Suomen Sotilas aikakausilehti on julkaissut vastineen Naton kenraali Breedloven blogi-kirjoitukseen.
Easter Bunnies Are Hobbyist And Reservists
Teksti: Arto Pulkki
Suomen Sotilas Challenges Nato’s Intel In Eastern Ukraine – And Bit Of Jane’s Too
“The weapon handling discipline and professional behavior of these forces is consistent with a trained military force. Rifle muzzles are pointed down, fingers not on triggers, but rather laid across trigger mechanisms.”
- NATOs Supreme Allied Commander Europe, General Philip Breedlove
General Breedlove, I respectfully disagree.
The un-disciplined weapon handling and un-professional behavior of these pro-Russian, or anti-Maidan, troops are completely inconsistent with any properly trained military force. Rifle muzzles are repeatedly pointed to femoral arteries of fellow soldiers, while fingers are on triggers.
To the grunt’s eyes the troops in eastern Ukraine look and behave like reservists or airsoft hobbyists whom have never trained together and have serious deficiencies in infantry small unit tactics and MOUT. These troops have no night fighting capabilities, no ballistic protection, no or really poor comms and have clearly forgotten a good part of their infantryman’s skills.
“Finally, the weapons and equipment they carry are primarily Russian army issue. This is not the kind of equipment that civilians would be likely to be able to get their hands on in large numbers.”
To continue, the weapons they carry are primarily ex-Soviet, Ukrainian army and security forces issue. Rest of the equipment is clearly commercial or western surplus. That is exactly the kind of materiel that Ukrainian civilians would be likely to get their hands on in large numbers.
I would like to emphasize that it isn't that hard to tell late Soviet-era 5,45 mm AK74s (6P20) from the Russian issue 5,45 mm AK74M (6P34). Also those RPK74s and the odd few RPG26s are likely all Soviet-era.
It also took pro-Russian troops in eastern Ukraine nearly a week to get their hands on even elementary infantry support weapons, and even then only from the Ukrainian army stocks. In Crimea in February it took literally only seconds for Russian SpN to haul in their excellent 7,62 mm PKP machineguns and 30 mm AGS-30 automatic grenade launchers to support their positions in the decisive objects and CoGs.
Russia could have just as easily supplied pro-Russian troops at eastern Ukraine with older generation PKMs and AGS-17s, and still claim no responsibility or boots on the ground. But Russia most clearly chose not to do so.
Finally, let’s focus to a single individual - the mystery person whom has been seen in photos and videos both in Crimea (18.3.) and in eastern Ukraine (12.4.). Western sources have identified “Mr Silencer” both as Russian SpN and western or Ukrainian PMC. Same sources have identified his weapon as “new Russian sniper rifle” or “M16 or M4 from USA”.
Seriously?
The rifle in question is semi-automatic Z-15 (AR15-clone), as manufactured by Zbroyar in Kiev, Ukraine. It has the following modifications:
Adams Arms gas piston conversion (US)
Daniel Defence rail system (US)
Magpull collapsible stock and fore grip (US)
Hogue/RRA grip (US)
Tactical Systems silencer (Ukraine).
The one and same weapon has been fitted with different optics in Crimea and in eastern Ukraine:
EOTech XPS2-0 (US) w/
Vortex VMX3 magnifier (US) in eastern Ukraine
Zeiss 6,5-20x50 Conquest (Germany) in Crimea
That is not a rifle of a Russian SpN or hard-core operator, but of a 42-year-old avid firearms (and air gun) enthusiast and hunter from Simferopol.
And that is not a guess.
So Mr Breedlove and Mr Ripley,
Mr Silencer and I may both drive SUVs, but neither of us works as a truck driver. If your own analysts really can’t figure out his license plate’s number, you can always call me.
In reply to:
Jane’s Tim Ripley
http://www.janes.com/article/36682/private-operators-stoking-ukrainian-u...
NATO’s SACEUR General Philip Breedlove
http://aco.nato.int/saceur2013/blog/who-are-the-men-behind-the-masks.aspx
PS. There is little doubt that there are real gremlins from Kremlin working at eastern Ukraine. But they don’t field AKs nor pose to photojournalists as Easter Bunnies.
Author is a Finnish weapons systems and military analyst who has done consultancy work both in Moscow and Kiev. Mr Pulkki was one of the first to call Mr Putin’s bluff and identify Russian troops in operation in the Crimean Peninsula.
© Suomen Sotilas & Arto Pulkki 2014-04-19
http://www.suomensotilas.fi/en/artikkelit/easter-bunnies-are-hobbyist-and-reservists
Jos vanhat merkit pitävät paikkansa, niin kohta alkaa Katajanokalla kiristämään oikein toden teolla kun pahaiset
reserviläiset (=siviilit) esiintyvät julkisuudessa
sotilasalan asiantuntijoina. Erityisen raskauttavana on pidettävä sitä seikkaa, että kirjoitus on vieläpä osoitettu vastineena Naton kenraalille. Vaan eipä siinä mitään. Arto Pulkki on pätevä kaveri ja tekee erinomaisen hyvää työtä. Nämäkin ratkaisevan tärkeät yksityiskohdat ovat jääneet monelta huomaamatta.
