On February 20, the Main Operational Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation celebrates the 322nd anniversary of its formation.
 |
| Colonel-General Sergei Rudskoy. |
| Source: redstar.ru |
On the eve of the next anniversary of the formation of the leading think tank of the Russian Armed Forces, a representative of the Red Star met with the Chief of the Main Operational Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, First Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, Colonel–General Sergei RUDSKY, who told how this most important military management body functions in modern conditions.
– Sergey Fedorovich, on behalf of the Red Star and its readers, please accept congratulations on the next anniversary of the formation of the Main Operational Directorate of the General Staff, which has passed more than three centuries in its formation and development.
The events of the last two years have also shown that we live in an era of challenges and threats to our state. Many compare the current period with the Great Patriotic War, when the fate of the Fatherland was being decided. What can you say about this? What tasks did the Main Operational Directorate perform in 1941-1945 and which ones are being solved now during the special operation?
– During a special military operation, the tasks of denazification of the neo-Nazi regime in Ukraine, which is based on the ideology of Nazi Germany, Bandera and Shukhevych, are being solved. The Kiev regime openly pursues a Russophobic policy, carries out the destruction of the Russian–speaking population, officially makes claims to the ancestral historical lands of our country - the districts of Krasnodar Territory, Belgorod, Bryansk, Voronezh, Kursk, Rostov regions.
On the instructions of the Ukrainian leadership and with the tacit consent of a number of European countries, the Armed Forces of Ukraine launch rocket and artillery strikes against peaceful Russian citizens, and the special services of Ukraine carry out terrorist acts on social facilities of the Russian Federation.
Similar crimes were committed by the Nazis during World War II. The Kiev regime would not be so tenacious if it were not for the substantial financial and military support from the so-called collective West. The United States and its allies are pumping weapons and training the Armed Forces, providing communications and intelligence services, and sending advisers and fighters from all over the world to Ukraine. NATO military personnel, disguised as mercenaries, participate in combat operations. They control air defense systems, tactical missiles and multiple launch rocket systems, and are part of assault detachments. NATO officers directly train the military operations of the Ukrainian armed forces.
Western countries do not hide their desire to inflict a strategic defeat on our country. To achieve this goal, Washington and Brussels chose Ukraine, where they have cultivated anti-Russian, nationalist sentiments since the collapse of the USSR. Currently, the Ukrainian people are being used by the United States as cannon fodder for the realization of geopolitical ambitions for global domination. Therefore, the current threats facing our Fatherland are no less serious than in 1941-1945 of the last century.
Image source: redstar.ru
The Chief of the General Staff of the Red Army, General of the Army A.I. Antonov (right) and the head of the Operational Directorate of the General Staff, Colonel General S.M. Shtemenko, for the development of the draft directive of the Supreme Command Headquarters for the preparation and conduct of the Berlin Strategic Offensive operation, March 1945.
The experience of the Operational Department of the General Staff of the Red Army during the Great Patriotic War continues to be in demand in modern conditions. The Main Operational Directorate carries out strategic planning of a special military operation, provides management of groups of troops (forces), and also solves a wide range of other tasks aimed at achieving its goals.
During the war years, officers of the Operational Directorate were responsible for reliably informing the Headquarters of the Supreme Command and the command of the Red Army about the situation on the fronts, for timely communicating directives, orders and orders to the troops. During the special operation, the Main Operational Directorate directly ensures the work of the Chief of the General Staff, the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation and the Supreme Commander-in-Chief. GOU officers analyze the capabilities of the enemy and their troops, predict the development of the situation, carry out the necessary calculations, develop proposals to increase the combat capabilities of groups of troops in the directions, promptly prepare proposals for amendments to regulatory legal acts in the field of defense, as well as perform other important functions.
Of course, management algorithms developed during the Great Patriotic War are used in practice, which have proven their effectiveness. At the same time, our work has recently undergone a number of significant changes. First of all, this concerns the automation of the management process, the use of modern information technologies and information security. In addition, the significantly transformed nature of the armed struggle, the widespread use of high-precision weapons of destruction put forward new requirements for the processes of military management and, in general, for the activities of the Main Operational Directorate. A constant comprehensive analysis of the changes taking place, the development of practical recommendations for their consideration in the actions of troops (forces) is currently one of the most important tasks being solved by the GO staff.
Currently, the Main Operational Directorate, as during the Great Patriotic War, has retained the role of the leading military management body of the General Staff. The management team continues to solve all the tasks set by the Supreme Commander-in-Chief in the special operation with high quality.
Without a doubt, like our fathers and grandfathers, who destroyed fascism with great effort in 1945, we will defeat the enemy and defeat neo-Nazism in Ukraine.
