Chapter 145: No Relation
The annexation of Ukraine by Russia after its attack shocked the whole of Europe.
Ukraine was not a military superpower, but it had its own strength by introducing American weapons to the legacy of the Soviet Union.
It was not comparable to Russia, but it was expected to hold on with the support of the United States.
However, Russia dominated the urban warfare with drones and launched a tank battle with black metal bullets, overwhelming the Ukrainian army.
The air force power was needless to say, and the navy lost all its offensive capabilities in a single battle near Odessa.
It was literally stripped by Russia.
The United States should have supported it, but it was surprisingly passive.
At that time, President McKinley protested diplomatically, but it did not work at all.
As Ukraine was annexed by Russia, the European countries felt a significant threat.
—Recently, Russia has been very active in the Baltic Sea. Estonia will be next after Ukraine.
—Do you think Russia will be satisfied with Estonia? After swallowing Eastern Europe, it will be Poland.
Poland boosted its defense budget and revived its economy in response to this situation.
The United States also invested heavily in NATO and deployed in Central Europe, unable to tolerate the humiliating criticism of being a scarecrow.
France and Germany secretly supported Poland, of course.
As Europe prepared for a clash with Russia, an analysis came out that the economy of Western Europe would collapse if a war broke out.
—Natural gas can last for a few years with the imports from Azerbaijan. Black metal is of low quality, but we can supply it ourselves. But we can’t get unoptium.
—The Europlanet project is underway, but the ion thruster efficiency is low. We can build a lunar base, but it will require a huge amount of funds.
—Even if we get unoptium that way, we have to pay at least 15 times more than the Russian supply.
The cheapest way would be to get it through Korea, but that was the problem.
As long as the EU does not collapse, there will be no chance of improving relations with Korea.
Anyway, unoptium was widely used in various fields as well as for research purposes because of its practicality as a high-temperature superconductor.
Europe would be in trouble if its relations with Russia turned sour in this situation.
But Western Europe led by France insisted that they could no longer tolerate Russia’s advance.
They set a kind of deadline.
—Estonia is a NATO member. If we let Russia invade Estonia, NATO has no reason to exist.
The United States also sympathized with this situation and did not intervene directly, but paid close attention to Estonia by sending military advisers and supplies.
Thus, as of 2032, the border between Estonia and Russia was engulfed in considerable tension.
Several reconnaissance planes flew every day, and when night fell, anti-tank barriers were erected along with barbed wire zones.
Then President Putin died and the tension eased considerably.
It was hard to imagine that Russia without a leader would invade Estonia.
Minister Dmitry, who had a large part of the military power, was known as a fool who could not distinguish between bloodthirsty and rationality, but he also knew that this was not the time to wage war.
The US Intelligence Agency sent this report to President Baldwin.
—Dmitry wants to achieve something in Estonia, but he does not want a clash with NATO. He is likely to provoke moderately and inflate his achievements and enter Moscow.
—Borchenko is also unlikely to make any meaningful provocation at this point. We need to support Deputy Prime Minister Mikhailov to take over the regime.
The United States chose Mikhailov because he was moderate and not hostile to the West.
They judged that they could bring democracy to Russia, but surprisingly he did not respond to the US’s secret offer.
He might have his own plan, but anyway the US failed to put a leash on Russia.
That’s how the border between Russia and Estonia was in a situation where both sides deployed troops and reassured themselves that there would be no war.
Then a battle broke out.
A surprise artillery barrage was launched from an artillery brigade belonging to the Western Military District of Russia toward the Estonian border.
As the coordinates were predetermined, the shelling fell very accurately on the French army unit belonging to NATO forces.
The French army, who did not expect the Russian army to attack, panicked.
“Russia attacked!”
“It’s war! Report to the Allied Command!”
The artillery fire started immediately and both sides exchanged fire.
In this battle that took place north of Paphos Lake, both sides lost a lot of artillery power.
Minister Dmitry received a report that his side started shelling and raged in front of his subordinates.
“Who the hell did it!”
“It was confirmed that it was the 79th Artillery Brigade. The commander is General Bulkov!”
“Contact him right away!”
“It seems that he was killed by the artillery fire!”
Dmitry was shaking with rage.
“Damn it…”
If he had been calm, he might have remembered the report from the Second Korean War.
But he was too hot-tempered and in a hurry to think clearly.
He called his staff and discussed the countermeasures, but no clear plan emerged.
“We can’t pretend it was a mistake after we attacked first.”
“Maybe we should just ignore it and push the border line…”
“Do you want to go to war with the US?”
He asked, and his staff persuaded him that a little achievement would suffice.
“The US troops are stationed in Poland, so they won’t intervene right away.”
“We’re up against the French army of NATO, which is small and easy to push back.”
“The Guard Tank Corps can reach the capital of Estonia in two days. We won’t be able to occupy it completely, but you can return to Moscow with that achievement.”
The sweet temptation of capturing the capital plunged Dmitry into agony.
