Little green men (Russo-Ukrainian War) explained

The "little green men" (Russian: зелёные человечки ; Ukrainian: зелені чоловічки) were Russian soldiers who were masked and wore unmarked uniforms upon the outbreak of the Russo-Ukrainian War in 2014. They were active just before and during the Russian annexation of Crimea and carried regular weapons and equipment, but were always masked and wore distinctly unmarked green military fatigues.[1] Russia, which had been denying any involvement in Ukraine prior to the annexation, used these little green men to give it plausible deniability on the international stage.

Between February and March 2014, these unmarked Russian soldiers occupied and blockaded the Simferopol International Airport,[2] most of Ukraine's Crimean military bases,[3] and the Supreme Council of Crimea. The name has also sometimes been used to refer to Russian troops during the War in Donbas; the Kremlin stated that no Russian troops were active in the region, but many little green men were operating in this region while disguised as pro-Russian separatists.[4] [5]

Russian media referred to them with the euphemism "polite people" (Russian: вежливые люди|label=none)[6] [7] due to their well-mannered behaviour, as they kept to themselves and mostly made no effort to interfere with civilian life while also refusing to interact with journalists.[8]

After two months of denial, on 17 April 2014, Russian president Vladimir Putin confirmed that the Russian military had been operating in Ukraine.[9] [10] Furthermore, numerous sources, including Russian state-owned media, have confirmed that the little green men were a mix of operatives from the Special Operations Forces and various other units of the Spetsnaz GRU. It likely also included paratroopers of the 45th Guards Spetsnaz Brigade of the Russian Airborne Forces,[11] [12] [13] as well as mercenaries from the Russian state-funded Wagner Group.[14] [15] While their status as soldiers acting under the orders of the Russian government was continually denied, their nationality was not. Alexander Borodai of the unrecognized Donetsk People's Republic stated that 50,000 Russian citizens had fought in Ukraine's Donbas by August 2015 and argued that they should receive the same benefits as Russia's other war veterans, though he maintained that the Russian government did not send them.[16]

Weapons and equipment analysis

In March 2014, the Finnish magazine Suomen Sotilas (Soldier of Finland) published an analysis of the weapons and equipment seen on photos of "little green men".

The article points to a number of weapons and pieces of equipment that it asserts are issued only to armed forces in the Russian Federation:

The article goes on to conclude that with a very high probability "these troops are the 45th Guards Separate Reconnaissance Regiment of the VDV" based in Kubinka, Moscow.[13]

Other media have published a photo of an unmarked Russian soldier armed with a VSS Vintorez taken as proof of deployment of Russian special forces.[17]

Official Russian reaction

Initially, President of Russia Vladimir Putin stated that the men in green were not part of the Russian Armed Forces, but part of a local militia who had seized weapons from the Ukrainian Army.[18] The SACEUR of NATO Allied Command Operations General Philip Breedlove said that these "green men" were in fact Russian troops.[19]

In March 2014, Putin continued to maintain that there was no pre-planned intervention,[20] [21] but that "the heavily armed, tightly coordinated groups who took over Crimea's airports and ports at the start of the incursion – they were merely spontaneous 'self-defence groups' who may have acquired their Russian-looking uniforms from local [military] shops (voyentorg)".[22] [23] According to the Ukrainian Association of Gun Owners, Ukrainian law does not allow the selling or carrying of firearms other than for hunting.[24]

On 17 April 2014, President Putin admitted publicly for the first time that Russian special forces were involved in the events of Crimea, for the purposes of protecting local people and creating conditions for a referendum.[25] [9] [10] [26] [27] Later, he admitted that the Russian Armed Forces had blocked the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Crimea during the events.[28]

In response to the question of the presence of Russian troops in Crimea, Russian Minister of Defence Sergey Shoigu said, "Regarding the statements about use of Russian special forces in Ukrainian events, I can only say one thing – it's hard to search for a black cat in a dark room, especially if it's not there," and added cryptically that searching for the cat would be "stupid" if the cat is "intelligent, brave, and polite".[29] [30]