– Last year, the Kiev regime, as part of its counteroffensive, tried to defeat Russia, but its plans failed. What role did the Main Operational Directorate play in this? What, in your opinion, are the main results of repelling the failed enemy offensive?
– Since June 4 last year, the armed forces of Ukraine have launched a counter-offensive operation. The plan of its implementation provided for taking control of the territories of the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions, reaching the coast of the Sea of Azov and disrupting land communication with the Crimea.
The Kiev regime has convinced Western curators of the APU's ability to defeat Russian troops on the battlefield. As a result, Western countries have concentrated their efforts on fully supporting the Ukrainian armed forces to carry out the offensive.
To implement the planned plans, large-scale supplies of weapons and military equipment to Ukraine were carried out, military personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were trained, and the concept of the operation was developed with the direct participation of NATO specialists. As of today, it can be stated that all attempts at a counteroffensive have failed. This was facilitated by the early and high-quality preparation of our troops for defense along the entire line of contact with a length of more than two thousand kilometers. Officers of the Main Operational Directorate also took a direct part in this work.
As during the Great Patriotic War, representatives of the Main Operational Directorate were sent to each group of troops (forces). The officers of the GO provided assistance to the commanders and prepared materials for a report to the leadership of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation on the state of affairs in the troops and the progress of their tasks.
Image source: redstar.ru
Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, Army General V.V. GERASIMOV and Chief of the Main Operational Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, Colonel General S.F. RUDSKOY at the headquarters of the United Group of Forces (forces), February 2024
We have gained unique experience in training and conducting combat operations in modern conditions. Its importance is great, since the special operation in Ukraine is a new phenomenon in the art of war. Many tasks, and above all combat ones, are solved outside the box, very different from previously accepted approaches. Many effective methods and techniques of warfare have been developed that have not been used before.
As for the main results of repelling the enemy's counteroffensive, the AFU suffered enormous losses, failing to overcome the tactical zone of our defense. Russian troops exhausted the enemy in defense, defeating its operational reserves, including elite formations trained by NATO instructors. As a result, the strategic initiative has passed to us. In general, the successful experience of preparing and conducting active defense by the United Group of Troops (forces) He showed the superiority of modern Russian military art over NATO.
– Being the head of a strategic management body, could you assess the current situation in the zone of a special military operation? It is clear that much of this kind of information is a state secret, but still, what are our plans?
– The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation are successfully resisting the entire so-called collective West, which fully controls the authorities in Kiev.
A large-scale economic crisis is developing in Ukraine. The loss of a significant part of the industrial potential, disruptions in the supply of raw materials, logistical problems, as well as the mass mobilization of the able-bodied population deprive the country's economy of the opportunity for recovery.
The military and political leadership of Ukraine, despite the negative result of the summer-autumn campaign, huge losses and discontent of the population with the next wave of mobilization, continues armed resistance. Currently, in order to hold important areas and positions, Ukrainian troops are focusing their efforts on defense, attracting all their reserves for this, including newly formed brigades, understaffed and not equipped with weapons and equipment.
At the same time, the Armed Forces of Ukraine still retain their combat capability to conduct active operations. Subsequently, in the case of large-scale military assistance from the West, another attempt at a counteroffensive cannot be ruled out.
In turn, groups of Russian troops are improving their position along the entire line of contact. A number of settlements have been liberated, and conditions have been created for further active actions. The production of weapons and military equipment, shells and missiles has increased to a level sufficient to meet all the needs of the Armed Forces. The necessary stocks of materiel and ammunition have been created.
As for further plans, they are aimed at realizing the goals of the SVO, defined by the Supreme Commander–in-Chief, which is the denazification and demilitarization of Ukraine. The final result is its neutral status and the elimination of the threat to the military security of the Russian Federation posed by Western countries on Ukrainian territory. I am sure that all the tasks set will be completed and the goals achieved. This is an absolute priority for the staff of the Main Operational Department.
Image source: redstar.ru
The work of the officers-operators of the Main Operational Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation in the grouping of troops "Dnepr".
– What would you wish the staff and veterans of the Main Operational Directorate on the eve of a professional holiday?
– I would like to express my gratitude to the entire staff of the Main Operational Directorate for their daily, difficult, selfless and high-quality work. The events of recent years related to participation in a special military operation have further hardened the staff of the GO, rallied it and confirmed the high professionalism of the officer operators.
Special thanks to our dear veterans for their help and invaluable contribution to the construction and development of the Armed Forces.
We consider February 20 not only as the day of formation of the Main Operational Directorate of the General Staff, but also as a professional holiday for all operational officers of the Russian Armed Forces. Congratulations to all representatives of this difficult and responsible profession, I wish them good health, prosperity and further success in military service to the Fatherland!
Photo from the archive of the State Department of the General Staff
The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation
Oleg the Terrible, "Red Star"