https://mitziperdue.com/russian-invaders-always-attack-police
When soldiers from the Russian Federation invade a country, a top priority is to incapacitate the local police. The Russians systematically bomb police stations, destroy police communications, and either steal or disable police cars. They’ve done this in each of the 12 wars they’ve been involved with since the Russian Federation was formed in in 1991. (Source)
What the Russian invaders are doing now in Ukraine follows their pattern. When I visited Ukraine for five days just before Christmas, I got some insight into why the Russian invaders make a practice of going after law enforcement.
Police play a crucial role in resisting the invasion and their professional capabilities go far beyond commonly known policing skills:
- The Ukrainian police are adept at stopping infiltrators.
- They know how to deal with snipers.
- They are experts at de-mining.
- When the power grid is down, they replace the air raid sirens, warning people of imminent rocket attacks.
- As investigators, they document war crimes.
Stopping Infiltrators
Members of the Kyiv Regional Police told me about this when I was there a week ago. In a typical case, a grandmother is walking along a dirt road in her village and notices five guys walking towards her.
She quickly realizes the five are not local. She knows it’s dangerous to stare at them, but even from just a quick glance as they pass by her, she knows something isn’t right.
She’s starting to think something along the lines of, “These guys don’t fit in. They’re all in their twenties. They’re muscular. Maybe they’re infiltrators. Maybe they’re going to blow up the town’s bridge.”
In minutes, she’s contacted the police, reporting her suspicions. The police are trained to react rapidly to a situation like this. They intercept the five men, and discover they have heavy duty explosives hidden in their clothes. By intercepting the infiltrators, the police save the bridge.
Stopping Snipers
Another important way Ukrainian police help protect the country is dealing with Russian snipers. In newly liberated areas, the Russians leave behind highly-trained snipers to slow down the Ukrainian soldiers. However, the Ukrainian police have special anti-sniper units and by pinning down the Russian snipers, the Ukrainian police make it possible for their military counterparts to continue pushing forward rapidly.
De-mining
A major function of the Ukrainian Police is now de-mining. It’s a dangerous job. In Kherson recently, land mines cause the death of four police officers, and others have sustained lifelong injuries such as the loss of an eye, or a limb.
The Russians regularly leave behind mines disguised as teddy bears or dolls, or even soda cans. These mines have no military purpose, but they create mayhem and terror. On top of that, unexploded ordinances are scattered all over the areas where Russian troops were stationed or attacked.
Some of the most demonic mines the police come across are ones that look like leaves. Because these “leaves” are plastic, standard metal detectors won’t find them. As policewoman, Irina Pryanishnikova, told me, “You won’t see them unless you’re looking for them.”
The “leaves” she’s speaking of contain 10 grams of explosives. “They won’t kill you, but they’ll rip your foot off,” Pryanishnikova said.
The non-lethal amount of explosives is deliberate. The Russian invaders prefer to cause lifelong injury rather than death. A person who’s blind or lost a limb may need lifelong care, adding to an already stretched medical system.
Warning about Incoming Rockets
The air raid warnings in Kyiv depend on electricity. I experienced the air raid sirens several times while in Kyiv, and there’s typically around 30 minutes from the time a missile launch is detected to the time the POI, or Point of Impact is reached.
However, when the power system is knocked out, the air raid sirens don’t work. The police drive through the streets blasting from their loudspeakers, “Rocket attack immanent! Please proceed to the nearest bomb shelter!”
Documenting War Crimes
The Ukrainian police also document war crimes. As Pryanishnikova pointed out, “As soon as an area is liberated, we move from town to town, village to village documenting instances of attacking civilians, including rape, torture, and murder.”
Police experts collect forensic evidence, preparing for the time when those who have committed war crimes are brought to justice. According to Pryanishnikova, the Ukrainian police have over 50,000 records of war crimes the Russia invaders have committed and this number is constantly growing as more bodies are found or new facts are brought to light.
When the members of the Russian Federation invade a country, they prioritize attacking law enforcement, and they do it for good reason. The Ukrainian police, by carrying out their mission “to protect and serve,” are helping thwart the Russians’ efforts to take over their country.