Frag Out! Magazine

Frag Out! Magazine #36

Frag Out! Magazine

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At the time of writing, the war in Ukraine had been going on for 17 days. This is relevant, because any analysis of current events, especially wars, is a tough challenge - even after the dust settles after the conflict. Information is not always easily available, while the available data often includes biased or fake information. Thus, the present article shall not be viewed as, and is not, a comprehensive analysis of the first 17 days of the war. The present piece of work attempts to compare what had been expected before the war, and what we know now after the war broke out. We know that deployment of large numbers of troops of the Russian land forces was a prelude to what is happening now. More than 60,000 troops were deployed in March and April 2021 and during the subsequent "Zapad 2021" exercise. The operational scenario for the exercise, adopted by the Russians and Belorussians back then, assumed that a large, international conflict would break out in Eastern Europe. The elements of training included airborne operations, offensive maneuvers involving armor and mechanized units, air and naval warfare, and employment of nuclear assets. Other activities, such as the brutal pacification of the opposition in Belarus, and the use of refugees and migrants on the eastern border of Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia by Lukashenko, were also used to create more chaos - with approval and support provided by Moscow, undoubtedly. From the political perspective, the military action accompanied by rumors of a possible attack on Ukraine, spread on purpose, were interpreted as pressure imposed on Ukraine, and the Western states. This was aligned with the military methods employed by Moscow so far. Exercises, such as the "Zapad" exercise, in particular, organized every four years, other power demonstrations, such as warships working around the world, activities of the air force, or propaganda tied to the development and implementation of new armament, including withdrawal from the INF treaty, were brought together to scare the West with the Russian military potential. The goal of the "muscle-flexing" was to create a foundation for becoming - politically www.fragoutmag.com

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