OP2407-12-6 After Action Report

OP2407-12-6
Transcript:
OP2407-12-6

Intelligence staff for 1st Battalion, Chernarus 9th Separate Light Rifle Brigade, received a flurry of messages from various sources including texts from burner phones issued by brigade intelligence staff, emails, and secure reports from local friendly agents operating in the village of Zichovice in Sumava.

Compiled, those reports said that separatist forces including Chechen militia and Wagner Group operators were going from door to door seeking out individuals, working from a list, detaining those who were on the list. Those individuals were ordered onto a bus. The bus was traveling north when it was stopped by local militia, passengers exited and executed.

Brigade commander ordered 1st Battalion commander and his staff to assemble a task force for the purpose of attacking and clearing the village of separatist forces. Among the tasks assigned was the elimination of the two civilian criminal command operatives who had ordered the pogrom, clearing the village of all separatist forces, and locating the mass grave for the purposes of witnessing the carnage.

The task force assembled included four truck-borne light rifle squads two T-34-borne recon squads, and two BRDM scout cars. Zichoviche is a critical rail Junction which sits a stride a minor river, which runs roughly east to west, south of the village. The approach to the Village from the south is masked by a large woods, south of which the entirety of the task force's infantry contingent dismounted and began their assault north into the village.

The separatists defensive cordon began in that woods, as 2nd Squad and 3rd Squad encountered a mixed patrol of Chechens and local militia. Once those patrols were eliminated or driven back, the assault continued.

In the village, commander ordered the task force to advance block by block securing intersections in the village enabling the task force to move as a solid front to the north. Task force commander encountered the male element of the civilian criminal command operatives group, and stripped him of documents.

Enemy counterattacks and counterfire was very heavy as the task force advanced north. The tactical objective for the operation was to seize the final east-West street of the village, allowing Command Squad to advance passed the rail yard to locate the mass grave.

Task Force commander located and eliminated an armed female, who was carrying some sensitive documents and a cell phone. By the time the task force did reach the tactical objective, operations staff deemed the operation complete and ordered the task force to withdraw.

Command Squad continued its advance north of the railyard and located the bus which was afire, and witnessed the corpses of roughly 20 civilians.

The task force withdrew mostly in good order. An enemy T-34 tank appeared and fired on and eliminated Recon Tank 1 and its passengers. Command squad and 2nd Recon Squad RPG gunners eliminated the threat, enabling the retreat to continue unhindered.

Losses were heavy. 2nd Squad and 3rd Squad each lost four, while 4th Squad lost two. Recon Squad 1 lost two, while Recon Squad 2 was wiped out. One T-34 was destroyed.

Field counts of enemy losses included four technicals and one T-34 tank.

At the conclusion of the operation, operations staff indicated that, while the losses were heavy, the finding of the mass grave, and elimination of the separatists in Zichoviche, will put a definitive crimp and future operations by the separatists, at least for the time being.