Opaque War: Ukraine 2014 (2018)

Overview

Opaque War: Ukraine 2014 is a simulation of the military confl ict between the Ukraine government and the Donbass rebels (the People’s Republic of Donetsk and the People’s Republic of Luhansk).

Game play begins in April 2014 when the Ukrainian government launched the so-called Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO), to assert its control over the rebel provinces. There are two players in the game: The Ukrainian Government player (Ukraine) and the Donbass Rebel player (Rebel). The Ukrainian player assumes the role of the commander of the Ukrainian Regular Army and the nationalist militias, police, and border guard forces. The Rebel player assumes the role of the commanders of the breakaway republics of Luhansk and Donetsk and (eventually) Russian support units. The Ukrainian player must attempt to put down the insurrection by securing Luhansk, Donetsk, and the Donetsk Airport, as well as prevent their capture by Rebel forces. In addition, the Ukrainian player should seek to control all the Russian border crossings into the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, if he can. The Rebel player must attempt to deny control of Luhansk, Donetsk, and the Donetsk Airport to the Ukrainian player, while also seeking to place Novoazovsk, Mariupol, and hex 1006 (the rail links to the Crimea) firmly in Rebel hands.

Modern War magazine #34