Combat in the ATO (Anti-Terrorist Operation) Zone in September—December 2014

Abstract

The article analyzes military and political events in eastern Ukraine in September–December 2014, considers tactical miscalculations of ATO headquarters. It is noted that since September 2014, ATO forces have been significantly limited in their actions by the President and the Government of Ukraine, who justified their prohibitions by the Minsk Protocol. Despite the fact that the dubious “Minsk Memorandum” was de facto thwarted by pro-Russian terrorists in early October 2014, Ukrainian military aircraft had not been used at all since September 2014, and artillery was under constant restrictions and orders “from above” to hold fire. This enabled the LPR / DPR terrorist groups to rearrange for further aggressive actions, and, under the Kremlin leadership, to create two “army corps” from separate gangs, modelled on modern corps of the Russian Armed Forces. It is argued that since the beginning of the armed confrontation in the spring of 2014 in eastern Ukraine, pro-Russian groups have included a significant number of militants from the Northern Caucasus, controlled by R. Kadyrov. Separate assault units were formed from “Kadyrov soldiers”; such groups, in particular, operated in the Donetsk International Airport area in October–November 2014. It is noted that as a result of the fighting on December 4, 2014 in Grozny (Russian Federation), significant forces of Kadyrov’s terrorist groups were urgently withdrawn from Ukraine to the territory of the Russian Federation (North Caucasus). This significantly weakened the DPR forces, especially in the positions near the Donetsk International Airport, the regrouping and rotation of pro-Russian terrorists lasting for several days. Despite this, the then top Ukrainian officials did not take advantage of the temporary predicament of the aggressor country. Moreover, a ceasefire was declared at the meeting of the National Security and Defense Council, although at that time a tense situation persisted along the entire confrontation line, and violent clashes took place in the area of the Donetsk International Airport. Thus, the lull was beneficial to the terrorist group for the urgent rotation of Kadyrov’s militants, who were spreading to the North Caucasus. It is noted that the analysis of the events of 2014 is extremely relevant due to the possible escalation of the armed aggression of the Kremlin regime.