2019 Invasion of Vyzhva

2019 Invasion of Vyzhva
Glasic artillery bombards Vyzhvan positions
Date 14 February - 21 April 2019 Location Vyzhva, Tír an Crainn, Tír Tairngire Result Decisive Coalition Victory Dissolution of Zayetist Regime Kolodorian annexation of eastern Vyzhva Independence of Targan city-state
Belligerents
Tír Glas Kolodoria Dayashina Rajan Commonwealth 　Rajamaa 　Uusimaa 　Suurlaakso 　Inkeri Kerenovoi Sebrenskiya Tír an Crainn Tír Tairngire Tír Ealga Tír an Fáill Crioch Fuinidh New Tyran Sylva	Vyzhvan Collectivist State
Commanders and leaders
Queen Ann Jaan Kask Daichi Noru Juliana Kaarina	Vazyl Ruban
Strength
1 million personnel	1.5 million personnel (on paper)
Casualties and losses
4,037 killed 16,288 wounded	50,000-80,000 killed 75,000-200,000 wounded 150,000 caputred

The 2019 Invasion of Vyzhva (Also known as Operation: Geas) was an invasion of the Vyzhvan Collectivist State by an international Coalition (commonly known as the Vyzhvan War Coalition). The invasion began on February 14th 2019 concluding on April 21st, during which a combined force, primarily from the Vinyan Union, Kolodoria, Dayashina, and Hallian Commonwealth supported by several international contingents invaded Vyzhva. The Coalition declared a ceasefire on April 18th following the capture of the Vyzhvan capital of Melna.

The Glasic-led coalition numbered over a million personnel from the various states of the Vinyan Union, the Republic of Dayashina, Hallian Commonwealth and Socialist Republic of Kolodoria Jedoria provided the single largest contingent with nearly 400,000 personnel, while various other states contributed smaller forces, including special forces from New Tyran and Sebrenskiya.

The invasion was a response to a series of escalatory terrorist attacks that had occurred in Tír Glas in late 2018, which resulted in the deaths of nearly 2,000 people, with thousands more wounded. A Glasic investigation concluded that Vyzhva had funded and prepared the attacks, which had served as the culmination of increasing tensions within Vinya. Earlier in the year, Vyzhva had shot down a Kolodorian patrol aircraft, which resulted in a series of brief border skirmishes. Vyzhva, essentially a rogue state, enjoyed little to no international support, but denied any and all involvement in the attacks and condemned the Glasic claims as "imperialist propaganda".

Beginning in late 2018, major Coalition states began a series of military exercises which were in fact a cover for the largest military buildup since the World War. After nearly two months of buildup, the Coalition began an invasion on multiple fronts in the early hours of February 14th 2019, beginning it with a series of concentrated missile and artillery strikes from air, ground and naval forces, intended to decapitate the Vyzhvan political and military leadership. Throughout the following days Coalition forces pushed further into Vyzhva on four fronts. Kolodorian forces moving from the east, a combined Glaso-Dayashinese force northwest and Glaso-Hallian force invading from the southeast. A Cranno-Fáillic force also advanced from within Tír an Crainn toward the exclave of Targan. The Vyzhvan military, the People's Mobilization, resisted the invasion but with the majority of it's command and control structure having been destroyed in the early stages of the conflict were unable to coordinate a meaningful defence, resulting in what Coalition commanders described as "fierce but disorganized" resistance.

Coalition forces made rapid progress during the early weeks of the invasion. The Vyzhvan air force had mostly been destroyed on the ground with those able to get airborne being damaged or destroyed due to complete control of the skies by Coalition air forces. Targan was captured in less than a week by a joint Cranno-Fáillic force, while Kolodorian forces encircled Vyzhvan units in eastern Vyzhva. Coalition forces then rapidly advanced towards the major population centres of Kupka and Prognoi, but met stiff resistance, being forced to lay siege to both cities, Kupka falling on March 13th and Prognoi on the 19th. Kolodorian forces then advanced toward the capital, Melna, which Vinyan Union forces were reluctant to advance into. It would be April 17th before Melna surrendered. During the period that Melna was surrounded, Coalition forces were involved in mopping up Vyzhvan resistance within the interior of the country. The Kolodorian Government's announcement of victory on April 17th is generally considered to mark the end of hostilities whilst an official ceasefire came into effect on the 18th