There was a way to stop the war, actually.
He could contact the EU or the US directly and admit and apologize for the commander’s unilateral action.
But in that case, he would have to make a lot of concessions, and his position would be shaken by the Western propaganda.
‘Borchenko might become president…’
He had to stop the guy who was doing nothing in the capital from gaining power.
He decided to go to war.
“Tell all the units of the Western Military District. We are attacking Estonia from now on. The goal is to capture the capital Tallinn in the shortest time.”
Didn’t Korea’s 7th Corps capture Beijing in no time during the East Asian War?
Although Russia didn’t have a corps like that, they had enough power to deal with the French detachment and the Estonian army.
As Dmitry gave the order, the entire Western Military District began to move.
To prevent escalation, the air force was only deployed limitedly and the navy was not mobilized.
The US navy ships were in the vicinity of Helsinki in the north.
They had to get results quickly and negotiate a ceasefire with NATO and the US.
Following his order, the Guard Tank Corps, which took the lead, started to push and enter the border with Estonia.
This unit had considerable power, equipped with black metal armor and bullets, drones, and an integrated battlefield system.
To be honest, there was no unit in Europe that could withstand the impact of the Guard Tank Corps.
As dozens of Armata tanks trampled on and entered the border line, the French army and Estonian defense forces retreated slowly while responding.
That’s how the ground war between Russia and NATO began.
There was no way to stop the war now.
***
When President Baldwin of the US heard that the Russian army had finally stepped on the border line, he immediately picked up the phone on his desk.
“Connect me to Korea.”
After a while, he heard President Yu Ji-ha’s familiar voice.
“What’s going on?”
Pretending not to know…
President Baldwin skipped the greetings and asked.
“Do you have anything to do with this war?”
“You must have heard some reports that I’m involved. You can think whatever you want.”
“How can you say that so lightly when there might be a Third World War?”
“You must have already made up your mind. Just judge as you please. You won’t listen to me anyway.”
Was this dismissive attitude a proof that he had nothing to do with it?
In fact, the Intelligence Agency had pointed out Yu Ji-ha as behind-the-scenes because the surprise shelling by the Russian army was too similar to what happened during the Second Korean War.
He didn’t know how he did it, but he mentioned the possibility that he instigated the war.
But looking at this reaction, it seemed that Yu Ji-ha had nothing to do with it.
If it had been usual, he would have tried to hide his tail and negotiate…
“I just doubted if there was someone behind this because of Russia’s sudden movement.”
“Why would I want Russia’s war? If this goes on, I’ll end up being pushed by NATO and having a humiliating ceasefire.”
Well, that’s true…
The Russian army was on a roll, but as soon as Poland joined in, their advance speed would slow down gradually.
Dmitry’s goal was to capture Estonia’s capital somehow, but honestly it was impossible.
In the end, the Russian army would have to retreat, and the border line would be restored.
What benefit could Yu Ji-ha and Korea get from this process?
‘At best, weapon promotion through Russia…’
Korea’s weapon system had already appealed enough during the East Asian War, so there was no need for more.
The demand was so high that they had to postpone contracts. Why did they need additional promotion?
‘It seems like he has nothing to do with it this time.’
President Baldwin made this judgment because the situation in Russia was complicated.
After President Putin’s death, the Western attention was all focused on Dmitry.
Borchenko received less attention, and Mikhailov, the economic prime minister, was considered a washed-up person, so they didn’t track him closely.
That’s why they didn’t know that Borchenko was threatened with his life by the protests that were happening all over Russia.
He was in charge of various intelligence agencies, including the National Security Agency, so he thought he would be hiding somewhere safe.
Yu Ji-ha’s plan was to kill Borchenko and Dmitry through this war.
Assassination was the easiest, but if he used that method, he would be accused of everything.
The best thing was to politically discredit Dmitry and let Borchenko die in the hands of Moscow citizens.
And then he would make Deputy Prime Minister Mikhailov president and expand his influence.
The invasion of Estonia was just a part of that scenario.
“It seems like you really have nothing to do with it. We must have been wrong.”
“I want peace too.”
Did President Yu Ji-ha want peace?
Well, the devil of hell is fickle.
“Then can you mediate after this battle is over? France will refuse Russia.”
“That won’t be a problem.”
As the mood eased, President Baldwin showed a deep interest in the supercavity train.
It was something that could potentially destroy his country’s aviation industry.
He had no argument against its efficiency, but he honestly wanted to delay its introduction as much as possible.
He warned Yu Ji-ha.
“You can’t delay the introduction once you’ve announced it. People want efficiency. Do you want to spend nearly seven hours to go to London, Mr. President? Or do you want to leave at night and see the sunset at London airport?”
It was a phenomenon that occurred because the speed of the supercavity train was much faster than the earth’s rotation.
President Baldwin was speechless and ended the call.
The real crisis for the US might not be the war, but the transportation revolution brought by the supercavity train.
That was unless Russia waged a full-scale nuclear war.
