Chapter 453: Season 2 Book 18 Trans Siberia – 5-2 The Source of Disaster

December 21st, 2023, 10:00

B2 bunker, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, Namju (The Republic of Korea Armed Forces Joint Command and Control Office Conference Room).

The 7th Task Force, which crossed the Bureya River on the 18th and destroyed the 35th Army’s main defense units, had to maintain their unit for a day at the temporary camp and began a full-scale operation to occupy the surrounding city at 9 a.m. local time on December 20th.

The 77th Mechanized Infantry Division (Gukjin) was headed to Bazatinsk, which was the supply base of the main defense unit, and the Water Armored Division (the Mengho) occupied Novovureiski, Bureiah, Pragre, Throiki and Leichkinsk, which were formed along the Bureya River by the brigade.

In addition, the 20th Panzer Division (decisive battle) quickly evacuated Belogorsk, 110 kilometers northwest of Javatinsk.

Even in a geographically advantageous situation along the Bureya River, when the Doha Defense Forces suffered heavy damage that was close to destruction, the 35th Army’s headquarters fell into a great shock. The 21st Guards Tank Division, the 67th Motorized Rifle Division, the 265th Motorized Rifle Division, the 266th Motorized Rifle Division, and the 128th Machine Gun Artillery Division were destroyed. Among the units under direct control, there were only 18 MI-28 Havok attack helicopters belonging to the 364th Independent Helicopter Regiment who returned alive after being sent to the first defensive operation.

The rest were an artillery regiment supporting indirect firepower and two rocket brigades. The subordinate units were no different. Except for the 164th Guards Air Defense Rocket Regiment, only the 2nd Guards Tank Regiment, the 371st Tank Regiment, and the 192nd Motorized Rifle Division were able to participate in direct engagement.

Even if the superiority of the equipment was excluded, the remaining power of the 35th Army was far behind in terms of the number of the 7th Mobile Corps and the surface area it covered. The 35th Army Command ordered the Jeya River, which flows between Belogorsk and Svovodney, to be the last line of defense and that all units be stationed across the river to establish temporary positions. In addition, the Pazan troops who had participated in the first defense operation and the mobilization divisions in the surrounding cities were supplemented to compensate for the shortcomings.

In such a situation where all the forces of the 35th Army moved beyond the Zeya River, in the snowy field where there was no enemy, the 20th Panzer Division (decisive battle) maneuvered like a gale and raged at the highest speed it could in the open field and headed for Belgorsk.

Anti-tank guided fighters had appeared in the search for the armored battalion, which was sometimes driven by the vanguard, and had been intermittently attacked, but they were eliminated with powerful suppressive fire.

The atmosphere of the Joint Chiefs of Staff was better than ever with the achievement of the occupation of Siberia, which was conducted a lot easier than the Manchurian invasion operation during the Korean-Chinese War three years ago.

Starting with Vladivostok, it was very encouraging that there were no casualties during the occupation of Zavitinsk and the surrounding cities following the operation of crossing the Bureya River, starting with the Primorsky Krai and Chumikan.

There were many wounded, but compared to the Russian army, which suffered 47,000 casualties and had more than 80,000 wounded, it was a difference between heaven and earth.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff had a briefing session on the information reconnaissance from the Overseas Reconnaissance Bureau. The meeting, which had begun early in the morning, was on the detailed operation plan in response to a series of satisfactory results.

All CS-SS Apollo reconnaissance satellites belonging to the Overseas Reconnaissance Bureau, which were affiliated with the Aerospace Force during peacetime and operated as a direct reconnaissance power of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in case of war or emergency, were performing reconnaissance and monitoring Russian territory 77 times the size of the Korean Peninsula in real-time.

“After the 2nd Guards Army and 41st Army, which are the army forces belonging to the current Jungbu Military District, the remaining units directly under the military district and strategic rocket forces, the 92nd Rocket Brigade and 119th Rocket Brigade, and the 950th Rocket Artillery Brigade, are the firepower of the 35th Army. Confirmed being deployed from the rear for support. Please see the screen for detailed information.”

As explained by Brigadier General Park Jeong-gyu, deputy director of the Overseas Reconnaissance Bureau, various tactical symbols were displayed on the central screen of the conference room.

