Rovski-Zaporizhian Separation

The Rovski-Zaporizhian Separation (: Rovski-Zaporoško Razdvajanje) (: Ровско-Запорожское отделение), also known as the Southeastern Artemian Wars were a number of separate but related wars that resulted in the division of the United Provinces of Rovsnoska and Zaporizhia into three separate states from 1994-1998. Most of the wars ended through peace accords, involving full international recognition of new states, but with a massive human cost and economic damage to the region.

Initially the United Provincial People's Army (UPPA) sought to preserve the unity of the whole of the UPRZ by crushing the secessionist governments, but it increasingly came under the influence of the Zaporizhian government of Dirkiv Tochinki, which evoked Zaporizhian rhetoric and was willing to use the UPRZ cause to preserve the unity of Zaporizhians. Multiple foreign nations sent aid to sides that would support their strategic advantages, ideological interests, or simply keep their borders secure. As a result, the UPPA began to lose, , and , while maintaining the loyalty of , effectively becoming a Zaporizhian army.

Often described as Artemia's deadliest conflicts since the Central Artemian War, the war was marked by many, including , and. The Kyrzhelovski genocide was the first Artemian crime to be formally classified as genocidal in character since the CAW.

Background
In the late-1970s, the UPRZs oil resources were beginning to decrease at an accelerating rate and, by 1984, exploration and production had virtually ceased. The termination of this industry, which played a central role in the economic output of the United Provinces, had a devastating impact on the state's economy. The failure of the government to prepare for such adversity resulted in a famine and humanitarian crisis in 1993 which, according to some estimates, claimed the lives of over 40,000 Rovsnoski-Zaporizhians. Artyrom Verhenko was a veteran and the leader of an underground Rovsnoski Nationalist movement known as the National Rovsnoski Legion which movement began in the early 1970s, but only began massive traction in the early 1980s, and eventually absorbing other Rovsnoski independence movements. The NSL had began killing UPRZ officials and carried out attacks on Yarovars and communists. During a peaceful protest by a separate and less violent independence movement the UPRZ police opened fire, sparking mass outrage. The underfed and under equipped military, fed up with the current system split into two, the authoritarian and right wing majority Rovsnoski northwest, and the communist majority Yarovar southeast, which would continue to use the name UPRZ until the end of the war. Through the systematic killing of political opposition, having high ranking military members, and moving speeches, Viktor Martić and the NSL took control over the Rovsnoski forces.

Hostilities begin
In the first few weeks of the war there was much scattered fighting, and no unified front. Rovsnoski rushed to the west, and Yarovars to the east. This massive displacement and disorder prevented any major military operations. Many isolated conflicts began to occur, with many UPRZ units trying to make their way east. The UPRZ 1st army, which was loyal to the UPRZ, absorbed various other loyal units and began an attack on the F23 Gomel Air Base. The soldiers at the airbase had not made contact with any other Rovsnoski forces, making them weak, disorganised, and unprepared for any attack. The air base was swiftly captured by the UPRZ, but only a few operational aircraft remained due to the Rovsnoski destroying the rest. The capturing of the air base rallied other loyal UPRZ remnants and became a central point for the UPRZ. On May 16 1994 Field Commander Dirkiv Tochinki announced his command over the UPRZ forces, and that the president was dead, solidifying his power. This unified the loyal UPRZ forces, and with this unity they were able to coordinate and encircle the remaining stragglers in the territory under their control. While the Rovsnoski forces were still scattered the UPRZ went on an offensive, capturing a multitude of small towns and cities where they only faced Rovsnoski militias and scattered Rovsnoski units.

Battle of Nikopol
The UPRZs offensive had mainly been against weak small towns and villages until around 14,000 UPRZ 13th and 32nd Corps soldiers began an attack on the city of Nikopol, which had a majority Rovsnoski population of around 184,000 and some 2,000 militiamen and UPRZ deserters. Nikopol also had hand grenade and mine factories. During the attack the Rovsnoski forces sent 6,500 soldiers and 60 tanks of the 14th Motorised Division and supplies to aid the militias defense. After around a week of fighting the UPRZ captured the city On June 17 the Rovsnoski 14th Motorised Division retreated from the city, marking their first major defeat.

Capture of the Barracks
Due to a lack of central command to unify the Rovsnoski forces and tackle the UPRZ offensive the Legionary Guard was formed out of members of the National Rovsnoski Legion, 37th Motorized Division, 3rd Infantry Division, and 12th Corps. The Legionary Guard acted as a central command for the Rovsnoski forces and as the elite units. Field Marshal Dymitri Papova was tasked with crushing the remaining loyal UPRZ forces in Rovsnoski-held territory and uniting the scattered Rovsnoski forces under a central command. The Capture of the Barracks was a series of engagements that occurred in mid-to-late 1994 between the Legionary Guard and the police on one side and the UPRZ on another. The battle took place around numerous UPRZ posts in Rovsnoski territory, starting when Rovsnoski forces blockaded the UPRZ-held Natyina Barracks, weapons storage depots and other facilities. It formally began on 14 July; its objective was to neutralise the UPRZ positions in Rovsnoski-held territory and to secure arms and ammunition supplies for the under equipped Legionary Guard. The Natyina Barracks were considered vital for both clearing UPRZ remnants from Rovsnoski territory and obtaining armor and ammunition. The Legionary Guard began the attack by clearing the North Barracks while sending the 3rd Infantry Division to clear the ammo depots in the southern part of the base. The local police in the area were ethnically Rovsnoski, but remained loyal to the UPRZ, attacking the Legionaries from the rear, being quickly overpowered by the Legionaries. After three weeks of fighting the Barracks were captured by the Legionaries, supplying them with 50 Tanks, APCs, munitions, and small arms. Most of the UPRZ fighters and police surrendered, and 213 swore loyalty to Grand Marshal Verhenko bolstering their ranks.

