SOLVING DOUBTS

"How did you find me?."

"How did I know about your betrayal you are saying? Actually, it was very easy, like when you always agreed to my words, which is so unlike a major, and also pointed out some key information to me, and you even gave me some key information about yourself, and after connecting all the dots, boom! I found out about you."

"What key information did I point out so that you were able to find out about me?."

The first one was when you said they have tanks; that thing gave you away."

"Yes, I indeed said that, but how did it give me away?."

"Well, if you are so confident, then can you tell me how the hell will they move those tanks on the top of the mountains? Will they make a tunnel first, or will they use the method of air transport?."

"What difference does it make they can use any method which they like?."

"It makes a lot of difference, boy. For example, if they wanted to do it by a tunnel, then they first had to send a group of engineers with heavy equipment to make it forget about causing noise. Even just seeing such large machines would have alerted soldiers, so this can be discarded. Then came the last remaining thing, which is by airlift, but that is also impossible. Do you know why?."

"No, I do not know. Can you tell me why?."

"Of course it would be my pleasure to tell you this, so it actually has two reasons. The first reason is that if they tried to do it by airlift, then the Russian Air Force could have taken down their transport helicopter, while the second reason is that there is not a single transport helicopter that can carry a tank over such high altitude, so it is impossible to happen."

"But there is a chance that tanks will not be used in this battle."

Yes, you are right, and that is why I paid special attention to the number of tanks and their model, and you know what I got to know: the total number of tanks is actually fifteen, and they are amphebous battle tanks, like the Russian PT-76 Trumpeter, whose purpose is to send troops from one shore to another, and after that time I started to ask you questions in a subtle way to not startle the snake."

"What questions?."

"Like, should we do a pincers attack? If you were legimate military personnel, you should have known that by doing this we will be forsaking our advantage of high ground, and in turn we will be obliterated to oblivion, but not only you did not agree but also approved this strategy with your whole heart, and then came the last question, or should I say the last straw, which completely gave you away."

"What was the thing that completely gave me away?."

"That was when I ordered you to do a three-line defense around the base."

"How did I fail? Did I fail just because I relayed those orders in the wrong manner?."

"Actually no."

"Then how?."

"You failed because three-line defense is not a military tactic, you idiot, but a military hierarchy system, or in some companies, a business management system."

"Wait what?."

"Yes, the three-line defense definition is that there are three main parts in a company in which the first line of defense is management, which means that the first line of defense lies with the business and process owners. Operational management is responsible for maintaining effective internal controls and for executing risk and control procedures on a day-to-day basis. The second line of defense is risk management and compliance, which means it supports management to help ensure risk and controls are effectively managed. Management establishes various risk management and compliance functions to help build and/or monitor the first line-of-defense controls, while the third line of defense means that it provides assurance to senior management and the board that the first and second lines' efforts are consistent with expectations. The main difference between this third line of defense and the first two lines is its high level of organizational independence and objectivity. Now tell me, how will you implement in a military strange and repel the army?."

"Then you also are not a good commander since you deliberately killed more Russian soldiers than necessary."

"Who said that to you?."

"You yourself said that it is not a military strategy, but you still asked me to relay your orders, which resulted in them getting confused since even they would not have known about this, which again means that they will suffer extra deaths since they were unable to put forward a better strategy by themselves and were not able to put your tactic into practice."

"Well, you should have been right about that, but you are forgetting about the radios that the frontline soldiers have on themselves, so after you left, I just asked them to not believe in your orders and just wait at their current position for a possible ambush by the enemy soldiers from the side of the river."

"So you know about that, right?."

"Yes, I knew about that, and it was not even a guess since even a fool can see through their plan of entering the Russian territory through the southern part of the border through the river by using those tanks."

"Then why did you send your soldiers to the enemy base since you knew that the attack would come from the south?."

"Is not it obvious that they are just some reserve soldiers who were called here to just show their numbers while the real attack force's mission was to just wait for the enemy, which are us in their case, to reduce their guard, and when it really happens, then do a swift attack by which enemy troops will be unable to do an effective counterattack and they will gain a quick victory, and if they have any problem doing it, then just call some of those reserves, and that is also the reason why they were not moving much and the presence of those tanks, right?"

"You are right, but how did you manage to get the contact details of the Supreme Commander of the Kursk region?."

"Well, it was not tough; actually, I just asked the Luhansk base to give me his radio frequency and contact information for any emergency situation, and they gave me that willingly."

"And my last question: how did you know our base opposite the fence would be an easy target?."

"Well, it was all thanks to those and spies since I got me news that the number of troops is less, and then I realized that since most of the troops are expected to attack us from the south, then that means their numbers in the north will be less, and even more so if they are just some reserves, and that is how I got to the conclusion that it will make it an easy target to attack."

"Well, I agree with your thinking, but what would have happened if your guesswork was wrong?."

"Then I would just face the consequences of my actions since I am a man of my words, and now since you have asked me this many questions, can I have the honor of asking you a question?."

"Yes, commander, you have earned this right, so tell me what you want to know?."

"I just want to know a very simple question: why are you not scared? because according to me, you should feel fear at this moment."

"Commander I am not scared because even if I get arrested today, I will be free in a week, and that too if you are brave enough."

"And why is that going to happen?."

"Because in just a day fifty thousand Ukrainian troops will come to conquer the region of Ukraine, and by doing so they will free me, and you know what will happen, then you will not be able to do anything to change this since Russia does not have the capability to mobilize this many soldiers in half a day; heck, they might need a week to do this, and do not even talk about the time to gather this many soldiers."

"Well, I know you are right, but if there were this many soldiers coming towards this place, then they would not be seen by military sattelite, so I do not believe in your story. I will only believe when you tell me how they are coming here—have they got any special technology from the USA or are they using some very cunning tactic to escape from satellite monitoring."

"They are traveling in a group of 10 people, and that too is not on a fixed path; if the Russians see them, they will only think that those are refugees who want to escape to a relatively safe place. Is that not a nice strategy?"

"It is a nice strategy, but I think Ukraine will not have enough resources to maintain those troops in this area since they will have to move their attention to someplace else. It was nice meeting you, and I hope we will not meet again."