In April 2015, retired Russian Admiral said that the "little green men" were members of Russian Spetsnaz special forces units. According to his information, Russian troop deployment in Crimea included six helicopter landings and three landings of Ilyushin Il-76 with 500 troops.[31] [32] [33] [34]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Schreck. Carl . From 'Not Us' To 'Why Hide It?': How Russia Denied Its Crimea Invasion, Then Admitted It. rferl.org. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 26 February 2019. 30 October 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191030093535/https://www.rferl.org/a/from-not-us-to-why-hide-it-how-russia-denied-its-crimea-invasion-then-admitted-it/29791806.html. 30 October 2019. live.
  2. News: 2014-02-28. Ukraine crisis: 'Russians' occupy Crimea airports. en-GB=. BBC News. 2021-04-06. 21 November 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211121134543/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-26379722. live.
  3. News: Shevchenko. Vitaly. 11 March 2014. "Little green men" or "Russian invaders"?. BBC News. live. 18 November 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20191229213255/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-26532154. 29 December 2019.
  4. Web site: For now, a tense quiet in Ukraine's east . 2022-04-24 . america.aljazeera.com. https://web.archive.org/web/20230415210026/http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2014/9/1/novoazovsk-ukrainerussia.html. April 15, 2023.
  5. News: Buckley . Neil . Olearchyk . Roman . Jack . Andrew . Hille . Kathrin . 2014-04-16 . Ukraine's 'little green men' carefully mask their identity . Financial Times . 2022-04-25 . Locals said that what exactly happened to make Novoazovsk headline news remains unclear, but military experts believe the Russian troops and military hardware may have moved north into rebel-held territory shortly after crossing the border. Some said they saw tanks and other military vehicles stationed about 10 miles outside the city, while others said they saw “green men” such as the ones who appeared in the Crimean Peninsula in late February.. https://archive.today/20220321055717/https://www.ft.com/content/05e1d8ca-c57a-11e3-a7d4-00144feabdc0. March 21, 2022.
  6. Web site: 2016-06-11 . "Вежливые люди" из бронзы появились в Симферополе . (Monument to) "Polite people" made of bronze appeared in Simferopol . 2021-10-20. BBC News Русская служба. ru. 24 November 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211124191059/https://www.bbc.com/russian/news/2016/06/160611_crimea_polite_people_monument. live.
  7. News: Russia Unveils Monument To 'Polite People' Behind Crimean Invasion. 2021-10-20. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 7 May 2015 . 20 October 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211020034956/https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-monument-polite-people-crimea-invasion/27000320.html. live.
  8. Web site: Oliphant . Roland . 2 March 2014 . Ukraine crisis: 'Polite people' leading the silent invasion of the Crimea . subscription . live . https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/ukraine/10670547/Ukraine-crisis-Polite-people-leading-the-silent-invasion-of-the-Crimea.html . 2022-01-11 . 18 September 2017 . The Daily Telegraph.
  9. News: http://www.svoboda.org/content/article/25352506.html. ru:Путин: в Крыму действовали российские военные . Putin: there were Russian military operating in Crimea. ru. rferl.org. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 17 April 2014. 19 November 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20151119113345/http://www.svoboda.org/content/article/25352506.html. 19 November 2015. live.
  10. News: Putin's remarks raise fears of future moves against Ukraine. Kathy. Lally. The Washington Post. 17 April 2014. 19 November 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20151120120204/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/putin-changes-course-admits-russian-troops-were-in-crimea-before-vote/2014/04/17/b3300a54-c617-11e3-bf7a-be01a9b69cf1_story.html. 20 November 2015. live.
  11. Web site: Synovitz. Ron . Russian Forces in Crimea: Who Are They And Where Did They Come From? . rferl.org. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty . 4 March 2014 . 16 February 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200216073959/https://www.rferl.org/a/russian-forces-in-crimea--who-are-they-and-where-did-they-come-from/25285238.html . 16 February 2020 . live .