The invasion spurred a massive humanitarian crisis due to the near total collapse of Vyzvhan infrastructure and civil services, which by modern standards were already limited to begin with. Non-government organizations and aid services from across the world sent volunteers and supplies to attempt to alleviate the crisis, as did some national governments. During the invasion, Coalition forces confirmed the long rumored existence of forced labor camps set up by the Zayetist regime, which housed hundreds of thousands of political prisoners, ethnic minorities, disabled and mentally ill citizens as well as foreign prisoners. The Zayetist regime was effectively dissolved during the war and replaced by an interim Coalition governing authority.

In the immediate aftermath of the invasion the restoration and rebuilding of Vyzhva was split between the main coalition members with Vyzhva itself being split along historic boundaries into four main regions.

Not long after the cessation of hostilities, Kolodoria officially annexed western Vyzhvan territories it had long held claim to and began the process of evicting ethnic Vyzhvans from the area in a process of forced resettlement, much to the consternation of the Vinyan Union.

Background

Tensions between the Ivernic nations and Vyzhva can be traced back as far as 800 CE with the mass migration of Ivernic peoples across Vinya, sparking conflict with the indigenous Turkic Vyzvhans. Low level figthing and territorial disputes defined the Ivernic-Vyzvhan relations amid periods of uneasy peace for the better part of a millenia. Following the gradual industrialization of central Vinya relations remained largely cordial between the Ivernic states and Vyzhva, with relations improving somewhat in the early 20th Century as Vyzhva steadily modernized and opened itself up to the world.

The 1930s-1940s brought radical change to Vinya. The outbreak of the Pan-Septentrion War heavily involved Tír Glas while the Northern War consumed the Confederation of Kolodoria. The Vyzhvan Civil War saw the rise of the Zayetist Regime, a deeply authoritarian ethno-nationalist organization that immediately closed the country off to foreign influence while introducing mass collectivization that ultimately resulted in the deaths of some 1 million Vyzvhans between 1951 to 1962. Vyzhva's strategic situation gradually changed in the latter half of the 20th Century. The gradual independence of the Ivernic states from the Anglian Empire and subsequent coalescing into the Vinyan Union led by Tír Glas was accompanied by the Kolodorian Revolution and the establishment of the Socialist Republic of Kolodoria. Uneasy relations with both power blocs resulted in Vyzhva remaining neutral during the Vinyan War. In the aftermath of the war relations soured between Vyzhva and it's neighbors; the Ivernic nations were uneasy over Vyzhva's systematic oppression and authoritarism, while border disputes with Kolodoria remained a constant thorn.

As tensions mounted between Vyzhva and the Vinyan Union the Zayetist Regime opted to undertake a campaign of terror bombings and cross border raids after accusations arose that the Ivernic states were attempting to infiltrate and undermine the Zayetists. Vyzhvan focus on the Vinyan Union were abruptly halted by the outbreak of the Vyzhvan-Kolodorian War, during which Kolodoria invaded Vyzhva intent on reclaiming lost and disputed territory. After initial setbacks Vyzhva succesfully stonewalled Kolodorian efforts, and after eight months of fighting a ceasefire was agreed to. Vyzhva was forced to cede territory north of the Denala River to Kolodoria but the outcome was largely seen as a victory to the Zayetists, who proclaimed they had accomplished what had taken the entire Vinyan Multinational Force had struggled to do; halt the Kolodorian armed forces.

Nevertheless the war resulted in an immediate focus given to Kolodoria, which was deemed by the Zayetists to be Vyzhva's greatest strategic threat. Immense defense fortifications were cosntructed along the border with Kolodoria in preparation for another war. The decline of Koldorian power following the onset of the Cherniyan War and the death of Aleksis Kraulis resulted in Vyzhvan efforts being diverted from Kolodoria back towards the Vinyan Union, which by now had established itself as a major economic bloc and political power. Tensions resumed and remained intermittent during the 1990s and early 2000s.

