Alexander Puras: What does the ATO group represent?
When forming the contingent participating in the so-called ATO, the Ukrainian authorities proceeded from the principle of “sculpting hunchbacks to the walls,” assuming that the national idea could unite long-standing antagonists and the resulting “bundle” would be effective. Now we can say with confidence that this was a fatal mistake.
The first unpromising idea was the participation of ATO, units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, SBU and Right Sector groups in the same areas. Someone in Kyiv rashly decided that football ultras, criminals and radical hooligans would be able to effectively interact with the security forces. That is, law enforcement officers were ordered to fight back to back with those whom they had detained for committing crimes a few months ago and who overnight became heroes for participating in the riots on the Maidan. The security forces, even those forced to sympathize with the junta, remember very well their dead and maimed colleagues at Euromaidan, so they are in no hurry to help their new “comrades in arms” in battle, often even actually sabotaging such assistance from other units, for example the Ukrainian Armed Forces. To be fair, it is worth noting that the Right Sector militants are also not happy with such forced cooperation and, on occasion, pay the security forces in the same coin. By the way, it is no longer correct to use the term “militants” in relation to the fighters of these units, since their fighting spirit, which rose to unprecedented heights due to virtually unpunished pogroms and riots in the winter of 2014 in Kiev, was somewhat overshadowed by the “Heavenly Hundred”, but it was assumed that their participation in the ATO will also take place in a rollicking manner, under the stench of burning tires on the streets and squares of Donbass. Already in the first days of the ATO, right-wing radicals realized that nothing, unlike Berkut at Euromaidan, could stop the rebels from using firearms, grenade launchers and other weapons to kill them. Taking a checkpoint near Slavyansk by storm is not as easy as setting a tire on fire on the Maidan. Russophobia and fierce hatred of the St. George ribbons alone, without special training, experience and appropriate weapons, cannot win victory, and the Right Sector withdrew from the front line, “taking upon itself the unbearable burden” of punitive operations in the rear.
The security forces, one way or another, due to the nature of their service, had to operate in populated areas and in this sense their experience and training is difficult to overestimate, but for this they must first get into the city, and they do not have experience in large-scale combat operations on rough terrain, so also are ineffective on the front line and are currently working in the front line, at checkpoints and filtration points. By the way, the myth about hundreds of police and SBU workers who voluntarily expressed a desire to participate in the ATO does not stand up to criticism. According to information from the heads of a number of law enforcement departments, employees were sent by order, supposedly “for reinforcement” to the regions bordering the ATO zone, but all the seconded employees ended up in Donbass.
The Armed Forces of Ukraine, called upon by Kiev to help in the active phase of the ATO, for this purpose hastily repaired, somehow equipped and armed, were reinforced by the so-called “partisans”, reservists cut off from their families, children, work and intimidated by criminal liability for refusing to participate in “military training” " It is difficult to criticize the Kyiv authorities here, since the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as of the beginning of spring 2014, were absolutely understaffed on any point. If the material and technical condition was somehow improved with the participation of the oligarchs and the shameful fleecing of the population in the form of SMS for 5 UAH, then the shortage of personnel could only be saved by mobilization measures
The immortal phrase of A.V. Suvorov’s idea that it is necessary to fight not with numbers, but with skill, cannot be applied to the Armed Forces of Ukraine! What kind of skill can we talk about if the personnel did not participate in any military conflicts, with the exception of small peacekeeping contingents within the UN. Not a single exercise, and they were extremely rare, will not give even a shred of real combat experience, which was once again demonstrated within the ATO during the crushing defeats of the Ukrainian Armed Forces from small but extremely experienced rebel units.
Behind the scenes, there has always been a certain hostility in the relations between law enforcement officers and the military, which consists in the fact that with relatively equal, and sometimes in favor of the Armed Forces, social packages, military personnel, in the opinion of the security forces, were parasites, since they did not bring practical benefit to society. Security forces, for the same social guarantees, risked their lives every day in the real fight against crime. The military personnel countered these accusations with the fact that they are daily guarding the Motherland, protecting it from external enemies, and the security forces are mired in corruption. The relative correctness of the security forces was confirmed by the events of this spring.
As for the private armies of Ukrainian oligarchs, they are much better equipped, there is selection, and the national liberation idea is financially motivated. These factors introduce dissonance into relationships and have a detrimental effect on interaction with other ATO forces. Mercenaries have existed since time immemorial and fought for whoever pays. Thus, it makes no sense to believe that groups like Dnepr will be commanded by someone other than their employer. Those specialists who have experience in participating in combat operations were recruited to serve in these units, as well as to train personnel. For these people, mercenary work is not only a way to earn money, but also the meaning of their whole life. They roam from one hot spot of the planet to another.
Pavel, former Ukrainian special forces officer, military instructor: “As for the world-famous “private armies,” their participation in the conflict in Ukraine is extremely unlikely. Contrary to popular belief, these are not gangs of thugs who are ready to do anything for a dollar. These are serious companies, with their own strict rules and corresponding reputation. They do not participate in political conflicts, it is like a taboo. In addition, their services are very expensive. There are many other companies in the world engaged in the search and “employment” of mercenaries. They are not burdened with such strict rules. Their clients are former military personnel and law enforcement officers with experience in combat operations. In addition to work, training camps are regularly held for them around the world. There the fighters get used to the type of terrain and climate of the next “workplace”. Recently, such gatherings have been held very often in Poland, with the participation of specialists from the NATO leadership who were responsible for ideological preparation. Among the mercenaries, immigrants from Eastern Europe and the countries of the former USSR predominate. However, specialists with a Russian passport cannot work in such companies, so Russians are forced to apply for a passport from either Ukraine or Eastern European countries. The services of such companies are readily used by parties to territorial conflicts, because mercenaries are not included in the loss statistics, there is no need to explain anything to relatives, and in fact, you don’t even have to bury them. Everything has already been paid for!”
Fortunately for the rebels, those forces that are capable of decisive action are not actually subordinate to Kyiv, and those that are formally subordinate do not have a common strategy of action, a single talented and competent leader and are constantly torn apart by internal latent conflicts, and often by the desire to desert or point the guns towards Kyiv.
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