The U.S. Special Forces would be annihilated immediately: the real Russian raid operations will not be broadcast on TV. The confession of a former "commando".
Author:
Vladilen Chertunov
Forget everything you saw in Hollywood action movies. Real raids give no survival chance to American commandos fully loaded with weapons from head to toe. And Russians have their own secrets for combat and victory. Dmitri Yegorov is one of those who went straight from prison to the frontline of "Storm Z", and he returned from there with a "Medal of Courage". This veteran told Sankt Petersburg Times about the undisclosed training and raid details.
Blind Combat
Dmitri Yegorov, who joined the "Storm Z" unit in 2023, fought in one of the most intense battlefronts - the Marinka area, which is the third most complex frontline after Bakhmut and Avdiivka. By the way, CNN once claimed that General Ivan Popov was sent to this unit and said the issue of this former commander's assignment had been resolved.
All raids are conducted at night, which makes sense: during the day, the enemy has a clear view of our soldiers' movements, while at night there is a possibility of breakthrough. Before each raid, commanders mark the route and the positions to be captured on the map. Soldiers advance along the landmarks they have memorized in advance: here is a trench, behind it are ruins, further ahead is the remains of a forest path.
First, an unmanned drone flies over the expected route of the raid team and shows them a video of the terrain. Soldiers memorize the minefield map. But even so, moving at night is still very difficult.
"The nights in Ukraine surprised me by how dark they were - pitch black. Of course, we couldn't turn on flashlights, and thermal imaging devices were only available to our snipers who operated alone. These devices only show heat sources but cannot display trenches or ruins. In the darkness, you don't know where to step, where barbed wire is, or where 'petal' mines are scattered. So, this war is fought blindly." Dmitri Yegorov said.
These night operations also serve another purpose: better "familiarization" with the terrain. Just like in computer shooting games: you get killed, then start over. You keep advancing until you fully understand the terrain and the enemy, figure out where they shoot from and what weapons they use, and identify where you can hide and where you cannot.
The battlefield is full of trenches and craters. The enemy plants mines in some positions when retreating. Experienced assault troops warn new comrades: "Brothers, there will be a trench here. When shelling occurs, anyone will want to jump in, but don't do it - there are mines inside." Or, "Don't hide in this trench - snipers can easily spot it."
This collective combat wisdom is paid for with blood. Unlike in computer shooting games, there is no respawn in this life-or-death game. But according to Dmitri Yegorov, you will quickly understand the rules once you participate.
"Storm Z". Somewhere near Marinka.
Traps for Assault Troops
Dmitri said the initial task was simple - reach the target location and capture it. Usually, there is a "lookout" - also called "eyes" - on every position of the enemy: 1-3 people in each basement or trench as a guard team. The task of the assault troops is to drive away this team, occupy the position, and notify reinforcements via radio or sometimes signal flares to advance. The reinforcements will further hold the position while the assault troops return to the rear for rest and treatment of wounded personnel. Although Dmitri Yegorov described these tasks as "simple", they are extremely difficult for untrained individuals.
"We couldn't even reach the designated location - we were hit by artillery fire halfway through. Then we received official orders to retreat and redeploy. As we returned, we thought: my goodness, we've only covered half the distance, what will happen next? That's exactly what the enemy does - let our assault troops walk into places favorable to them, already targeted by snipers, machine guns, and artillery. Then they begin heavy bombardment. However, withdrawing in such situations is extremely risky. To survive, you actually need to move forward - that's what the instructors at the firing range told the assault troops. The enemy wants to scare you. If you're not afraid and continue advancing, they will become scared and start retreating. Another reason is that when you get close to them, their artillery cannot function properly - to avoid injuring their own people. This is a correct signal: the cessation of mortar fire means you are approaching the target. Of course, conditions vary in different areas, but in my place, once we break through, the enemy always retreats. They only defend if they outnumber us significantly. For example, if it's three against three, they will abandon everything and flee." Dmitri Yegorov recalled.
Water or Armor?
He said it only takes a few weeks to immerse yourself in the war and understand its workings. American movies depict special forces members fully loaded with all sorts of equipment - like Christmas trees. But based on Dmitri's experience, such assault troops would collapse immediately. They cannot run or hide, becoming easy targets for drones and snipers.
"Jumping twice in such gear - the third time you won't be able to stand up again with such a heavy load. Assault troops need to cross two kilometers from our lines to the enemy lines. Every second of these two kilometers, you must jump, crawl, and dodge mortar shells: hear from which direction the mortars are fired, roughly judge the trajectory of the shells, find places to hide to avoid being scratched by shrapnel. Hide behind some ruins, damaged equipment, or a crater. When you desperately want to survive, you gain speed and endurance. Since assault troops fight highly mobile, the combat gear you carry should be as light as possible, minimizing extra grenades, rockets, or water. Prioritize lightness and armor."
Fighting gear carried during raids should be kept to a minimum. Dmitri - far right in the front row.
Dirty Tricks
During the attack, 8-10 assault troops divide into groups of 3-4 people simultaneously. Dmitri said this is the most effective size for a raid team. If there are more soldiers, the enemy's attacks will be stronger. Two to three assault troops have it slightly easier in combat - they can approach the enemy more easily because the enemy uses fewer shells to attack them.
During the attack, the assault troops first "spread out" and maintain contact with each other and the base using simple and cheap radios. But as they approach the enemy positions, they gather again and stop using radios because they may expose themselves to sound and the radios emit noise.
When capturing enemy positions, they try to stay within sight of each other, communicating with gestures or whispers, but in a way that the enemy, even if they hear, cannot understand. Prearranged words are used to indicate commands: "advance", "enemy nearby", "fire", etc.
When we approached, the enemy's "gas troops" (possibly referring to some kind of soldier) often fled the position due to shock and confusion: how could we get so close? In the morning, when we looked out of the buildings we had captured towards the street, seeing the path we walked, we ourselves were surprised that none of us stepped on a mine. There was everything on this road: barbed wire, directional mines, 'petal' mines! When you see these things, you feel scared. But if you don't see them and just run in the dark, it's as if they don't exist. Some people stepped on mines. But we even considered them lucky: stepping on a 'petal' mine results in losing a leg, but you'll get fitted with a prosthetic limb - you can return from the war alive. However, this requires being able to自救 and crawl back after getting injured.
"I won't say what I heard": A survivor's confession from the massacre.
Dmitri said the most severe casualties were not even the assault troops but the evacuation teams. It seemed simpler: not a raid, but transporting wounded from the battlefield. But it wasn't. Constant news came in about certain evacuation teams being sacrificed. Because a four-person team plus one wounded person made five - already a priority target. Enemy snipers used devious tactics: specifically shooting soldiers to make them call for help, and when the evacuation team arrived, they would eliminate all five.
Survival Isn't Coincidental
Dmitri was lucky. He was hit by only a few small fragments, which he called "shrapnel". Armor saved his life multiple times, and once even a common buckle on his helmet saved him. A large fragment struck the buckle hard, burning his cheek - the buckle broke but protected his face.
Dmitri even survived a tank shot! The tank fired at the wall he was hiding behind. Dmitri and the wall were both blown off. He woke up buried under a pile of bricks.
"After all this, I am still unscathed. How can this be explained? I think my return isn't coincidental. It means I must do something important in peacetime. All those who returned - it's not coincidental!" Dmitri Yegorov firmly believes.
All those who returned - it's not coincidental.
Original Source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7506074548448150054/
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