As the 21st Century began Vyzhva had increasingly fallen behind it's neighbors in most fields. Isolated from the rest of Septentrion Vyzhva's economy remained inflexibile and stagnant, while the armed forces, the People's Mobilization, fell behind significantly compared to the Glasic Defence Force and the Kolodorian People's Defense Forces. Between 2002-2017 Vyzhva sought to continually undermine the Vinyan Union, which it percieved as the bigger threat following the 2005 Kolodorian Constitutional Crisis, through a campaign of terror bombings and cross-border attacks. The VU responded intermittedly with air and naval strikes of their own, although hostilities were never declared fully.

Tensions escalated significantly following the Bombings of Avallone in December 2018, which the Glasic government blamed Vyzhva for. Shortly thereafter the Glasic government began a clandestine effort to build an international coalition to respond to the attacks, which ultimately resulted in the decision to invade Vyzhva and dispose of the Zayetist regime.

Course of the Invasion

Decapitation Campaign

In the early hours of February 14th 2019 Tír Glas conducted a pre-emptive bombardment of key positions in Vyzhva including ammunition dumps, airfields and dispersal sites, bridges and rail infrastructure. Over a hundred land-attack missiles were launched in this initial strike alone, primarily from a Bean Sí-class submarine somewhere in the Sodor Firth. Simultaneously, aircraft operating from bases in Tír an Fáil systematically struck along the southern coast of Vyzhva destroying what little coastal naval presence it possessed as well as destroying road and rail infrastructure in the surrounding areas. Simultaneously, the Dayashinese contingent began their pre-emptive bombardment, with cruise missiles fired from two destroyers, one cruiser, one submarine, and various aerial elements striking Vyzhvan government, communication, and command infrastructure, generally throwing the Vyzhvans into disarray.

Dayashinese naval and aerial assets fired a combined total of 100 cruise missiles in the decapitation barrage alone. The Yakaze-class destroyer RDNS Shiokaze fired 12 Tomahawks and 3 Mosquitos. Identically, the Miyuki-class destroyer RDNS Shirayuki fired off 12 Tomahawks and 3 Mosquitos. The Yamazaki-class guided missile cruiser RDNS Moto fired a total of 24 Tomahawks and 6 Mosquitos. The Nagara-class nuclear attack submarine RDNS Natori also fired a total of 8 Tomahawks. Dayashinese aerial assets, mostly consisting of Mitsuna Eagle/Kai and IAe Huntress, fired off a total 8 Mosquitos and an assortment of 24 other air-to-ground missiles.

Kolodoria Invades

On paper, Kolodorian forces represented the weakest element of the Coalition's force and the closest to a peer opponent for Vyzhva. Kolodorian lacked cutting edge weapon systems and aircraft, and most of it's ground forces were equipped with similar Letnian-style hardware Vyzhva itself used. However the Kolodorian invasion force was also the largest; nearly 400,000 troops, 3,000 tanks, and nearly 1,500 artillery pieces. Vyzhvan forces stationed near the border numbered just 150,000.

Shortly after Coalition air strikes began hitting Melna, Kolodorian artillery began shelling suspected Vyzhvan positions and staging areas across the border, while the Kolodorian Air Force began launching strikes across the border, supported by Sylvan fighter squadrons. The intention behind the Kolodorian portion of the invasion was to draw away Vyzhvan forces and reserves away from the major urban areas of southern Vyzhva. Kolodorian forces, operating under the formation known as the 1st Western Front, consisted of two Orders and further subdivided into six corps for a total of 19 divisions. Kolodorian forces intended to encircle the bulk of Vyzhvan forces near the Kolodorian border in a sector known as Area of Operations Verdict. Once encircle, reserve corps would then push forward towards Prognoi and the Vyzhvan interior.

Vyzhvan defense planning was centered on a mixture of active and reserve People's Mobilization forces assuming a defensive posture to absorb the initial attack. Vyzhvan planning called for a total of ten divisions, 6 motor rifle divisions, 3 tank divisions, and one artillery division to assume defensive positions among a system of fortifications along the border known as the Ullan Line. Once the initial blows of the invasion had been dealt with, a reserve operational grouping of five divisions (3 motor rifle, 2 tank) would counterattack into Kolodoria. Vyzhvan dispositions however did not match their supposed intentions; just seven divisions were officially stationed near the border.