“In addition, it has been confirmed that several assault brigades belonging to the Spetsnaz and Airborne Forces, called special forces of the Eastern and Central Military Districts, have gathered in the vicinity of Chita. It is expected that a large-scale air assault operation will be carried out soon, and the analysis shows that it is most likely to be Hurunbeyer.”

“Haha, is that possible? Are they going to attempt an assault after passing our airspace?”

While listening to the explanation, Air Force Chief of Staff Kim Eun-ho said with a look of absurdity. Brigadier General Park Jung-gyu, who explained this, trailed off as he spoke. He had a look of intimidation on his face and sounded like he was saying something to himself.

“It is the result of analyzing the current situation through reconnaissance.”

“Ah! Okay. Keep going.”

“Okay, then I’ll go on with the explanation. The following is the status of reconnaissance in the Southern Military District.”

Brigadier General Park Jeong-gyu used a laser pointer to draw their attention to various parts of the digital map projected on the screen.

“Recently, the movement of units belonging to the Southern Military District is unusual. In particular, the 37th Independent Railroad Brigade and 39th Independent Railroad Brigade, which are railroad soldiers, confirmed five days ago that they were moving eastward along the Southern Transverse Railroad. It has been confirmed that they have departed and have moved to the east, and have now completed maneuvering to Kurganskaya Province.”

“You mean it moved to the Southern District?”

Army Chief of Staff General Lee Eun-hyeong was startled and leaned forward. The Southern Military District, to which the 49th Army belongs, was a core force that took responsibility for and defended the disputed areas in the southwestern part of Russia.

The unit was also engaged in fighting in the conflict zones of southern Java and western Abkacia in Georgia and in the provinces of Luhanska and Donetsk, where Ukrainian rebels were active, including Crimea, which was annexed in 2013. As such, it was very surprising to the Joint Chiefs of Staff that even units that were conducting military activities in the conflict zone were mobilized and moved to the East.

At the beginning of the war, the Joint Chiefs of Staff had expected that only the Central Military District of Russia’s four military districts would be involved in the war.

“So far, it seems that only the 49th Army and Railroad Forces of the Southern Military District have been mobilized, but we expect that the air forces belonging to the 4th Air and Air Defense Forces will also move out. Please look at the screen.”

During the explanation, Brigadier General Park Jeong-gyu pointed to the screen, and a video showing several Su-35 Flanker fighter-bombers were flying quickly east while maintaining very low altitudes from the ground.

“This is a video that was fortunately captured by Apollo 17 last night while performing reconnaissance around Bashkortostan.”

“Is that a jet belonging to Air Force 4?”

Captain Kim Eun-ho asked a question again.

“I can’t say for sure, but there is a high probability that it belongs to Air Force 4.”

“In any case, if Air Force 4 of the southern military district is mobilized in the Korean-Russian war, the second air force of the central military district will not be exceptional.”

“Yes, sir, the second air force of the Central Army is also being deployed throughout the country to avoid our reconnaissance.”

“It seems that the Russians have risked their lives to win this war somehow.”

When Yoongi-yoon, deputy general of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, nodded and spoke, Chairman Shin Sung-yong, who had only listened until now, smiled slightly and made a meaningful remark.

“It seems that such unreasonable power deployment will be self-defeating.”

“Chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff! What does that mean? What you mean self-defeating?”

“Haha, I’ll tell you about that after I go to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the afternoon.”

“Hey, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is hiding something from us. I am curious, so just tell me.”

“Haha, nothing has been decided yet. I will tell you in the afternoon.”

“Haha, yes. I got it.”

After the reconnaissance briefing was over while the two generals exchanged a conversation, Brigadier General Park Jeong-gyu saluted and returned to his seat. Shin Sung-yong, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, stood up from his seat, and surrounded his staff and said:

“Based on the reconnaissance information, the chief of the operation headquarters will hold a meeting on the parts to be revised in the current operation plan. Let’s go back to the situation room, the workplace, for the rest.”

When the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff was the first to leave the meeting room, the rest of the staff hurriedly left the meeting room except for the staff of the operation headquarters room.

