The Colonel-General of the Armed Forces to protect Kiev from the Russians created two defense rings-the WP (photo)

This is stated in The Washington Post, which journalists dedicated to the 31st anniversary of Ukraine's Independence. The authors of the article call the Colonel-General of the Armed Forces Alexander Syrsky a thoughtful and experienced combat officer who is responsible for planning even the most unforeseen scenarios.

Prior to a full -scale invasion, the commander of the Land Forces successfully performed the tasks in the area of ​​OOS, and after the declaration of war he was instructed to conduct the defense of Kiev, which was the key goal of the Armed Forces in the first days. "In order for Russia's leadership to solve such a brazen, large -scale aggression, I could not even imagine. I could not even imagine.

It seemed to me that if active fighting began, then they would probably begin in the East, around or within Donetsk and Luhansk regions. But we are the military. Therefore, no matter what I believed or did not believe it, how it all looked, I still performed the necessary actions, " - confesses Sirsky, communicating with journalists.

Considering the concentration of the Armed Forces of the Armed Forces around the border with Ukraine, the Colonel-General of the Armed Forces suggested that the occupying army could move towards Kiev 2-3 major highways. The Kremlin strategy assumed that the units would be deflected to defend the capital, which were disoriented due to the possible departure of President Vladimir Zelensky.

For the protection of Kiev, Alexander Sirsky organized two defense rings - in the suburbs of the capital and in the outskirts of the city itself. According to the Colonel General, the inner line of defense had to be as far away from the external, so that the Russian army was not able to fireting the center of the capital from artillery.

"Syrsky divided the city and the surrounding area into sectors and appointed every district of generals from military-educational centers, creating a clear subordination, which will be subject to all Ukrainian military units and security services. Tactical decisions were made by officers on the ground immediately, without the need to consult with the headquarters. A week before the invasion, the Ukrainian military moved all command points to the likely directions of the Russian Armed Forces.

Syrsky also ordered the removal of Army aviation, including helicopters and planes, from the main bases, posting them as far away from the obvious purposes for the air Wp. The Armed Forces in the battles for Kyiv was only the 72nd separate mechanized brigade named after the Black Cossacks, but its tank power was not enough for the full defense of the capital. In this regard, as reporters noted, Alexander Sirsky ordered all military training centers to create special improvised battalions.

Also, the Colonel-General of the Armed Forces ordered to deliver artillery systems that are commonly used to study to Kiev. Aid for defense of the capital arrived from the territory of a military training ground in the Boryspil district - it is about Soviet self -propelled guns 2C7 "Pion", which Ukraine returned on the eve of the invasion.

"Syrsky ordered his artillerymen to take defense outside the city - in the northeast and northwest - in areas where the Armed Forces units had to face the onset of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation," the article reads. It should be noted that The Washington Post journalists spoke with the Minister of Defense of Ukraine Oleksiy Reznikov, who spoke about telephone conversations with the head of the MO Belarus Viktor Khrenin.

According to the head of the Ministry of Defense, his Belarusian colleague two days after the invasion urged Ukrainians to capitulate in exchange for termination of hostilities. It was also reported that President Vladimir Zelensky's team has been preparing for a full -scale invasion of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation since 2019.