Threat from the north. Why Russian DRGs increased in Ukrainian border
"We are almost on the front line," - say the locals who do not want to name their names and do not prefer to speak with foreigners at all, they say, you do not know what danger to wait and where. "Many have gone, especially with children, because it is difficult to live - it is heard - there is destruction," - adds a resident of one of the settlements on the border.
Information about regular attacks on this community, as well as others in the Chernihiv region-Novgorod-Siversk, Snovsk, Gorodnyansk, that is, located close to the border, can be seen in regular reports. It is about artillery and mortar shelling, the use of drones. Also in the Ukrainian territory are sabotage and intelligence groups.
According to the Commander of the Joint Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Lieutenant General Sergei Naev, the purpose of sabotage and intelligence groups (DRG) is to carry out reconnaissance of Ukrainian positions, to cause defeat to the military. "These are professionally trained servicemen of special operations and the Main Intelligence Administration of the General Staff of the Russian Federation, so we must always be alert," he said in a comment to reporters.
But DRG activity also causes losses. "DRG cleared the dugout and came out. We have losses: two dips (border guard - focus) - 200, one DPSUSK in captivity, one fighter was killed," - said in the message of the resource of Chernihiv region. It is known that the Russians then took away the radios, and our defenders managed to resolve them only after 12 hours. That is, all this time they listened to them. Civilians also suffer.
On January 10, at about 5am, between the villages of Gremyachka and Leonivka, from where to the Russian border-half a kilometer, a 63-year-old Victor Tupits, a school bus driver in the village of Kostobobrov, was killed from a gunshot wound. "There was information from the chairman of the community that the man had time to take his child on the bus to Semenivka and returned to Kostobobrov. There was an event of the Russian sabotage and intelligence group.
Unfortunately, we lost her husband,"-says the head of Novgorod-Siversky district military administration. After the execution of the civilian, his body could not be evacuated for several hours - the Russians launched drones and firing. When the Ukrainian defense forces in April 2022 came to the state border, they were unable to take it under full control - some plots are not controlled yet. The focus is said by military expert Mikhail Zhirokhov.
"First of all, it is a locality where three states converge - Ukraine, Russia and Belarus. It cannot . You can go somewhere in the area of Dobryanka, and go out somewhere under Gomel, "he says. The same situation on the area controlled by the Sumy Border Squad. Sumy forests that have been moving to Bryansk have not changed since the Second World War.
According to Zhirokhov, the situation is also complicated by the fact that the local population in the border does not always adequately assess the situation - accidentally or deliberately assists the enemy. "The Russians feel free enough for another reason. Unfortunately, the border of the pro -Russian. Even the results of the votes earlier, there the electorate of communists, regionals. There are very little Ukrainian media - television Russian or Belarusian, as well as radio.
And it has a great influence . From the military in these areas, they have to hear that they are treated as occupiers. They try to hide the movement from the local, because if they see, then wait for arrival. Therefore, it is so important to support the regional administration program for the relocation of locals deep into Chernihiv region for the last half a year. ", - says the analyst. It is known that in some villages there are no residents on the border.
For example, all people left four in the Novgorod-Siversky district of four. It is about Leonivka, ants, red hamlet and beech. "Of course, this happens first of all to preserve the lives of people, because the border is shot by the Russians. But not only. The military told the story of how they stood near one of the settlements - three houses, two fences in it, but the defenders flew all the time.
People were moved, shelling stopped, but drones rose into the sky - the Russians needed up -to -date information, and there was obviously no problems. " According to the military, the Russian DRG is very active. About mid -summer. Experts say that in this way the Russians try to explore, destroy positions and abduct the Ukrainian military. And so practically throughout the border line from the Russian Federation in the Chernihiv, Sumy and Kharkiv regions.
The defense forces say that the enemy DRG, numbering of 4-5 people, sometimes 10-16 people, come from Russia to the territory of Ukraine - in the direction of critical infrastructure objects, as well as their purpose is terrorist activity. Instead, there are almost no information about such attacks in open sources. The defenders explain that the Russians cannot track the effectiveness of their DRG actions.
"Border guards are a sufficiently closed structure, any media information gives you quite limited. You can see that something happened, so in the event of the death and burial of those border guards that are considered local," Mikhail Zhirokhov notes. They approached positions, killed and captured, are. And, unfortunately, not uncommon. Also, some losses expert explains that not everyone knows the features of the terrain.
There is a regular rotation of the military, the Russians understand it and act - immediately recorded blades on fugas, shelling, the work of DRG is activated. The executions of machines are fixed every week. With or without loss. Any car, at a distance from the border to 30 km, can ambush. "Now Ukraine builds fortifications, but not at the border, but at a distance of 20-30 kilometers. There are roads, including fields," continues Mikhail Zhirokhov. " . And this situation is used by the Russians.
They are constantly pressed in different ways on our defenders and local ones. " Ukrainians also conduct intelligence. Border guards have their own agent, worked for years, have eyes in both Russia and Belarus. The problem is that Russians in 20-30 kilometer zone do not have virtually settlements. Therefore, it is easier for them to work, and it is more difficult for us. Experts now say that there is a likelihood of an enemy attack from the north.
There is no evidence of preparation, but it is possible to assume such actions, according to the reserve of the National Guard of Ukraine Alexei Hetman. "The logistics capabilities of the Russian Federation were told by the head of the Chernihiv Ova Vyacheslav Chaus. According to him, there are certain signs that the Russians are planning something. In addition, there has been increased activity There are a relatively large number of troops, "he said on the air" Espresso ".
According to the hetman, Russians can prepare a base that will allow several tens of thousands of troops. "Now there are less than 20 thousand. At the same time, the united Press Center of Defense forces of the northern direction reports that they do not see the signs of creating groups of Russian invaders in the north direction.
Mikhail Zhirokhov says that the Russians do not consider our fortifications, mine fields as something important, they can plan their actions without taking into account that the Ukrainian defense forces are being built. "Of course, as it was, that in half a day they were on the outskirts of Chernihiv, there will be no - we have prepared. He notes that the offensive of Russians is a political decision.
"If tomorrow the Russian army is told to step on two battalion-tactical groups, they will go on the offensive," he assumes. "If a textbook on a certain area requires 14-15 thousand, and they will have five, they will come. They will now work out Interesting thing is a large-scale flipping of military transport aircraft. In 2023 they received nine new IL-76 aircraft (in a double-footed IL-76 version can be transported 245 people).