Struggle: The Path to Power

Natasha! It's about time! She picked up Kostya and nodded her head affirmatively: Zhivenko was the platoon commander, and he should be in charge of his section.

"Help her and right back," Misha said and ran to his line of defense. *** 06:31

In the basement, of the four radios, only one did not broadcast the phrase "We're quiet". Three were connecting to platoons and one to the sanitary unit. Half a minute had crawled by since the shelling.

"We have three wounded," Schwarzenberg reported.

He had nothing to answer but "Accepted": what can you advise a doctor if you are not one yourself?

In this situation Bolotnikov was more interested in the sentries: there were three of them, and none of them reported anything. In fact, only one of them was left — the rest of the plagues had been "covered" using a tip-off from their agent.

"Bullfinch (Bolotnikov), I am Sinitsa (Zhivenko). Fourth bush (house) at 7 o'clock. Platoon 170," said a voice from the radio.

They're heading straight for the minefields. But it's a test run, there's more of them. It's better to lure them to this direction. The informer, of course, did not know where the command post was located, but he could guess, and the choice, generally speaking, is not great… Stop! The informer did not know where their headquarters was, but he knew where… God!

Bolotnikov grabbed the communications device, "Sinitsa, I'm Snowbird. Approach them at 100 meters and simulate a counterattack. Then withdraw 7-10 meters deeper than the previous positions."

Without hearing the answer, clutched another radio in his hand: "Falcon (Schwarzenberg), I am Snowbird.

333 (redeploy) to the 3rd house. Immediately. Execute!"

The plagues obviously knew where the sanitarium was. They would make several attacks, wait until a decent number of people had accumulated there, and leave no stone unturned from this house. Bolotnikov had already stepped on this "rake" once, then they saw the movement of sanitary units and destroyed the position: 48 people were killed. This figure now flashed in his mind in an interesting way. What it said most of all, the major did not yet understand.

*** 06:35

Twenty seconds, and shots rang out.

*** 06:37

Two minutes, and boots stomped on the ceiling: the floor creaks here for a reason — it hasn't been repaired for 150 years.

They are carrying the wounded. The command post is shielded from direct hits from the south by a row of ruined houses — only a brick chimney barely hanging on the roof peeks out from the barrier.

*** 06:40

There were a series of explosions followed by gunfire.

— Bullfinch, I'm a tit. Fangs flew into the dandelions (minefield). They're retreating.

— Casualties?

— Ours, one dead, two wounded. Heavy and not so heavy. Theirs: 20–30 chums.

— Do not pursue. Move to your original positions. You have seven minutes to perfume the most exposed areas and especially the southeastern part. Casualties to the third house. — Yes, Snowbird.

— Over and out.

Beside Bolotnikov stood three special forces, waiting for their time.

"There's a job for you," the major proclaimed.

They didn't blink an eye: what to do, if they have such an attitude — to be ready.

"In fifteen minutes, twenty plagues will attack from the south. "with a large force. Your task is to disrupt their left flank attack. 20 meters, no less along the front line should be confused… Their left flank will be somewhere here, perhaps deeper. — Bolotnikov indicated a point on the map and its corresponding square. — Good luck to you guys."

Their grim and motionless faces nodded simultaneously. The military salute was sharp and steady. The bundle was on its way.

*** 06:44

— Bullfinch, I am Stork (Kosmogorov). 10th bush. 10 hours. Platoon. 210.

— Approach at 150 meters. Respond with singles. Utilize the full capabilities of the 10 bush.

— Got it, Snowbird.

— Over and out.

They want to turn our defenses and attack from the south. The 10th house is well fortified. They'll think we're best prepared there, and have mined the approaches from the south, relying on the "artificial" wall of permitted houses. They'll probably show up somewhere else now. It didn't take long for the premise to sink in.

*** 06:50

— Snowbird, I'm Stork. 8th bush. 8 o'clock. A little less than a platoon. 170.

— Open fire. Use one-third of bush 6's capabilities. Do not let them within 60 meters.

Another false attack, but closer to the target. The fortified position must not be shown, or the flank will be reinforced. *** 06:55

Steppe with a slight slope. No snow; grass slightly protruding outwards — spring. A warm breeze blows from the side: favorite and pleasant.

The North, as always, was the first to crawname = "note" on this field it is especially necessary, because it is a minefield, as we say, with dandelions — if one of them explodes, its seeds will fly in all directions to reward someone else.

The tactics and effectiveness of communication mainly depends on the coherence and thoughtfulness of interaction. To feel not only your own movements, but also those around you.

In the distance, the plagues showed themselves. Darkness.

When you watch that much of the enemy, you begin to have little understanding of what's even going on. And unable to even think that it's possible to defeat them…

It's just over two hundred meters away: they'll see them, they won't miss. From that distance, they can see everyone who is "needed". Among them were the wounded, the bloodthirsty, those who hadn't even been in battle yet, and one special one. This special one stood out not because of his form of clothing: dark purple colors and a combination of incised fangs on his cloak, but rather because of the way he walked among the others.

He walked as if his footsteps would be studied later, passing others as if they worshipped him. And the way he held his head… he never looked at his feet.

This tent stopped almost at the very edge of what was "supposed to go forward". In that place, the soldiers were concentrated in a special, martial order: "in a broken chain."