  12. Reeves . Shane R. . Wallace . David . The Combatant Status of the "Little Green Men" and Other Participants in the Ukraine Conflict . International Law Studies . 2015 . 91 . 393 . 16 February 2020 . 14 January 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220114181853/https://digital-commons.usnwc.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=&httpsredir=1&article=1321&context=ils . live.
  13. Pulkki . Arto . Krimillä on Venäjän asevoimien ensilinjan joukkoja . Crimea has first-line troops of the Russian armed forces . . 3 March 2014 . fi . 16 February 2020 . 12 May 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210512100211/http://www.suomensotilas.fi/krimilla-on-venajan-asevoimien-ensilinjan-joukkoja/ . live.
  14. Web site: Revealed: Russia's 'Secret Syria Mercenaries' . 2022-04-23 . . https://archive.today/20160810031320/http://news.sky.com/story/revealed-russias-secret-syria-mercenaries-10529248. 10 August 2016.
  15. Web site: 2017-04-22 . Russian Mercenaries in Syria . 2022-04-23 . Warsaw Institute . en-GB. https://archive.today/20220513100208/https://warsawinstitute.org/russian-mercenaries-in-syria/. 13 May 2022.
  16. Web site: 27 August 2015. Former Ukraine rebel head starts support group for Russian fighters. 16 April 2021. Yahoo News (AFP). en-US. https://web.archive.org/web/20221114144610/https://news.yahoo.com/former-ukraine-rebel-head-starts-support-group-russian-170701239.html.html. 14 November 2022.
  17. News: Ukraine Presents Russian Sniper Rifle Taken From Captured Soldiers, Will Charge Them With 'Terrorism' . The Interpreter . Pressimus . Pierre . Vaux . 18 May 2015. 19 April 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170420144024/https://pressimus.com/Interpreter_Mag/press/8401 . 20 April 2017 . live .
  18. Web site: Путін: В Криму діють не війська РФ, а "загони самооборони", які забрали зброю в українців . Putin: It is not the Russian military that is operating in Crimea, but the "self-defense forces" that took the Ukrainians with their weapons . 4 March 2014 . . uk . 31 March 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160303121737/http://espreso.tv/news/2014/03/04/putin_v_krymu_diyut_ne_viyska_rf_a_zahony_samooborony_yaki_zabraly_zbroyu_v_ukrayinciv . 3 March 2016 . live .
  19. News: https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/glavkom-nato-schitaet-chto-vse-voenizirovannye-formirovaniya-12032014115900. uk:Головнокомандувач НАТО у Європі вважає, що всі воєнізовані формування у Криму є армією РФ. Supreme commander of NATO in Europe believes that all paramilitary forces in Crimea are from the army of the Russian Federation . uk. RBK Ukraine. 12 March 2014. 9 November 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171019035527/https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/glavkom-nato-schitaet-chto-vse-voenizirovannye-formirovaniya-12032014115900. 19 October 2017. live.
  20. News: Rodrigo. Fernández. Putin no descarta una intervención si el caos se apodera de Ucrania. Putin does not rule out intervention if chaos takes hold of Ukraine. es. El País. 4 March 2014. 9 November 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171019035834/https://elpais.com/internacional/2014/03/04/actualidad/1393920433_473364.html. 19 October 2017. live.
  21. News: Stefan. Kaufmann. Kommentar: Der Unberechenbare. Commentary: The Unpredictable. de. Handelsblatt. 4 March 2014. 9 November 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171019035816/http://www.handelsblatt.com/meinung/kommentare/kommentar-der-unberechenbare/9566952.html. 19 October 2017. live.
  22. News: Julian. Borger. Julian Borger. Putin offers Ukraine olive branches delivered by Russian tanks. The Guardian. 4 March 2014. 9 November 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171003225621/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/04/putin-ukraine-olive-branches-russian-tanks. 3 October 2017. live.
  23. News: Pierre. Avril. Ukraine : Poutine souffle le chaud et le froid. Ukraine: Putin blows hot and cold. fr. Le Figaro. 4 March 2014. 9 November 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171019035532/http://www.lefigaro.fr/international/2014/03/04/01003-20140304ARTFIG00338-poutine-sort-de-son-silence-pour-se-justifier-sans-clarifier-ses-objectifs.php. 19 October 2017. live.
