The ‘elves’ ground forces.
Have doubled in size.
In the 32 months since ‘Mordor’.
Widened its war on Ukraine.
Between them, the army.
Air assault forces.
Marine corps.
Territorials and national guard.
Have formed scores.
Of new brigades.
Each with up to 2,000 troops.
And hundreds of vehicles.
At least two.
Of those brigades.
Were fake.
However.
There are countless.
Volunteer paramilitary groups.
In Ukraine.
That exist outside.
The formal military structure.
Some train in the hope.
Of eventually joining.
The armed forces.
Others anticipate conducting.
Resistance operations.
In the event the ‘orcs’.
Overrun their communities.
In February.
2023.
Someone created.
Social media accounts.
For the 88th Mechanized Brigade.
And 13th Jager Brigade.
—and began posting.
What they claimed.
What they claimed.
Were photos of.
the new units’.
Soldiers and equipment.
A few weeks later.
The local government.
In Ukraine’s Varash District.
Near the border with Belarus.
Reported that both.
The 13th Jager Brigade and.
The 88th Mechanized Brigade.
Had joined up with.
‘Elves’ forces in the area.
But the district.
Had been duped.
A collective grew suspicious.
After seeing no evidence.
Of the 13th Jager Brigade.
Or 88th Mechanized Brigade.
In action since early 2023.
There are countless.
Volunteer paramilitary groups.
In Ukraine.
That exist outside.
The formal military structure.
Some train in the hope.
Of eventually joining.
The armed forces.
Others anticipate conducting.
Resistance operations.
In the event the ‘orcs’.
Overrun their communities.
The collective recently.
Asked the ‘elves’ general staff.
In Kyiv to confirm.
The brigades’ existence.
“No entity named.
The 88th Mechanized Brigade.
Exists within the structure.
Of the armed forces of Ukraine.”
Was responded.
“The 13th Jager Brigade.
Very likely does not.
Exist either,” it concluded.
There are countless.
Volunteer paramilitary groups.
In Ukraine.
That exist outside.
The formal military structure.
Some train in the hope.
Of eventually joining.
The armed forces.
Others anticipate conducting.
Resistance operations.
In the event the ‘orcs’.
Overrun their communities.
Given that the people.
Behind the two fictitious units.
Never tried.
To raise money.
It’s unlikely.
The “brigades” were part of.
Some elaborate financial scam.
“Both units may either be.”
“A psychological operation or.
More likely.
A small group of soldiers.
Unofficially designating.”
“A platoon or company.
By these names.”
The collective mused.
There are countless.
There are countless.
Volunteer paramilitary groups.
In Ukraine.
That exist outside.
The formal military structure.
Some train in the hope.
Of eventually joining.
The armed forces.
Others anticipate conducting.
Resistance operations.
In the event the ‘orcs’.
Overrun their communities.
It’s possible that.
In twin acts of.
Self-aggrandizement.
Two of these groups.
Self-aggrandizement.
Two of these groups.
Claimed the 88th Mechanized Brigade.
Or 13th Jager Brigade monikers.
But why would they both.
Work so hard.
—with fake social media accounts.
And stolen photos—
But why would they both.
Work so hard.
To create the impression.
They were part of the army?
There are countless.
Volunteer paramilitary groups.
In Ukraine.
That exist outside.
The formal military structure.
Some train in the hope.
Of eventually joining.
The armed forces.
Others anticipate conducting.
Resistance operations.
In the event the ‘orcs’.
Overrun their communities.
It seems more probable.
The two brigades are part of.
A psychological operation.
—that is, a deliberate effort.
A psychological operation.
—that is, a deliberate effort.
On the part of someone.
In the ‘elves’ military.
To deceive the ‘orcs’.
Into believing ‘elves’ were.
Stronger than.
They actually were.
There are countless.
Volunteer paramilitary groups.
In Ukraine.
That exist outside.
The formal military structure.
Some train in the hope.
Of eventually joining.
The armed forces.
Others anticipate conducting.
Resistance operations.
In the event the ‘orcs’.
Overrun their communities.
Psyops are routine.
In the ‘orcs’-Ukraine war.
Perhaps most notably.
Both sides deploy decoy vehicles.
—either inoperative derelicts.
Or inflatable fakes—
To draw enemy fire away.
From real vehicles.
Still, if 88th Mechanized Brigade.
Is a psyops.
Why did the general staff in Kyiv.
Give it up so easily?
*Because I read “The Bizarre Case Of Two Fake Ukrainian Brigades” by David Axe on 31 Oct 2024 on the Forbes, and also “Why are Ukrainians calling Russians ‘orcs’?” by James FitzGerald on 30 Apr 2022 on the BBC news.
So, I wrote this poem, including a report of Militaryland.
Please read the original story on the Forbes:
