CHAPTER 627: CHAPTER 301: BATTLE FOR ANTONOV AIRPORT

"Immediately utilize the powerful transport capacity of Antonov Airport to land large transport aircraft, quickly transporting personnel and weapons to the outskirts of Kyiv."

"Then launch a surprise assault on Kyiv."

"Once Kyiv is rapidly occupied."

"We can then advance in all directions, towards other regions, with the purpose of destroying the command system of the Ukrainian Federation and quickly occupying other chaotic areas."

"It’s essentially a decapitation strategy."

"But just a decapitation of one federation."

"The plan is a good one."

"But...."

The surrounding officers couldn’t help but wear strange expressions.

Indeed.

The plan is very good if the background were in the [World War II] era. Once successful, it would almost declare the demise of the Ukrainian Federation.

Because in the [World War II] era, the means of communication and rapid response capabilities were far behind the current timeline.

So as long as Kyiv is decapitated, then attacking other cities in all directions...

If communication is slow and everywhere is seen filled with Russian Federation soldiers and troops, some cities might surrender on the spot.

But not now.

At this time, the timeline is pushed 21 years beyond 2001.

Although they didn’t know the modern warfare capabilities of this timeline, given Earth’s technological development speed, this point in time wouldn’t be lagging far behind.

Trying to decapitate and then swiftly push through the Ukrainian Federation before other cities realize it is simply unrealistic.

Moreover

This decapitation plan was astonishingly leaked.

The United States knew the intelligence was leaked and even Ukrainian Federation entrepreneurs received news that the Russian Federation would attack Antonov Airport tomorrow.

This is a bit....

Yet the Ukrainian Federation didn’t seem to take it seriously.

Mysteriously.

It’s like a giant makeshift troupe.

The Russian Federation is using a decapitation strategy that would have miraculous effects in the [World War II] era but almost no effect in modern warfare.

And on the day before the attack, news was leaked and told to the Ukrainian Federation.

One could say it was a failure upon failure.

However....

Coincidentally.

Although the Ukrainian Federation received the information, it wasn’t taken seriously.

Such an important piece of intelligence.

It wasn’t taken seriously, with only about 300 people defending Antonov Airport.

This left the officers of the Free Star Cluster Federation at a loss for words.

This plan.

If either side had not erred, it would have been a battle of annihilation.

But unfortunately, both sides erred.

One leaked the information clean, while the other disregarded the news of the attack.

In such a muddled situation.

The soldiers of the Free Star Cluster Federation entered the plot, preparing for the battle the next day.

After some discussion among the crowd.

The brigade commander of the Free Star Cluster, Mo’er Ellison, spoke:

"Quickly familiarize yourselves with the equipment."

"Then enter a state of readiness according to air defense standards."

"Prepare for tomorrow’s attack."

Unlike the unbothered soldiers and high command of the Ukrainian Federation, the soldiers and military personnel of the Free Star Cluster Federation knew this was the plot, along with those intelligence pieces.

Naturally, they knew an attack was inevitable tomorrow, so preparations must be made.

They just didn’t know if the attackers were ’Earth’s native NPC forces’ or from one of the six major federations on Blue Star?

After all, even the high-ranking officials of the six major federations didn’t know who was paired against whom.

They could only deduce which familiar opponent or Earth’s native force they faced by watching their own federation’s battle footage.

The only person who truly knew the opponents of each major federation was Zhao Ming from Polestar, monitoring the situation.

Because when in the background, everything was marked, and Zhao Ming could also change the opponents of the major federations whenever he wanted.

The soldiers of the Free Star Cluster quickly fortified Antonov Airport.

While also preparing for an imminent attack.

As for requesting reinforcements.

Even though they managed to contact higher-level Ukrainian Federation leaders according to the tip-off.

However....

The guards at Antonov Airport consisted only of reservists, 300 men, and their requests clearly did not receive attention from above.

Naturally, there were no reinforcements.

The next day.

At dawn, the piercing whistles of missiles suddenly filled the sky.

If it were the unprepared Ukrainian Federation soldiers, they wouldn’t have time to sound the alarm, but the Free Star Cluster Federation soldiers, prepared in advance, sounded the alarm as soon as they detected it.

Simultaneously, the radar station also sounded the alarm, detecting several missiles rapidly approaching.

Inside the airport.

The soldiers of the Free Star Cluster Federation quickly assembled, with the brigade commander of the Free Star Cluster, Mo’er Ellison, looking grim as there was no time to intercept:

"Take cover quickly!!!"

With the order given, all Free Star Cluster Federation soldiers hid from important buildings to take cover.

The airport’s air defense weapons were evidently incapable of intercepting these missiles.

As the brigade commander of the Free Star Cluster, Mo’er Ellison couldn’t help but curse, the missiles had already landed on the airport’s radar and communications facilities.

"Damn it."

"Did the Ukrainian Federation make no preparations at all?"

"How come there are so many cruise missiles coming over?"

Though aware of the Ukrainian Federation’s disregard.

They hadn’t expected such neglect.

The opposing cruise missiles had struck Antonov Airport, blowing up its radar and communication facilities.

This place was only 10 kilometers away from the capital, Kyiv.

If they can hit here, can’t they hit Kyiv too? This air defense system seems quite poor, doesn’t it?

The first wave of attacks had already arrived, and the subsequent assaults were evidently not far behind.

After the missiles all landed.

The brigade commander of the Free Star Cluster, Mo’er Ellison, promptly organized personnel to defend while inspecting fighter aircraft and clearing the runway, putting the airport into a wartime state.

This wave of attack occurred a little past six in the morning.

Close to noon.

The Russian Federation’s airborne troops had already launched a surprise assault.

The brigade commander of the Free Star Cluster, Mo’er Ellison, holding binoculars, furrowed his brow:

"Over 30 armed helicopters?"

"With this number of troops, they likely outnumber us."

Not only that.

The airport itself was only equipped with a few armored vehicles and an anti-aircraft cannon; this firepower was far from enough to counter so many armed helicopters.

Other soldiers also saw the incoming helicopter formations of the Russian Federation.

According to orders, they aimed at and fired upon the armed helicopter formations in the sky, but those armed helicopters didn’t just transport those soldiers.

Missiles were fired like no one’s business.

The rockets streaked across the sky, bombarding various parts of Antonov Airport, many of which were firing points set up by the Free Star Cluster.

After several rounds of strikes.

The soldiers of the Free Star Cluster Federation began to feel distressed.

Because the air defense and radar had been destroyed earlier.

Now, the primary air defense was just a single anti-aircraft gun inside the airport, almost ineffective against an entire formation of armed helicopters.

Fortunately, there were some man-portable air defense missiles.

With it in action, a soldier of the Free Star Cluster Federation actually shot down an armed helicopter.

But that was about it.

Due to persistent fire suppression from the armed helicopter’s missiles, they couldn’t lift their heads, allowing the helicopter formations to quickly find a safe place at the edge of the airport runway.

They began to land.

Upon seeing the opponent finally land, the soldiers of the Free Star Cluster Federation felt a sense of relief. Although they didn’t have an advantage in air-to-ground combat, they weren’t afraid of individual combat.

Additionally, fortifications had been built in advance.

The soldiers of the Free Star Cluster Federation, standing in for the Ukrainian Federation soldiers, fiercely resisted, holding off the Russian Federation’s airborne troops for the moment.

But this situation only lasted a while.

As all the paratroopers landed, those armed helicopters took to the skies again, raining fire down on the Ukrainian Federation soldiers (Free Star Cluster Federation soldiers) guarding Antonov Airport.

Under the dual pressure from air and ground, the soldiers of the Free Star Cluster Federation struggled to hold on.

No choice.

Seeing the casualties mounting, the brigade commander of the Free Star Cluster, Mo’er Ellison, had to order a withdrawal from the airport.

But this humiliating scene was watched by the Free Star Cluster Federation’s high-level leaders outside.

Their faces darkened involuntarily.

With all-night preparations, they resisted for less than an hour before retreating.

It seemed almost no different from the original Ukrainian Federation response, right?

Unlike the soldiers participating in the plot, the high-level leaders of the major federations all had the original plot provided by Polestar Company.

And in the original plot, the Ukrainian Federation also retreated after about an hour of resistance....