Not having experienced the last time any serious advantage in the area of conflict with the forces of the unrecognized republics on the land areas, the Ukrainian military decided to try the strength of the militia now in the coastal areas. On the eve it became known that the Ukrainian Navy boats fired at the locations of DNR offices on the coast of the Azov sea.
As said Deputy commander of the operational command of the Republic Eduard Bacurin, it was fired from cannons and heavy machine guns from two boats. Thus after the soldiers of the DPR were forced to open fire in response, both boats hastily retreated in the direction Mariupol.
Experts are sure that to decide on the landing of a naval landing on the coast DND, the Ukrainian army is not able. It has neither the strength nor the skills to conduct such combat operations. But because coastal boats loitering with periodic provocative attacks is the only thing now capable APU with all their “naval component”.
On the Azov direction
Maritime borders of the DPR pass through the territory of the new Azov area. From the city center, a small city of Novoazovsk to Donetsk – a total of 116 kilometers. The main coastal settlements of the Republic: Shirokino, Sedov, Samsonov, Sopina, Nameless, Pioneer, Cliff. Most of the coastal topography has the potential to approach the boats with a small draft and produce the landing of marine units. Just West of the Nameless shore abounds with cliffs. However here at the time were stationed the forces of the DNI, whose task was to prevent a possible provocation by the Ukrainian military.
In addition, these areas have become places of armed clashes with the armed forces. No, amphibious operations did not reach, but land attacks happened. As recently as last month when trying to break through militia positions in villages Lenin in Kominternovo and Novoazovsk district of the APU lost 15 men killed and 25 wounded. The Ukrainian military said that the attack was caused by the need to prevent probable attacks of the militia in the direction of Mariupol, which may have been committed… on the ice of the Azov sea!
Such a statement is nothing but laughter, cause could not, because we know that ice coverage in these areas is unable to withstand large weight of people and equipment, especially away from the coast. Besides, long-term forecasts in these days – in mid-February – early March – Azov gradually freed from the ice cover, making any movement on the ice is dangerous.
And yet it is the coastal areas periodically become hot spots of confrontation. The fact that Ukraine’s key rate here is Mariupol. The city in 2014 was already under the control of the DNI, however, was left by the militia in connection with the lack of power. Today Kyiv is not configured to cede the city, but because here pulled a significant number of security forces. And in the absence of even a hint of any action by the militias and the Ukrainian military is trying to provoke them with their own attacks. The recent “hike” the two assault boats of the Ukrainian Navy to the coast of the Azov sea, held by the DNR – what is the most recent example.
The “storm seas” in a single copy
However, whether or not to consider such “raids” seriously? Probably not. Such a conclusion after a detailed examination of the condition of the “small fleet” of Ukrainian naval forces. Today it presents extremely small number of boats, and something more or less serious may be the only river of an armored boat project 58150 “Gyurza-M”. Just behind the curtain last year, two of them – “Ackerman” and “Berdyansk” – was introduced in the Ukrainian Navy. By the way, their construction was accompanied by loud scandals, including corruption, when it was revealed that the contract for the creation of boats received the plant “Lenin’s smithy”, as if by accident under the control of the business Empire Poroshenko.
Most likely, these boats could make a RAID on the Azov coast, after all guns are equipped with only them. Talking about 30-mm gun 2A42, which is equipped with boats of this project. In turn, for the machine-gun fire meet the 14.5 mm and 12.7-mm launchers, which can also be equipped with these ships. Recall: these two boats is the whole “small fleet” of naval forces of Ukraine, at least its military component. It is not considered as “formidable force” given Americans a high-speed rigid-hull inflatable boats Willard Sea Force 730, more suitable for fishing forays. However, there is the Ukrainian Navy afloat another boat “Skadovsk”, which is considered artillery. However, his weapons represented, only guns.
Now for the amphibious assault. Here boats can be found: one landing ship “Yuri Olifrienko” can carry up to 180 people. But where to get these brave men? It is known that after the Crimean events, the Marines of Ukraine practically ceased to exist: to move to the continent from the Peninsula expressed a desire to only one-third of the personnel of the former 1st separate marine battalion APU – the only complete units of this kind of troops in the Ukrainian army.
However, in July 2015, it was announced about the formation in Nikolaev a marine brigade, and in the Odessa military Academy even started training officers – Marines. Marines Square took part in the fighting in the area of ATO, however they suffered significant losses and now mostly serve just in the area of Mariupol.
In battle – the rarities
Should cause smiles and the condition of weapons and military equipment of the future participants of the imaginary landing of Marines on the Azov sea coast. The basis of the combat power of the Ukrainian Marines – battered BMP-1, and a few BTR-70, which almost constantly are under repair due to their significant deterioration.
Come down to the fact that the recently adopted Marines were transferred… rare BTR-60! As written by one of the Odessa Newspapers (battalion, who blessed this “replenishment”, quartered in Odessa), these copies were originally intended for sale in one of the African countries, which was removed with conservation. However, the Africans from this dubious contract refused, after which the APC was inherited by the military units of the APU.
Nevertheless, the command of the Ukrainian army and Navy did not lose optimism and hopes to substantially increase its marine corps. However, not new weapons (he has no money), and the new fanatics. Last week it became known that the ranks of the brigade of Marines of naval forces of Ukraine are ready to join the members of the Crimean Tatar organizations and the namesake of the punitive battalion “Asker”.
Moreover, the Ministry of defense of Ukraine makes this gesture so much so that the founder of the “Asker” – the head of the so-called Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people Refat Chubarov personally met the head of the Ukrainian defense Ministry Stepan Poltorak. The future of the Crimean Tatar Marines would be given a preference in their device to contract service, as well as in creating conditions “to comply with religious requirements”.
“To form a complete rod of the coastal forces, which is the marine corps, to train personnel of the tactics of warfare in the naval landings, and most importantly – to equip units with modern weapons (especially the means of landing and floating combat equipment) is a multi – stage task and it is unlikely in the current state of the APU it is workable, – considers the Deputy chief editor of the portal “World of security” Dmitry Rozhdestvensky. – Conduct amphibious operations, capture parts of the coast, actions in leading troops for the marine corps of Ukraine is available, except that in textbooks Yes, films of the Soviet times.”
As for the current attacks off the coast DND, its like shelling other areas of the Republic, Director of the Center for geopolitical expertise, Deputy head of the International Eurasian movement, a member of the Public chamber of Russia Valery Korovin refers to as “exhaust Bandera regime, surviving the last days.”
“The two forces that Poroshenko can make use of is the nationalists of the punitive battalions, methodically destroying the civilian population of Donbass, and going into political oblivion Angela Merkel, the German sequence continues to fulfill the covenants of the past to Obama, the political scientist noted. – That’s for them Poroshenko and gives orders to strengthen the shelling of Donbass, in order to demonstrate loyalty to the ideas of glory to Bandera “Ukrainian nationalists” and confirm its usefulness Angela Merkel as a consistent performer covenants revered it Obama.”
Author: Dmitry Sergeyev
Photo: Ministry of defence of Ukraine/ dumskaya.net