Operation Blackadder

**Date**:
 **Location**:
 **Result**:
* American forces discover and destroy a chemical nerve agent in storage at a Russian-held airbase
* Pro-Russian forces maintain control of Chernakhovosk

* Ukraine
* Pro-Ukrainian militia
 1 special reconnaissance airman
 1 MH-47 Chinook stealth helicopter
 1 RQ-180 unmanned aerial reconnaissance vehicle
 3 Polaris MRZR ATVs
 ~100 National Guard troops
 ~150 armed militia paramilitaries
 1 special forces direct action team
 4 BTR-70 armored personnel carriers
 2 BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles
 3 2S1 *Gvozdika* self-propelled howitzers
 2 2S3 *Akatsiya* self-propelled howitzers
 4 9K33 *Osa* short-range air defense systems
 ~100 airborne troops
 ~200 armed militia paramilitaries
 Unknown number of special forces personnel
 Unknown number of GAZ Tigr vehicles
 Unknown number of assorted transport trucks
 At least 1 BTR-80 armored personnel carrier
 At least 3 BTR-80A infantry fighting vehicles
 At least 1 BMD-4M infantry fighting vehicle
 At least 1 BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicle
 At least 3 Mi-8MTV-3 helicopters
 At least 2 Mi-8MTV-5 helicopters
 Possibly at least 1 Mi-8MTKO helicopter
 At least 4 Mi-24VM attack helicopters
 At least 2 Mi-24PM helicopter gunships
 At least 5 Mi-28NM attack helicopters
 At least 2 Ka-52 *Alligator* attack helicopters
 At least 1 MiG-29SMT fighter aircraft
 At least 3 2S19 *Msta-S* self-propelled howitzers
 2 9K720 *Iskander-M* short-range ballistic missile systems
 2 9K720 *Iskander-K* cruise missile systems
 2 K-300P *Bastion-P* coastal defense missile systems
 2 S-400 *Triumf* surface-to-air missile systems (8 TELs total)
 1 9K317M *Buk-M3* battalion
 Unknown number of *Pantsir-S1* short-range air defense systems
* 14 Ukrainian troops killed
* ~20 Ukrainian troops wounded
	+ 1 Ukrainian special operations member wounded

**Operation Blackadder** was a secret joint operation between the US Special Operations Command and the Ukrainian military intent on uncovering and dismantling a covert weapon smuggling operation being run by the Russian armed forces in and around Chernakhovosk, a small Ukrainian coastal city under occupation by Russian military forces. On October 18, 2024, US special operations forces consisting of elements from the US Army's Delta Force and the US Navy's Development Group operating under Task Force 199 deployed into the region via a low-altitude aerial insertion by helicopter while the Ukrainian Ground Forces made a diversionary assault on a nearby Russian-held airfield. US forces would successfully disrupt the weapon trafficking operation in the area, but in the process would uncover a secret cache of component chemicals for a Novichok nerve agent. Two Navy SEALs would sacrifice their lives in an effort to safely dispose of the chemical stores.

In the aftermath, Russia was vilified by much of the international community for alledgedly distributing both conventional and chemical weapons to violent terrorist groups in Europe, North America, and elsewhere in an effort to destabilize NATO. Strict economic sanctions would be placed on Russia by the UN, infuriating both the Russian leadership and much of the Russian people. In response, both Russia and their Chinese allies would retaliate with attacks and blockades of various nations on New Years Eve, setting off the 2025 Crisis.

## Prelude

(Insert how many days/weeks prior to the launch) of Operation Blackadder, a cell from Task Force - Advance Force Operations arrived in Ukraine under the command of Major Foster Reed. He deployed three teams to ensure Task Force 199 could conduct a low-altitude aerial insertion as well as options for DEVGRU to insert from the Black Sea. The following three teams were deployed:

* Team Uniform: Four operators from G Squadron, One CCT and, One SIGINT Specialist.
* Team Victor: Four operators from Black Squadron, One CCT and, One SIGINT Specialist.
* Team Whiskey: Two operators from G Squadron, Two operators from Black Squadron, and One SR Airman.

Spending 60 hours in the field, the teams verified the intelligence gathered by the Ukrainian SOF reconnaissance units and gave a green light for the low-altitude aerial insertion. Uniform focused on ingress needlepoint, Victor ran surveillance on ingress screwdriver, and Whiskey checked out the extraction points. Not long after, Foster gave his approval of the insertion and extraction to TF 199's Command. While the rest of TF-AFO returned to a safehouse, TF 199 continued to prepare for Operation Blackadder.