Opening air strikes and artillery bombardments hammered Vyzhvan positions among the border, preventing local forces from assuming proper defensive positions. Due to Coalition strikes against Vyzhvan higher headquarters, Vyzhvan forces in the east were disorganized and unable to coordinate their efforts effectively. Local commanders attempted to assume positions among the Ullan Line, but Kolodorian artillery and Coalition air strikes had destroyed many of the bunkers and hard points that were supposed to anchor Vyzhva's defensive line. Those positions that were still occupied proved too isolated and outdated to provide effective resistance, and by the end of the first day Kolodorian forces had brushed aside most Vyzhvan forces on the border. Within 36 hours Kolodorian forces had largely overrun Vyzhvan positions in what became known as the Battle of the Ullan Line.

Vyzhvan forces in the east fell under II Corps, and in theory consisted of nearly a dozen divisions, but the slow rate of mobilization and lack of preparation meant that what Vyzhvan forces did take the field were under strength and disorganized. By 19 February Kolodorian shaping operations, such as the Battle of Phase Line Korin, had effectively isolated II Corps from it's strategic reserves and Vyzhvan forces had naturally coalesced into a pocket in the area known as AO Verdict, where they were surrounded by the Kolodorian 15th and 11th Corps. Chronically under strength Vyzhvan formations were unable to contain Kolodorian armored columns, which by day four had reached as far west as Telenoya. With II Corps isolated and unable to effectively resist the Kolodorian, the 1st Western Front was able to unleash the 6th and 25th Corps to push further into Vyzvha. In the north, 8th Corps pushed through Vyzhvan defenses at the Battle of Talia Valley. Within a week of opening hostilities Kolodorian forces had shattered Vyzhvan defenses across the eastern front.

With their upper levels of command in disarray, Vyzhva's vast reserves were unable to take the field, resulting in piece meal units being annihilated as they came into contact with the much larger Kolodorian formations. By 25 February Kolodorian forces were on the peak of surrounding Prognoi. Vyzhvan forces, seemingly aware of the danger of being encircled, attempted to prevent the Kolodorian from doing so. On 26 February the Vyzhvan People's 88th Tank Division, a reserve force utilized outdated Letnian T-58 tanks, attempted to halt the Kolodorian 39th Guards Armored Division from securing the hills south of Prognoi. The 88th ended up being caught in the open and pinned down, where it was decimated by Kolodorian airstrikes and artillery. In the north, the 201st Armored Division routed the paramilitary militia 104th and 105th Peopele's Defense Regiments, securing the western highway out of the city.

Battle of Prognoi

Vyzhvan forces in Prognoi numbered between 35,000-50,000 troops, but many of these were hastily conscripted citizens with little military training beyond their mandatory conscription service. The Prognoi garrison lacked heavy weapons and armored vehicles, reducing their ability to adequately defend the city. Kolodorian forces for their part refused to commit to a street battle, and retained a loose encirclement around the city. Kolodorian artillery and air strikes targeted Prognoi's infrastructure including it's power grid, sanitation services, and water treatment plants in an effort to force the surrender of the garrison, actions which drew criticism from international aid organizations and human rights groups. Kolodorian commanders defended their decision, arguing that a protracted urban battle was unfeasible given the length of Kolodoria's supply lines.

Vyzhvan forces attempted to break the siege several times to no avail, while Kolodorian artillery continued to reduce much of Prognoi's infrastructure to ruin. Originally the Kolodorian attempted to open a corridor through which civilians could flee the city, but after three days Vyzhvan forces closed down the corridor and began shooting at civilians attempting to escape the city. Caught between Vyzhvan executions and Kolodorian shelling, it is still uncertain how many civilians were killed in the battle. As the days past, the Kolodorians began to steadily push into the city, usually only after flattening entire city blocks with shelling and air strikes.

Prognoi's garrison surrendered on 13 March, the same day that Kupka was captured by Coalition forces. Prognoi's fall, coupled with the liquidation of what was left of the Vyzhvan II Corps, freed up multiple Kolodorian divisions to push further into Vyzhva's interior, while the 6th Corps was able to link up with the 2nd Corps and push on towards the capital of Melna.