Struggle in Soviet Russia

Proskurov, a jewel on the South Bug River. Of course, in more than ten years, the city will change its name "Khmelnitsky".

It was already night, and the light was still on in a window on the easternmost side of the second floor in the People's Committee of the Interior building on Solovetsky Avenue. At the only desk in the office, the young Major Ivan Alexandrovich Serov was looking at a document in front of him.

A week ago, Major Serov served in the Moscow Civil Police Headquarters. He is the youngest director of the Civil Police Headquarters. However, he only worked in this position for half a year. Following a call from Comrade Beria, he was transferred to the country. The General Administration of Security, serving as the Deputy Director of the General Administration and the Director of the Confidentiality Department. This is the most important department in the fight against the anti-Soviet elements. It has a heavy responsibility. What is more terrible is that Comrade Beria also entrusted him with the work of suppressing bandits in Eastern Ukraine. He needs to make achievements in this area as soon as possible. .

Since Yezhov’s downfall and Beria took charge of the People’s Committee of the Interior, the committee has mainly promoted three people, namely Serov himself, who was transferred to the Don, Viktor Semenovich Abaku, who was responsible for the specific work of Rostov. Mov, and Bogdan Zakhalovich Kobrov who presided over the main work in Moscow.

In terms of work ability, even Serov himself had to admire his two competitors. Just like Abakumov, he was transferred to Rostov for less than two months, and he wiped out the Turkish gangs entrenched there. Kobrov is also very good. At least now, Moscow has rarely seen prostitutes. And the black market.

However, it must be admitted that compared to Rostov and Moscow, the situation in Eastern Ukraine is much more complicated, because it is not economic criminals and grass-headed gangs who are active here, but damned anti-government guerrillas. And bandits. These guys lurking in the jungle, not only can they get help from residents who sympathize with them, but they can also get armed assistance from Poland. It is obviously more difficult to deal with them than to deal with gangs.

Fortunately, Moscow did not give him unrealistic orders, but asked him to get familiar with the work here as soon as possible, and then come up with a detailed and feasible work plan. Comrade Beria must at least know what he is going to do. .

In the past week, Serov learned in detail about the People’s Committee of the Interior of Eastern Ukraine. There is no doubt that the results he got are very unoptimistic. Today, the People’s Committee of the Interior of Eastern Ukraine has become an empty shelf. The purge led by Comrade Beria has indeed eliminated those executioners whose hands were stained with blood, but also eliminated those with rich experience. Party workers, military officers, and military academies drawn from all over, although They are innocent, but they don't have any housekeeping experience. After all, they need a certain amount of time to grow.

During this period of time, Serov interviewed the heads of the national security departments in several regions, hoping to get some information from them, but unfortunately, these people would only ask three questions, or they would just take the documents and transcribe them. The reason is also very simple. They have just taken office.

However, today's situation is not bad, Serov finally found something that can make him shine from the thick pile of reports.

Thinking of this, he combined the not too thick report in his hand and looked at the signature on the cover: Shepchenkovo ​​State Security Agency, Viktor Viktorovich Tarashev.

The name is unfamiliar, but there is nothing to be surprised about. Serov can't recognize the names of most of the heads of national security agencies in the entire Eastern Ukraine. After all, the time is still too short.

This report submitted by Victor elaborated on a combat plan aimed at destroying more than a dozen guerrillas in the Shepchenkovo ​​Forest. Although the document is not very thick, it is well-organized and has several opinions. The feasibility is also very high.

Opening the cover of the report, Serov read the report again. At the beginning of the report, the reporter briefly explained the basic situation of the activities of the guerrillas in the Shepchenkovo ​​forest area, from the approximate number of each guerrilla, weapons and equipment, to the overview of their activities in the past two years. .

Afterwards, it is to follow these basic conditions to analyze their approximate activity areas, sources of logistics supplies, and so on.

Finally, based on the results of these analyses, a number of specific action plans were formulated, including cutting off sources of weapons and equipment, cutting off food supplies, conducting a census in the Shepchenkovo ​​area, and cutting off the recruitment of guerrilla soldiers, etc. , Every action plan is feasible.

