Russia planned to seize Ukraine within ten days and kill its leaders, according to new documents apparently signed off by Vladimir Putin.
The leaked plans, revealed by the Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies (Rusi), show that Russia aimed to have annexed the country by August.
Russia intended to capture Ukraine’s airfields, water supplies, central bank and parliament as Ukrainian officials either fled or were captured “as a result of the speed of the invasion”.
The Kremlin created a “kill list” of Ukrainians that should be killed or suppressed.
According to Rusi, the plan was known to few in Russia’s military and unit commanders did not receive orders to invade until hours before.
Plan to use Belarusian airborne units
The invasion was meant to begin with a “massive missile and airstrike campaign” against Ukrainian military targets.
Critical infrastructure including railways and power stations would not be targeted as these were imperative for seizing full control of the country.
Russia also planned to use Belarusian airborne units to help in the capture of the Rivne and Khmelnytsky nuclear power plants, Ukraine’s intelligence community believes.
Officials planned to register the entire population by going door to door, noting if they should be eliminated or whether they were likely to collaborate.
They would divide them into four categories: Those who should be killed; those in need of suppression and intimidation; those considered neutral who should be encouraged to collaborate and those prepared to collaborate.
People would be processed through filtration camps.
Russia also intended to coerce the cooperation of local authorities and regional governors, with the Federal Security Service directed to capture local officials.
As time progressed, plans were proposed to “re-educate” Ukrainians by importing teachers and other officials from Russia.