He contacted Deputy Prime Minister Mikhailov while discussing countermeasures with his staff.
****
“You should become president after the war is over, Mr. Deputy Prime Minister.”
Mikhailov realized from that remark that Yu Ji-ha had planned this situation.
“You said you needed time, but you stepped in. Was the surprise attack by the artillery brigade also your will, Mr. President?”
“I don’t have that much influence. I don’t know if you’ll believe me.”
He was doubtful, but Mikhailov had no choice but to trust Yu Ji-ha.
He was old and had tried to resign from his deputy prime minister position with Putin’s permission.
He took over the administration after the president’s sudden death and the prime minister’s absence, but his shoulders were heavy.
“There are nationwide protests and a war has broken out. If we make a mistake, Russia might split in two.”
“I’ll stop it, so don’t worry.”
Mikhailov finally relaxed.
Why did he trust a foreign politician like Yu Ji-ha?
It was probably because of the trust that Putin had shown him before his death.
He trusted his word to give him land and transferred all kinds of technology and concepts to Russia without hesitation.
It wasn’t free, but no other country received as much benefit as Russia did.
Even the US, which had been an ally at one point, was not on par with Russia.
Although the atmosphere was a bit tense after Borchenko’s installation following Putin’s death, his relationship with Russia was still strong.
It could be seen from the citizens surrounding the Moscow Senate.
There were even slogans that he should become president.
It was an impossible demand, but it showed the desire of the Russians.
Yu Ji-ha asked cautiously.
“By the way, what about the nuclear briefcase? I heard that the prime minister and the defense minister jointly manage it when the president is absent.”
“There is one in the safe of the Kremlin office and one in the defense ministry. The two nuclear briefcases have to exchange codes for an order to be issued.”
“So you have the code for the office one.”
“Yes… As you know, Minister Dmitry has the code for the defense ministry one.”
This prevented a full-scale nuclear war.
Yu Ji-ha told him his plan after hearing Arma’s report.
“I need to protect your safety, so I’ll send you some androids. They’re not Lucia models, but combat ones, so they’ll be helpful.”
“Haha, even special forces won’t be able to approach them.”
“You have to secure the administration in any situation. I’ll take care of Borchenko and Dmitry.”
“Can I ask how you’re going to do that?”
“Borchenko will die by the hands of the people, and Dmitry will be disgraced. And for a while, you’ll lead the regime.”
“I don’t have the ability to lead this huge country…”
“I’ll help you, so don’t worry.”
So he meant to manipulate him from behind?
It was a sinister plan to use his influence to gradually devour Russia after resolving the situation.
He was speechless, but he had no other choice.
Yu Ji-ha, a foreigner, was much better than idiots like Borchenko and Dmitry.
He would make Russia stronger.
Mikhailov asked in a trembling voice.
“Please promise me one thing. Don’t neglect Russia.”
“You’ll be ruling, so I don’t think I can promise that. Anyway, there will be no discrimination. We are one.”
Race or nationality meant nothing to Yu Ji-ha.
The important thing was securing a pool of talent to create psychers.
Russia was not as good as Korea, but it produced psychers almost as much as Tajiks did.
Also, its vast land would help build various facilities for the United Human Federation in the future.
Mikhailov finally felt relieved.
“Then I’ll trust you and endure.”
“The war will end soon.”
Even though Russia and NATO were clashing, it somehow felt like that was true.
***
The news of the war spread to the people through the Russian media.
Many Russians cheered instead of being intimidated.
It was an opportunity to finish off the hated Borchenko.
The eyes of all kinds of special forces and intelligence agencies would be on him, so his margin of error would not widen.
The excited Moscow protesters began to push into the parliament building.
“Find Borchenko!”
“Kill him! Kill him!”
In fact, Borchenko was not the only one who was threatened with his life.
All the vampires who were Putin’s cronies and sucked the blood of the Russians were the targets of the purge.
The former special forces they hired were useless in front of the angry bears.
Violence broke out everywhere and many Russians joined in.
At this point, it couldn’t be called a simple riot.
It was a collective rage of the Russian people who had lived a miserable life.
Borchenko noticed this madness early, but he had no way out except for the sky.
“Helicopter, hurry up and get a helicopter! Why are you so slow!”
He should have changed to a model with an ion thruster sooner.
As he shivered with his secretaries, the Moscow citizens climbed up the stairs without hesitation.
The guards loaded their guns with serious faces, but it was uncertain how long they would last.
Then a secretary received a report and said in a despairing voice.
“Th-the helicopter crashed!”
Borchenko’s expression twisted.
“What? Who did it? Was it Mikhailov?”
“We don’t know. We’re preparing another helicopter, but time is…”
“Those bastards!”
He didn’t know who he was cursing at.
Soon, the angry protesters climbed up the stairs and overwhelmed the guards and secretaries.
Borchenko tried to escape with his bulky body, but someone pointed at his back with a finger.
“There he is!”
A moment later, a man fell from the parliament building and landed on the roof of a car.
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