  24. Web site: Kravchenko. Yevhehia. http://gurt.org.ua/news/recent/13113/. uk:Українська асоціація власників зброї: вільні люди носять зброю, раби – ні. Ukrainian Association of Gun Owners: free people carry weapons, slaves don't. uk. gurt.org.ua. GURT Resource Center. 11 January 2012. 9 November 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171031224536/http://gurt.org.ua/news/recent/13113/. 31 October 2017. live.
  25. News: Lucy . Ash . How Russia outfoxes its enemies . . 29 January 2015. 7 April 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20230320140205/https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-31020283. March 20, 2023.
  26. Web site: Direct Line with Vladimir Putin. kremlin.ru. 17 April 2014. 19 November 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20171204063035/http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/20796. 4 December 2017. live.
  27. News: Gregory. Paul Roderick. Paul Roderick Gregory . Putin's 'Human Rights Council' Accidentally Posts Real Crimean Election Results. Forbes. 5 May 2014. 27 February 2016. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20140628103722/http://www.forbes.com/sites/paulroderickgregory/2014/05/05/putins-human-rights-council-accidentally-posts-real-crimean-election-results-only-15-voted-for-annexation/. 28 June 2014.
  28. News: http://news.liga.net/video/politics/4086201-putin_ukrainskikh_voennykh_v_krymu_blokirovali_nashi_voennye.htm. ru:Путин: Украинских военных в Крыму блокировали российские войска. Putin: Ukrainian militia in Crimea were blocked by Russian troops. ru. liga.net. 17 November 2014. 9 November 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171019092306/http://news.liga.net/video/politics/4086201-putin_ukrainskikh_voennykh_v_krymu_blokirovali_nashi_voennye.htm. 19 October 2017. live.
  29. News: Skibina. Evgeniya . http://www.mk.ru/politics/russia/article/2014/04/17/1016052-shoygu-o-quotzelenyih-chelovechkahquot-na-ukraine-glupo-iskat-chernuyu-vezhlivuyu-koshku-v-temnoy-komnate.html. ru:Шойгу о 'зеленых человечках' на Украине: глупо искать черную вежливую кошку в темной комнате. Shoygu about the 'green men' in Ukraine: it's foolish to look for a black polite cat in a dark room. ru. Moskovskij Komsomolets. 17 April 2014. 10 April 2015. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20140425213633/http://www.mk.ru/politics/russia/article/2014/04/17/1016052-shoygu-o-quotzelenyih-chelovechkahquot-na-ukraine-glupo-iskat-chernuyu-vezhlivuyu-koshku-v-temnoy-komnate.html. 25 April 2014.
  30. News: Kiev's claims over special forces 'resemble paranoia': Russia. Agence France-Presse. Zee News. 17 May 2014. 21 March 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150403234554/http://zeenews.india.com/news/world/kievs-claims-over-special-forces-resemble-paranoia-russia_932885.html. 3 April 2015. live.
  31. Web site: 2015-07-30. Tambur. Silver. Finland shoring up Åland defenses against 'little green men'. 2020-11-28. Eesti Rahvusringhääling. 8 December 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201208223418/https://news.err.ee/116415/finland-shoring-up-land-defenses-against-little-green-men. live.
  32. Web site: Urbanska. Tetyana. 22 February 2018. Operation "Crimea is Ours". 2020-11-28. Ukrainian Independent Information Agency. 30 November 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211130132631/https://www.unian.info/politics/10017818-operation-crimea-is-ours.html. live.
  33. Web site: Owuor Otieno. Mark. 8 February 2018. Who Were the Little Green Men?. 2020-11-28. WorldAtlas. 7 December 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201207090537/https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/who-were-the-little-green-men.html. live.
  34. Web site: 2015-03-13. Российский адмирал объяснил, почему операцию "зеленых человечков" в Крыму прозевала разведка НАТО. Russian admiral explained why NATO intelligence missed the "green men" operation in Crimea. 2020-11-28. ТСН.ua. ru. 21 December 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211221141331/https://tsn.ua/ru/ukrayina/rossiyskiy-admiral-obyasnil-pochemu-operaciyu-zelenyh-chelovechkov-v-krymu-prozevala-razvedka-nato-415476.html. live.

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