involving Task Force Kabanino (TF-K), reinforced by tanks and additional infantry, repelling a separatist force estimated at battalion strength.
The Battle: Heavy Losses on Both Sides
According to the military account:
Enemy Forces: Included mixed irregular infantry, Serbian regulars, Russian naval infantry (Spetsnaz), Russian militia, and significant armor: 13+ technicals (including heavy machine gun variants), 2 T-34 tanks, 2 BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles, 1 MRAP, 1 BRDM-2, and 2 UAVs.
Friendly Forces: Initially comprised 4 light rifle squads and 2 BRDM-2 scout cars, later reinforced by 2 T-55 tanks and 4 more rifle squads (totaling 26 additional effectives). Artillery support ("VOLGA") and a Su-25 close air support jet ("FROSTBITE-1") were critical.
Action: The report details intense fighting from initial contact at 0720H until separatist withdrawal around 1010H. Key moments included initial scout car losses, enemy penetration into the village with technicals and dismounts, the destruction of an enemy T-34 tank by infantry inside Kabanino, heavy artillery barrages destroying enemy vehicles, and the loss of both reinforcing T-55 tanks to enemy anti-tank missiles.
Losses:
Enemy (Confirmed): 13 technicals, 2 T-34 tanks, 2 BMP-1s, 1 BRDM-2, 1 MRAP, 2 UAVs, and an estimated 60-70 personnel Killed in Action (including Spetsnaz).
Friendly: 36 personnel Killed in Action (primarily from the reinforcing squads and 3rd/4th Squads), 2 T-55 tanks, and 2 BRDM-2 scout cars.
The report concludes the operation achieved its mission, securing Kabanino and degrading the separatists' offensive capability for an estimated 14+ days, labelling it a "Tactical Victory" but acknowledging "catastrophic losses in vehicles and heavy losses in infantry."
The Church: Secondary Blast or Deliberate Act?
The report directly addresses the most incendiary allegation raised by Trees for Peace: the deliberate destruction of Kabanino's church by CDF forces. The military investigation, detailed in the report, states:
"NGO allegation: Deliberate destruction of Kabanino church."
"Finding: Church destroyed by secondary explosion of enemy technical (neutralized by TF-K CO). Forensic analysis confirms."
This finding explicitly contradicts witness accounts cited by Trees for Peace, who claimed civilians saw a CDF commander deliberately destroy the church and soldiers cheer its collapse. The report includes the church incident within its "Explosive Incident Investigation" section and lists an "NGO allegation rebuttal dossier" among its attachments.
Military Lessons and Peace Group Reaction
The report highlights several "Lessons Learned," including the effectiveness of artillery ("VOLGA’s precision fire pivotal"), the vulnerability of older T-55 tanks ("outmatched by modern AT assets," with an "urgent upgrade to T-72B3 requested"), and the importance of "Post-combat investigations... for legitimacy."
Vyacheslav Komorov, spokesman for Trees for Peace, reacted swiftly to the report's release: "This confirms our worst fears about a whitewash. The military investigates itself, blames the enemy for destruction occurring on territory they were contesting, and ignores the core issue: civilian harm and the need for independent verification."
Komorov reiterated his group's demand for immediate, unhindered access to Kabanino for international humanitarian observers and journalists. "Where is the data on civilian casualties? The report is silent. Where is the transparency? They release a summary blaming the other side while keeping the village locked down. This is not accountability."
A Pyrrhic Victory?
While the military report asserts a victory, sources within ChCOG, speaking on background as they did previously, characterized the outcome as "pyrrhic," emphasizing the high cost paid by CDF forces – 36 soldiers killed and significant vehicle losses – to hold the strategic village junction.
The redacted report provides the military's official narrative of a hard-fought battle resulting in enemy defeat and attributes the church's destruction to an explosion caused by targeting an enemy vehicle. However, it does not address the specific allegations of civilian casualties raised by Trees for Peace and local witnesses, nor does it explain the continued access restrictions to Kabanino that prevent independent confirmation of the events or the current humanitarian situation.
The gulf between the military's documented account and the peace group's allegations, fueled by the lack of independent access, ensures the controversy surrounding the battle of Kabanino remains unresolved.
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.
No comments:
Post a Comment