Rovsnoski Offensive
After the their successful capture of the Natyina Barracks the Rovsnoski forces were in an offensive position. On July 20th the UPRZ forces came under attack along the southern region near the city of Pochinki, a vital railway hub and home to a Zaporizhian air base housing multiple valuable Su-27s and Mil Mi-24s. Multiple UPRZ units were redirected to Pochinki to support the Pochinki Defense Command, and all units near the city were all ordered to fall back closer to assist in the defense. The city of Pazin would also be captured by UPRZ forces a few miles north.

Siege of Pochinki Begins
By July 24th around 23,000 Rovsnoski soldiers had taken the surrounding villages, General Želko Rukavina was tasked with taking the city. Deciding a straightforward assault would be a massacre against the heavily fortified city, Rukavina ordered to blockade of the city and shell the city using artillery. Around 34,200 soldiers were defending the city. After defenses weaken and the city begins to crumble, an assault to capture the city would begin. On August 7th a breakthrough was attempted using an Armored Division of the 4th Corps, around 15 of the Armored Division's tanks were lost to mines before they engaged the enemy. By late that afternoon they were in full retreat, with many accounts describing the attack as "clumsy" and "rushed." The heavy presence of snipers, anti-tank weapons, and concealed infantry positions are credited with repelling the attack and the many that would follow. The 8th Artillery Division and 4th Corps would continue to lay waste to the city. The electricity and water supply were also cut from the city due to the siege.

Battle of Pazin
On October 12th multiple infantry divisions from the GRA 5th Corps were ordered to recapture the city of Pazin. The 5th Corps was met with heavy defense from UPRZ forces, which of whom had decided to create makeshift anti-tank defenses by burying the hulls of damaged tanks to only allow for the turret to be visible. These defenses worked well to a certain degree for the first few days of the invasion, taking out a company of T-55s, but began to lose effectiveness as the Rovsnoski forces adapted and began sending small infantry groups to disable them under the cover of night. On October 26th Pazin was retaken. The Rovsnoski armored train the "Legija Express", which was supplying the soldiers attacking Pazin, was destroyed by UPRZ artillery shortly after taking the city.

Siege of Pochinki Ends
On March 5th a full assault by the 4th Corps broke through the UPRZ defense around Pochinki after a short aerial bombardment. Multiple armored divisions of the 4th Corps led the assault through downtown Pochinki, with few initial casualties. After multiple engagements with UPRZ forces the 4th Corps had taken the Pochinki airfield and downtown Pochinki. The attack on the headquarters of the Pochinki Defense Command within the inner area of Pochinki began two days later, and would last for three days as the defense command was ordered to continue fighting until reinforcements could arrive. After heavy close quarters combat and the storming of the defense command all UPRZ forces within Pochinki were ordered to surrender. Water and electricity were restored to the city. In total around 6,137 UPRZ soldiers were killed and 2,241 Rovsnoski soldiers killed, with an estimated 5,000 civilian casualties.

Stagnation
By early April 1996 the Rovski-Zaporizhian front had slowed down to a state of almost trench warfare, with no major successful pushes being made by either side of the conflict. In late 1996 Albaterra signed a pact with the Rovsnoski forces to send 1,000 soldiers of the 1st Crusader Corps, which would concentrate its activity on overseeing Rovsnoski forces, anti-partisan operations, and as specialised strike squads.

Operation Undeniable Success
On January 3rd 1997 Field Commander Dirkiv Tochinki of the UPRZ announced that the UPRZ had been dissolved, and the land retained by their forces would become Zaporizhia. Many believed that Tochinki's recognition of the dissolution of the UPRZ would be the end of the conflict, but Zaporizhian forces still wanted to reclaim multiple ethnically Zaporizhian and important industrial cities. An assault known as Operation Undeniable Success was to breakthrough the Rovsnoski line and capture multiple key cities.

Battle of Apazov
When the Rovsnoski besieged the Graznavan capital, thousands of civilians died from a week-long series of air raids and artillery bombardments in the heaviest bombing campaign of the separation. The assault resulted in a major Rovsnoski defeat,

Atrocities and War Crimes
The UPRZ and Zaporizhia were known to execute soldiers suspected of deserting to the Grand Rovsnoski Army on a regular to maintain discipline and prevent desertions, as they had some of the highest desertion rates of the war.