Igor Lunev
Major General Igor Lunev headed the first special forces in Ukraine – the Special Operations Forces (SSO). Viktor Muzhenko himself appointed him to this position. Lunev is spoken of as the first military general and a respected person. But is this true?
Skelet.Info I figured out why the military handed over weapons and military equipment to the separatists, how the DAP fell and who killed the head of the DPR, Alexander Zakharchenko.
Through thorns to Ukrainian special forces
In September 2014, President Petro Poroshenko signed a decree on “Urgent measures to protect Ukraine and strengthen its defense capability.” The Ministry of Defense has a task – to form the Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
What are Special Operations Forces (SOF)? This is a special branch of the army, which includes highly qualified fighters, ultra-modern weapons and analytical apparatus. Their task is to carry out targeted and particularly important operations in conflict zones. In essence, this is modern Ukrainian special forces.
The concept of creating the MTR was coordinated for 1 year, without reaching a common denominator. In 2015, a large-scale conflict was brought to public attention from the General Staff.
Chief of the General Staff Viktor Muzhenko said that the blame for the lack of a concept lies with the head of the special operations department of the General Staff, Sergei Krivonos. Krivonos’ supporters accused Muzhenko of bias due to a personal conflict.
Victor Muzhenko
There really was a conflict between Muzhenko and Krivonos. It arose during the defense of the Kramatorsk airfield. Krivonos with a group of landing forces and special forces held the defense of the airfield for 47 days. Noticing Girkin’s column of separatists, he reported to the General Staff. They promised to “cover with fire,” but instead, the column calmly left for Donetsk. Krivonos flew into a rage and, in a conversation via special communication, told Muzhenko: “Comrade General, you are a traitor to Ukraine!”
The conflict dragged on, and Muzhenko tried his best to remove Krivonos from the process of creating the MTR. He succeeded. According to the official version of the General Staff, Krivonos “failed to cope with the task.”
Viktor Muzhenko simultaneously developed his own concept of the MTR. Its essence was to combine highly mobile airborne troops with special forces. With this “idea,” the head of the General Staff almost disrupted relations with NATO. The Alliance sharply criticized the idea and said it violated standards. By the way, American partners allocated $20 million for the first stage of training fighters.
Frightened by NATO criticism, in April 2015 a working group of the Administration of the President of Ukraine was created to form the MTR. Among others, it included and was actually headed by Irina Vasilyevna Friz, the permanent press secretary of Petro Poroshenko, a deputy from the BPP who oversees NATO issues. The group met only a few times. But Irina Vasilievna began to “command” the special forces. Of course, being in the shadows.
In 2016, the name of the person who would head the SOO became known. It was Major General Igor Lunev. The appointment was announced by Viktor Muzhenko.
Two candidates competed for the seat – Igor Lunev and the scandalous Sergei Krivonos. By the way, Irina Friz connected all her AP connections so that Krivonos could get through. According to information Skelet.InfoIrina Vasilievna has warm feelings for Krivonos and the couple meets. But Muzhenko turned out to be unshakable.
Igor Lunev became a compromise figure. On the one hand, he is a protege of the Chief of the General Staff, and on the other, he is loyal to Poroshenko. Krivonos Frieze was able to win the supporting role of the first deputy commander of the Special Forces.
So, who controls the MTR and on whom do a good half of Ukrainians place their hopes?
From artillerymen to paratroopers
The biography of Igor Vasilyevich Lunev in open sources is very “modest”. It is known that he was born on April 25, 1962. In 1979-1983 he studied at the Odessa Higher Artillery Command School, then at the Academy of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (1997-1999).
Conventionally, Lunev’s military career can be divided into 2 stages: artillery and airborne. At the first stage, Igor Vasilyevich commanded a self-propelled artillery division of an artillery regiment, at the second stage, in 2001-2003, he was the commander of the 25th separate Dnepropetrovsk airborne brigade (ODBR), then – deputy chief of staff of the 6th corps (operational-tactical formation as part of the Ukrainian ground forces).
BMD-2 of the 25th Airborne Brigade at a checkpoint between Slavyansk and Kramatorsk, May 11, 2014.
When the ATO began, Igor Lunev was deputy commander of the Highly Mobile Airborne Forces (Airborne Forces) of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He planned and led units of highly mobile airborne troops that liberated Slavyansk, Kramatorsk, Debaltsevo, Uglegorsk, Zhdanovka, Nizhnyaya Krynka.
How equipment and weapons were given away
In open sources Skelet.Info I found a lot of references to Lunev’s incredible tactical decisions, which led to the destruction of the enemy. However, there is another side to the coin – Igor Lunev commanded the Dnepropetrovsk paratroopers (the same 25th separate separate detachment brigade), whom he sent to the Donetsk region without topographical support. Its fighters voluntarily gave up weapons and military equipment to the separatists.
The story took place in April 2014 near Kramatorsk and caused an unprecedented resonance. Local residents blocked 6 armored vehicles of the 25th separate detachment brigade, and “little green men” in masks, with weapons and St. George ribbons arrived at them. As a result of negotiations, the Ukrainian military was released from the encirclement, but they gave up the bolts and firing pins of the machine guns, without which the weapon would not be able to fire.
negotiation
delivery of valves
But not far… The cars were seen in Slavyansk (Donetsk region) near the White Night cafe. There, separatists and fighters of the 25th Separate Division ate sandwiches with Igor Girkin himself. By the way, this equipment later fought against Ukrainian troops.
Information about the seizure of equipment shocked the Ministry of Defense. Alexander Turchynov, the then acting president, called the Ukrainian military traitors and demanded that the unit be disbanded and the military sent to prison.
“The 25th separate airborne brigade, whose military personnel showed cowardice and surrendered their weapons, will be disbanded, and the military personnel guilty of this will be held accountable in court.”– said Turchinov.
The Ukrainians also condemned the 25th Special Operations Brigade, saying how it was possible to voluntarily surrender their weapons. Under Stalin, this meant execution.
Few people listened to the military themselves. It turns out that they had an order: not to shoot and to give up the machine guns and equipment. Moreover, the airborne troops were deliberately led into a trap. A column of military personnel (about 50 vehicles) was moving towards the border of the Donetsk region, but their road was blocked by pro-Russian activists. The column took a detour. One group was led by senior lieutenant Yaroslav Anika. In the center of Kramatorsk, the military was ambushed by “local residents.” It was the lieutenant who conveyed the order from the management to unfasten the magazines from the machine guns, so as not to irritate the locals, and also to hand over the cars. Then he went over to the side of the separatists and encouraged soldiers to join the Russian army.
The media kept silent about the name of the leader of the operation, Igor Lunev. All the “bumps” fell on the military. The head of the Center for Military-Political Studies, Dmitry Tymchuk, supported the guys. He wrote a denial on his Facebook page.
Turchynov nevertheless signed a decree on the disbandment of the “25”, but the order was soon canceled, and the brigade continued to operate in eastern Ukraine.
By the way, the 25th brigade suffered the heaviest losses during the ATO – more than 100 people were killed, 500 were wounded. But the real figure may differ greatly from the official one, according to the fighters themselves.
Arina Dmitrieva, for Skelet.Info
CONTINUATION: Lunev Igor. Who does the Ukrainian army work for? PART 2
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