A British defence and safety assume tank has revealed particulars of Moscow’s pre-invasion plan for Ukraine, based mostly on captured Russian paperwork apparently signed off by Vladimir Putin.
Russia had deliberate to take over Ukraine over 10 days and annex it by August this 12 months, the Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies (RUSI) stated.
According to the British Army-linked assume tank, solely a small group of Russian officers had been conscious of the total scale of the plans.
It stated even deputy heads of branches inside the Russian army had been unaware of the plan to invade and occupy Ukraine till days earlier than the invasion started, and tactical army models did not obtain orders till hours earlier than.
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The paperwork additionally revealed that Russia deliberate to seize Ukraine’s energy stations, airfields, water provides, central financial institution and parliament – and that Russian particular companies had been tasked with killing the Ukrainian management.
They appeared to imagine Ukrainian authorities officers would “either flee or be captured as a result of the speed of the invasion”, RUSI stated.
Ukraine’s intelligence group additionally believes Russia deliberate to make use of Belarusian airborne models to seize the Rivne and Khmelnytsky nuclear energy crops.
The invasion plan reportedly detailed plots to seize Ukraine’s nuclear energy crops with the intention to shelter Russian troops, acquire management over the nation’s vitality system, and doubtlessly blackmail European international locations with the danger of radiation air pollution.
Russia deliberate to start out the invasion with a “massive missile and airstrike campaign” in opposition to Ukrainian army targets, RUSI stated.
It added that Moscow wouldn’t goal vital infrastructure comparable to energy stations and railways as a result of these had been key to its plans to occupy the nation.
Russia’s ‘kill checklist’
The Russian counterintelligence regime had compiled lists of some Ukrainians, RUSI stated.
They had been divided into 4 classes:
- Those who must be killed
- Those in want of suppression and intimidation
- Those thought of impartial who must be inspired to collaborate
- Those ready to collaborate.
Officials deliberate to register the inhabitants by means of door-to-door sweeps and filtration camps, the assume tank stated.
Russia additionally reportedly deliberate the coerced cooperation of regional governors and native authorities, and the FSB had been tasked with capturing native officers.
Over time, it deliberate to deliver academics and different officers from Russia to start out the “re-education of Ukrainians”.
Source: information.sky.com”