The mortars looked a little farther out from the front lines: there were only four of them, but that was only for now.

The Imperial Army was distinguished by one very noticeable fact: they never used a fixed number of units to accomplish a task. They moved first one, then another, building up pressure in key places. The limit was not derived, and sometimes it turned out that the operation was already completed, and replenishments are still coming. Plagues emphasized the factor of psychological pressure as a fundamental element of their combat tactics. In a way, this methodology worked: "defend as much as you want, but you'll still lose." After all, they will not stop — they will attack. And attack by suppressing positions, not just occupying them.

Suppress, destroy. And occupy the ruins. It's a favorite battle tactic of the imperial army.

Spetsnaz did not respond to such things: "we are warriors, and it is our highest honor to complete a task, and if necessary, to do it at the cost of our lives, and to die as warriors". And now they were doing what they saw as the meaning of their stay here.

Confusing the enemy can be done through a sequence of precisely organized actions. The first to meet the enemy, in the best case scenario, is the special forces, and this moment is the moment when the officer in charge has received the order from on high to launch the offensive and is about to communicate it to his subordinates. The moment when the officer waves his hand but doesn't have time to command. The instant between his first step and his second. If the officer is eliminated in that very "instant," there is a rush forward and a subsequent desire to stop. There's nowhere to run. There's no one to tell you where to go. And everyone starts rushing in different directions, from the unknown. And nothing is clear… Soldiers forget who they are in this particular place where nothing is clear. That's the result.

*** 07:04

Dark ceiling and dark walls. This is the basement. This is the Command Post.

Several explosions sounded from the street: how many, I couldn't understand — they merged into one, but no more than five. Seven seconds more, and another line. Seven more, and another explosion. It went quiet.

Bolotnikov was happy about this: the medium and heavy artillery had not yet arrived, which meant that we could hold on tight.

— Bullfinch, I'm Tit. 4th bush. 6 o'clock. Battalion. 250.

How good it sounds "6 o'clock." Their left flank is slightly behind and weakened. SWAT did a great job.

— Sinitsa, do not open heavy fire until they are within 100 meters. Concentrate main forces at bush 6. Report to me when the enemy reaches the specified distance.

— Yes, Snowbird.

— Over and out.

*** 07:09

— Stork, this is Bullfinch. Over.

— Yes, Snowbird.

— We drove the pischals (mortars) to the north end of the 7th bush and prepared to fire on the DT-18 square.

— Roger that, Snowbird.

— Over and out.

Company mortars, along with Faust ammunition, are the rebels' backup weapons this morning.

*** 07:12

— Bullfinch, this is Tit. The enemy is approaching at a distance of 100 meters. The left flank is weakened and uncoordinated.

And he's good, he's thinking big.

— Five seconds after the end of communication, open fire to all. Fully utilize the capabilities of the 6th bush. Over. Stork, Snowbird. Activate the squadron's beepers. Fire three salvos.

— Yes, Snowbird.

After so much sudden shelling on the flank, the plagues must stop. Before that they hit mines, so their spirits are already low.

*** 07:19

— Tit, this is Bullfinch. Situation report.

— The enemy has stopped the advance. Looks like they're changing direction to the 2nd bush.

— How many are there?

— Half a battalion. At least. There's little dispersal.

— Simulate an attack from the 6th bush for 4 hours. At that time, move two-thirds of the 6th bush unit behind the 4th to the 2nd bush. Report their arrival.

— Yes, Snowbird.

— Over and out.

We'll confuse the Chumas. Let them think we tricked them into attacking from the west. Now they'll fortify from the west and attack from the east.

Although, if they can get another battalion now, they can play whatever notes they want, but the defense will break through. It won't collapse, but it will break through. And with a "broken" defense, we won't be able to hold out for more than 10 minutes.

*** 07:22

— Bullfinch, I'm Tit. The transfer is complete.

— Move to initial positions and take up defenses. Only redeployed units. The rest of us stay where we

are.

— Yes, Snowbird.

— Over and out.

By all rules, we should have attacked from the west, from the flank. An attack from the flank is sometimes better than even an attack from the rear.

Both are designed for surprise. But the rear attack needs voluminousness in coverage, all around the rear of the enemy. And the flank attack — swiftness, to blow away all from the side, like grass with a sickle.

The plagues know this, and that's why you can't act that way.

We'll be wherever they come. We'll attack them here. It'll be a counterattack. The theory is we need at least two times the numerical superiority. We're outnumbered three to one. But they're not expecting us there, and that's a chance.

This is the 13th paragraph of the chapter "Fullness and Emptiness" in Sun Tzu's book "The Art of War": The form of the army is like water — avoiding height and striving downward; the form of the army — avoiding fullness and hitting emptiness. Water establishes its flow depending on the place; the army establishes its victory depending on the enemy."

"Fullness" in this paragraph is a concentration of enemy forces. "Void" is a gap in the organization of actions.

A counterattack from the eastern flank of the chums is not a concentration attack, it is a gap attack. A gap is not the absence of enemy troops in any of his areas, but the weakness of that area (often expressed in the absence of troops). This is the ability to see the strengths and weaknesses of the enemy.

*** 07:25

— Snowbird, this is Sinitta. The enemy has halted movement to the east.

— Counterattack at 8 o'clock from the 2nd bush. The 6th bush is to act only at 6 o'clock and to the west.