On the eve of the so-called “presidential elections in Russia,” no one had any doubts about their course and outcome. Discussions about the turnout and the percentages of support drawn made no sense, except for bookmakers’ bets. If anyone was taking them.
However, the event did not go as planned in the Kremlin. And the seemingly insignificant military sabotage operation of Russian rebels – as part of the Russian Freedom Legion, the Russian Volunteer Corps and the Siberian Battalion – who were successfully fighting in the regions bordering Ukraine, spoiled all the cards.
This was a “black swan”, well planned and implemented, the consequences of which will ultimately have a great impact on the situation in Russia. But first things first.
Two oppositions to Putin
These pseudo-elections clearly drew a line between the two camps of the Russian opposition: those who resist in foreign coffee shops and on the Internet, and the rebels with guns in their hands. The former lacked even the desire or ability to make a strategic analysis of their plans, and as a result, they simply gave the Russian dictator the desired picture of a massive turnout. Although in the context of electronic voting, this did not matter in principle.
The Russian Volunteer Corps, the Freedom of Russia Legion, and the Siberian Battalion had a different plan. Risking their lives, they made a desperate and successful attack on the regions bordering Ukraine – Belgorod and Kursk, forcing the regime to panic evacuations, chaotic decisions and emergency deployment of troops from other areas.
It is likely that the military success of the desperadoes was less than the media support. And it is unlikely that they received the necessary publicity in Russia. However, this attack made the coalition of Russian forces a real subject of the war and a center of attraction for those who want action, not flash mobs.
Budanov is the only one who has effectively opposed Putin
We should not be under the illusion that the successful actions of Russian insurgents would have been possible without the assistance of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine. After all, its head himself has repeatedly spoken about a security zone in the regions of Russia bordering Ukraine.
“Russian volunteers have been helping us from the very beginning, and now we will try to help them to the best of our ability. They can no longer be called groups – they are already a force. There are several of them now, they act together, close to uniting on the principles of a common vision of the transformation of Russia. They will be joined by many opposition forces of the Russian Federation that are inside their country.”
The preparations for the operation were noticeable a couple of weeks before it started. For example, calls by Western embassies for their citizens to leave the region were either friendly warnings from Budanov to his Western counterparts or the existence of their own sources.
Note that the warnings were public, which means that Russia also realized that something was going to happen. And these are clearly not actions by Navalny’s supporters.
However, the regime still failed to stop the breakthrough. This indicates both the weakness of the available forces and poor intelligence.
But it is extremely important that the whole world saw this, especially our closest allies from Iran and the DPRK. And, most importantly, their Chinese comrades have once again gained grounds to think carefully about who to bet on in the global game. The Putin regime, despite all of Medvedev’s bellicose alcoholic rhetoric, was unable to defend its territory during a sacred period for the authorities.
The service of God and all, all, all…
It would be a bit wrong not to mention the role of other colleagues in the Ukrainian Defense Forces in these events. Although, of course, the leading and coordinating role in the operation was played by the GUR.
First, in fact, daily methodical inspections of oil refineries were conducted with the participation of a special unit of the Security Service of Ukraine.
Secondly, the success of the operation would not have been possible without the cover of the Air Force and other units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Border guards were also actively involved.
It should be noted that not a single Ukrainian soldier entered Russian territory.
“One of the reasons for the raid on the territory of the Russian Federation by several armed units consisting mainly of Russian citizens is the lack of legal means of political struggle in their homeland.”
noted the representative of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine Andriy Yusov
At the same time, Ukraine’s role was to support and strike the infrastructure with air defense systems, which did not allow for the immediate deployment of air defense systems to the breakthrough sites.
Conclusions.
Despite the reported percentages, which are now approaching 90%, exit polls at foreign polling stations, where it was possible to really control something, showed only a miserable 20%. And although we will certainly hear about traitors who fled abroad, the results show that the king is naked. That fear, falsifications and propaganda allow him to “win”. But the actions of the rebels clearly show the prospect that Putin has only one – an international tribunal in The Hague. And those who help the Kremlin regime with weapons and resources have seen the same thing. And it’s not a given that support for the Russian dictator will be unquestioned.
We should also not forget about national liberation movements, some of which may share religious or cultural interests with China or Iran.
