A British defence and safety suppose tank has revealed particulars of Moscow’s pre-invasion plan for Ukraine, primarily based 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 yr, the Royal United Companies Institute for Defence and Safety Research (RUSI) stated.
In line with the British Army-linked suppose 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 items 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 providers had been tasked with killing the Ukrainian management.
They appeared to imagine Ukrainian authorities officers would “both flee or be captured because of the velocity of the invasion”, RUSI stated.
Ukraine’s intelligence neighborhood additionally believes Russia deliberate to make use of Belarusian airborne items to seize the Rivne and Khmelnytsky nuclear energy vegetation.
The invasion plan reportedly detailed plots to seize Ukraine’s nuclear energy vegetation to be able to shelter Russian troops, achieve management over the nation’s power system, and doubtlessly blackmail European nations with the danger of radiation air pollution.
Russia deliberate to start out the invasion with a “large missile and airstrike marketing campaign” in opposition to Ukrainian army targets, RUSI stated.
It added that Moscow wouldn’t goal crucial infrastructure akin to energy stations and railways as a result of these had been key to its plans to occupy the nation.
Russia’s ‘kill listing’
The Russian counterintelligence regime had compiled lists of some Ukrainians, RUSI stated.
They had been divided into 4 classes:
- Those that must be killed
- These in want of suppression and intimidation
- These thought of impartial who must be inspired to collaborate
- These ready to collaborate.
Officers deliberate to register the inhabitants via door-to-door sweeps and filtration camps, the suppose 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”.