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December 21st, 2023, 14:00

Ministry of Foreign Affairs building in Jongno-gu, Seoul, Namju (reception room for distinguished guests)

Upon arriving at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the appointed time, Chairman Shin Sung-yong and his entourage entered the reception room for the distinguished guests, guided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs staff.

Several people were sitting there and waiting, including Minister of National Defense Kang Yi-sik.

“Welcome. I am sorry to have you come to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs office like this.”

Minister of Foreign Affairs Kang Kyung-hee greeted them with a bright smile.

“No. Minister! Haha. Ah! It seems you have already arrived. Am I late?”

“No. I came earlier than the scheduled time.”

Chairman Shin Sung-yong of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who greeted Defense Minister Kang Yi-sik as he sat down, turned his gaze to the two foreigners sitting opposite him.

“Please say hello. This is Ukrainian Ambassador to Korea Vasil Marmazov, and this is Defense Minister Valery Heretei.”

“Nice to meet you. I am Shin Sung-yong, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.”

Following Minister Kang Kyung-hee’s introduction, Shin Sung-yong, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, sat down to shake hands and greet each other in turn. Then, Minister Kang Kyung-hee gave a brief explanation about today’s meeting.

After the Euromaidan incident in 2013, the Crimean crisis in 2014, as well as the outbreak of the Donbas War in April 2014, the civil war in Ukraine, which began nine years later, continued with gunfire in Luhansk and Donetsk Oblasts.

On February 18, 2017, the Ukrainian government and rebels agreed to enter a ceasefire in Munich from December 20th, and on December 27th, Ukrainian and rebels agreed to trade hundreds of prisoners, which the Russian and Ukrainian sides have agreed to.

However, this peaceful agreement did not last long. On January 10, 2018, Ukrainian government forces resumed fighting with rebels near Zaycheve, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. On September 17, 2018, Ukrainian President Poroshenko completely overturned the friendly treaty with Russia. In the context of Ukraine’s invasion of Crimea and the Donbas War, it has already been declared to the international community that the old friendly treaty signed with Russia was just a piece of paper. Conversely, Russia had an excuse to attack Ukraine.

In February 2019, the Russian military launched an outright military action in eastern Ukraine and pressuring Ukrainian forces together with rebels to expand the front.

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Euromaidan: On November 21, 2013, a large-scale protest took place against the pro-Russian policy of former Ukrainian President Yanukovych. The incident in which the government eventually overthrew the government and established a new pro-Western transitional government despite the government’s hard-line suppression.

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*2014 Crimean Crisis: After the Euromaidan incident, when former President Yanukovych was overthrown and pro-Western forces became members of the Provisional Government of Ukraine, Russia strongly protested, and the provisional government of Ukraine was “lawfully seized by a coup”. The Russian military intervened in Crimea under the pretext of protecting the Russians at the same time as ‘the government that did not exist, and after that, a referendum was held, leading to independence from Ukraine and annexation by Russia. In other words, it was a forced annexation of Crimea into Russian territory.

*Donbas War: In the aftermath of the Euromaidan incident, pro-Russian protests and anti-government groups were formed in eastern regions such as Donetsk and Luhansk in Ukraine. Afterward, it escalated into a large-scale pro-Russian protest in the wake of Russia’s annexation of Crimea. Eventually, the Donetsk People’s Republic and Lugansk People’s Republic, supported by the Russian army, advocated separatism and started a war of independence with the Ukrainian army centered on the Donbas region.

After independence from the former Soviet Union, Ukraine was promised economic and military support from the United States and Europe for nuclear disarmament but did not receive economic and military support even after the annexation of Crimea and the outbreak of civil war after nuclear disarmament. In a word, it was like being stabbed in the back.

The Ukrainian government, which has suffered a hellish civil war for nine years with the rebels receiving continuous military support from Russia, had built up distrust in the United States and Europe, and a few days ago, when the Republic of Korea waged an all-out war with Russia and the battlefield situation unexpectedly turned in favor of the Republic of Korea. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko extended a helping hand to President Chu Eun-hee through a personal letter.

The text of the letter of the President of Ukraine was as follows:

It was a request for military cooperation to dispatch troops to subdue the rebels who were receiving military support from Russia, a public enemy. In addition, it was intended to support the road that led from Ukraine to Russia.

The purpose of today’s meeting was to coordinate the details according to the letter..