Holding the report in his hand, Serov stood up. He walked to the huge map hanging on the wall. While checking the map, he read the rest of the report. Then, he picked up the colored pen in the pen tray under the map. , Drew a big circle around the periphery of the entire Warren-Shepchenkovo ​​Forest area, encompassing all seven surrounding towns.

Yes, he intends to fully implement the course of action mentioned in this report in the entire Warren-Shepchenkovo ​​forest area. If the course of action in the report is practical, it is expected to be within three to six months. See gratifying results.

……………………

In Shepchenkovo, the only small stone building in the town, Victor was also standing in front of a huge map, meditating.

As a town where prisoners are exiled, Shepchenkovo ​​lacks government agencies. The real power here is actually a forced labor camp management agency that also belongs to the People’s Committee of the Interior. The person in charge of this organization with the rank of second lieutenant seemed to be at the same level as Victor today, but the problem was that the second lieutenant of the labor camp was worthless, at least in front of Victor, who was a second lieutenant of the National Security Agency, directly lower by two ranks. Therefore, Victor now has his own office in this small building.

Compared with the wooden barracks in the past, this room is now much more spacious. For Russian-style buildings, a roof is nearly four meters high. Although Shepchenkovo’s conditions are very difficult, the furnishings in this room are very complete. There is no shortage of tables, chairs, beds, and bookshelves. In addition, there is also a high-back semi-soft chair. The spacious desk, even more exaggerated, is that there is still a radio and a phonograph in the room.

What is it like to change shotguns? That's right, it's how Victor feels right now.

Fortunately, at least for now, Victor has not indulged himself in the honeypot of enjoyment. He always has a sense of crisis in his heart, that is, he only has three to six months to complete the task, since Moscow is strengthening the functions of the State Security Administration. , Improve the treatment of the staff of the General Administration, then correspondingly, all aspects of the requirements will certainly be improved. In the Soviets, working under the leadership of Comrade Stalin, we must always bear in mind that there is no provision for idlers in the system, let alone the treatment of idlers in a superior manner.

The map hung on the wall by the window shows only the Shepchenkovo ​​area. What can be seen on the map is a few collective farms. In addition, there are a few lines marked with red colored pens. Lines. These lines stretch in the jungle, and some even run through the swamp area.

Standing in front of the map, Victor folded his arms around his chest, and his light blue eyes were staring at the circle of swamps in the jungle. Those red lines are the so-called "hunter trails" leading to the jungle, which were discovered by farmers in certain collective farms when they entered the jungle to poach.

No way, Moscow collects a large amount of grain from Ukraine every year. In the last two years, the expropriation ratio has even increased to 70%. After the collective farm’s own grain is distributed, it is not enough to eat. Some collective farm farmers sneak into the jungle to hunt.

Poaching is a crime, and the forest rangers want to catch them. Therefore, poachers are often very careful. They will open up hidden paths in the jungle to escape the detection of forest rangers.

What's more, after entering the jungle, some farmers did not go for poaching at all. They just used their own food to exchange prey with the guerrillas active in the jungle. In this respect, the hungry farmers and the guerrillas In fact, there is an interdependent trade relationship between the teams. In the eyes of these farmers, the guerrillas are the real good people. The civilian police and border guards are all villains who oppress them.

In the vast and prosperous region of Eastern Ukraine, the reason for this situation is basically due to history and national policy. Vic can’t manage this kind of problem. He just wants to complete his task. One **** life in a water prison is enough. .

Victor's thoughts were interrupted by the "boom" sound made by the boots on the wooden floor. He looked away from the map and turned around unhurriedly. At the door of the open room, two ensigns in military uniforms came in.

"Comrade Viktor Viktorovich, the 203th Regiment of the 14th Infantry Division of the Border Guard, the 2nd and 3rd companies report to you," the two ensigns stood at the door, saluting and exclaiming.

"Come in, comrades, two commanders, welcome you," Victor's expressionless face showed a slight smile, and he hurried up to meet him, shaking hands with the two ensigns one by one, and said at the same time, "What do you want to drink? I also have some good tea here, oh, and some juice."

Hearing what he said, the tight bodies of the two lieutenants eased slightly, and the one with the beard among them hesitatedly said: "Let’s assign the task first, Comrade Victor Viktorovich, according to the deployment of Comrade Chief, we Follow your instructions."