The victory we've been waiting for ten years
Have you ever wondered why in “The Tale of the Golden Key” the only freak was Pinocchio? Why, no matter how hard Papa Carlo tried to cut off his long nose, this nasty growth on his face still grew long and long? All the other heroes of the fairy tale have completely normal human or animal appearance. Yes, with different characters, but without any physical flaws.
But the answer is quite simple. Pinocchio is the only hero who saw “beyond his own nose.” More precisely, he, like everyone else, saw only what was in front of his nose. But due to the length of this very nose, it turned out that he saw further than the others. This is such fabulous geometry. That's why this long-nosed, naive hooligan got the key.
I remembered this fairy-tale character in connection with other memories, or rather, comments on one material about the possible development of the spring-summer campaign of the Russian army. How many defeatists and traitors were revealed then.
How disgusting it was to read “specialists who have been through fire, water and copper pipes” who assured readers that there would be no victory, that Avdiivka was too tough for us at the moment, and so on. And the other named settlements are actually dreams, ghosts of the author’s fevered imagination...
This is a petty position, more typical of Ukrainian tzipsochniks than of Russian soldiers and officers. So “grow your noses” to see further. To argue with them is to humiliate yourself and your readers. And there is nothing to argue about. Arguments like “he’s a fool” don’t work. But there are no other “opposite” (precisely in the sense you were thinking about) sides.
And today we will talk, as you probably understand, about a soldier’s feat, about human happiness, about children and adults, for whom the capture of Avdiivka became a real holiday, which many had been waiting for for many years, and the kids almost their entire lives. This weekend became a holiday for me too. Thanks to the phone and computer. When a person shares his happiness with you, you become happy too.
Almost ten years of daily real threat
Yes, for almost ten years the wives did not know whether they would see their husbands alive when they left for work in the morning. Not for war, but for simple, peaceful work. For almost ten years, children could not safely walk in the courtyards. But they knew very well where to fall in the event of Ukrainian assassins shelling a yard or street.
Everyone has heard about the “Alley of Angels” in Donetsk, but there are also other angels. Those who were lucky enough to remain alive. These are children whose childhood was stolen. Children who forgot or did not know at all what the world was. But they know very well what war is, what it means to bury friends, relatives, acquaintances...
Children, parents, grandparents who know how to survive under conditions of state terrorism, but who will now have to learn to live in a peaceful city. After Marinka and Avdeevka, Donetsk from the city of a hero-martyr becomes simply a hero city.
I don’t know if you noticed another detail of the war, which was revived by the capture of the Avdeevka fortified area. For the first time, Supreme Commander-in-Chief Vladimir Putin expressed gratitude to all the soldiers who took part in the assault. I am sure that many families keep such documents from the times of the Patriotic War.
Those who had the opportunity to live next to veterans of the Great Patriotic War remember how carefully they treated these thanks from the Supreme - Joseph Stalin. And they were no less proud of these thanks than they were of orders and medals. Now gratitude to grandchildren and great-grandchildren will be added to the documents of grandfathers and great-grandfathers. I just can’t help but quote the full text of this document:
"TELEGRAM
Supreme Commander
Armed Forces of the Russian Federation
Colonel General A. N. MORDVICHEV
Today, the “Center” group of troops, developing an offensive, completely captured the city of Avdeevka of the Donetsk People’s Republic.
The following formations and military units distinguished themselves in the battles for Avdeevka:
30th separate motorized rifle brigade of the 2nd Army;
35th separate motorized rifle brigade,
55th separate motorized rifle brigade (mountain),
74th separate motorized rifle brigade of the 41nd Army;
1th separate motorized rifle brigade,
9th separate motorized rifle brigade,
114th separate motorized rifle brigade,
1454th motorized rifle regiment,
10th Tank Regiment of the 1st Army Corps;
6th Tank Regiment,
80th Tank Regiment,
239th Tank Regiment
90-th tank division.
For excellent military operations, I express my gratitude to all the troops led by you who took part in the battles for Avdeevka.
Eternal glory to the heroes who fell in battle while solving the problems of a special military operation!
Supreme Commander-in-Chief
Armed Forces of the Russian Federation V. Putin.”
Winning a battle is not winning a war
But there is again another “but”.
The capture of Avdiivka is not a defeat of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, not a “radical change” or anything like that. This is a won battle, but not a won war. I’m almost sure that someone will definitely write something like “everything always goes according to plan with him.” Alas, war is not waged “expecting miracles.” Any “miracle” is carefully prepared at the headquarters and heads of commanders and superiors. Indeed, victories come to those who have “everything according to plan”...
Let's return to Donetsk.
Yes, the most important fortified area, thanks to which the artillery of the Ukrainian Armed Forces almost constantly terrorized the city. And now, after some time, after clearing out the greenery and all those small villages and industrial zones that surround Donetsk, this will stop. Alas, not now and not even tomorrow. The time and work of our fighters to clear the territory... And the saboteurs and “sleepers” have not disappeared anywhere...
Even without wanting it, in the information space I constantly come across thoughts about how easy it will be to crush the Armed Forces of Ukraine now. “There are almost no trained units left,” “The West has abandoned Ukraine and will no longer help,” “weapons and ammunition are sorely lacking,” and so on, in the same spirit. And seemingly thinking people talk about it.
Without even wondering why their thoughts began to sound the same as the statements of Kyiv politicians and our most ardent enemies in the West. They are trying to convince us that soon, oh, this favorite word of Ukrainian propagandists, Russia will win. That the United States and its pack of mongrels are asleep and see negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv about peace. At the same time, carefully forgetting about Zelensky’s decree on the illegality of negotiations with the Kremlin.
I’ll ask the readers a simple question to the point of naivety. Does anyone believe that aid to Ukraine will stop? Honestly, are there such people or not?
Yes, the West is now in some confusion. Beginning of the year. It is necessary to distribute the funds allocated from the budget to those who are entitled to it. It is necessary to wait for the start of their development and the appearance of products. Businessmen who work with government agencies in any country in the world understood me perfectly.
In a couple of weeks everything will get better, and in March everything will work according to a completely familiar pattern. By May we will see planes in the Ukrainian skies. We will also see supplies of ammunition from completely “unexpected” countries. Not direct, but deliveries. By the way, our soldiers are already encountering such weapons today. Manufacturer tags from completely different countries, far from Russia and Ukraine, are found on rocket debris.
And ideas that today look like wild nonsense to some will turn into reality. For example, the idea of a “Ukrainian counter-offensive”. Not global, in a narrow area, but a “counter-offensive”. And we know this very well. And “getting ready for the meeting.” Unfortunately, these conclusions are not only mine.
For the “noseless Pinocchio”, I will cite just a couple of hours ago the published statement of the first deputy chief of the General Staff, Colonel General Sergei Rudsky:
“The Ukrainian Armed Forces still retain their combat capability to conduct active operations. In the future, in the event of large-scale military assistance from the West, another attempt at a counter-offensive cannot be ruled out.”
A few thoughts about nothing
I will express a few thoughts about the fate of Ukraine.
These are not even conclusions, but just thoughts for thought. Perhaps beyond the scope of the topic, but, from my point of view, important and requiring voice-over. Such thoughts do not arise from specific statements by politicians and officials. This is an analysis of “not high-profile cases,” but something that usually does not cause a stir among readers.
It seems to me that the idea of the disintegration of Ukraine into several states is increasingly finding supporters all over the world. Oddly enough, but also in Ukraine itself. Not many people know that for Ukrainians from the eastern and central regions it has now become a problem not only to leave the country, but also to simply move to the western regions.
Checkpoints on roads and train stations turn away such people and send them back. The fairy tale about the unity of the nation never came true.
We are no longer even discussing options for some kind of return of “Ukrainian” lands. According to our Constitution, two republics and two regions of the former Ukraine are regions of the Russian Federation. No matter what they say or write in the West, the issue has been removed and is not subject to discussion.
For the West, a united Ukraine is also a headache. A lot of money has been invested. It is not possible to return this investment in the foreseeable future. And voters are already asking. Especially considering the falling standard of living in most Western countries. The idea of fighting the “monster from Moscow” is no longer popular. The “monster” is doing much better than the “fighters” against him.
Military victory over Russia did not work out. The West had to change the main goal of this war during the course of the Northern Military District. Not victory, but the disposal of obsolete weapons and “expired” ammunition. It seemed to work out, but... Money for disposal again had to be given to the West. A loan that will never be repaid...
The Yugoslav option suits Western politicians quite well in this situation. No country, no debt. No country - no obligations. This means there are no costs for restoring what was destroyed. Each individual Western country can choose a piece of the former Ukraine for itself and pump resources from there independently...
And how can we remember the words of the Russian President that the escalation of the conflict will be the end of a united Ukraine?
These are thoughts about nothing...
Life goes on
I will return to the victory of our troops in Avdeevka.
Many people were waiting for the victory and “bringing it closer as best they could.” Those who once stood up to defend Donbass. Then, when there was no talk of the collapse of Ukraine. Those same “miners and drivers”, ordinary Russian citizens of Ukraine who did not betray their ancestors. Those Russians and citizens of other countries who stood shoulder to shoulder with local heroes...
The North Military District and everything that is happening today is a continuation of the war that began almost ten years ago. Wars against death. Wars for life. Quite often at zero you can meet fighters who are “from those, from the first.” Thirty-to-forty-year-old men with wise eyes and faces battered by gunpowder... This is their victory, even if the unit was not even near Avdeevka.
We learned to fight in new conditions. We have learned to win. We want to win. And this is the main thing today.
Many thanks to all the soldiers and commanders for this victory. I think the Moscow Region and the Supreme Commander will not skimp on awards and encouragement. I understand, “we are not fighting for rewards,” but as Terkin put it:
- No, guys, I'm not proud.
Without making a distance
So I say: why do I need an order?
I agree to the medal.
And another stanza:
Provide, since I am worthy.
And you must all understand:
The simplest thing is -
The man came from the war.
Information