Operational Lore

🪖 Operation Iron Resolve
Virolahti Insurgency: Shadows of Fear
“From the shadows they strike — into the light we bring justice.”

🌍 THEATER OF OPERATIONS
AO: Virolahti, Finland – Eastern Border Region
Conflict Type: Hybrid Insurgency / Proxy War
Weather: Overcast / Cold Fronts / Foggy Mornings
Time Frame: Active / Escalating
Terrain: Forests, Coastal Towns, Urban Clusters, Abandoned Industrial Zones

📜 BACKGROUND / LORE
The border town of Virolahti, resting between Finland and Russia, has become the focal point of a creeping proxy war. Over the last year, insurgents affiliated with the Vympel 322 Network—a Russian-backed paramilitary organization—have triggered violent civil unrest throughout the region.

Using encrypted comms, social propaganda, and a decentralized cell structure, Vympel 322 aims to destabilize the region, erode NATO influence, and build a covert Russian-aligned foothold within Finnish territory. Civilian trust is collapsing. Local governance is compromised. And Helsinki, under covert Kremlin pressure, remains paralyzed.

NATO, led by the United States, has now invoked Operation Iron Resolve—a multinational mission to eliminate insurgent command elements, stabilize the region, and block any further Russian encroachment.

🟦 FRIENDLY FORCES
17th Ranger Battalion – Primary assault and clearing force, HVT Elimination and Extraction

74th Special Forces Group – Reconnaissance and sabotage, HVT Elimination and Extraction

9th Air Commando Group – Aerial support, rapid deployment, CASEVAC

NATO Support Assets – Signals intelligence, electronic warfare, and civil affairs teams

Headquarters: FOB Tempest (Northwest Virolahti)
Forward Insertion: LZ Falcon (Grid 026-097)
Intel Node: Joint Ops Compound, Hamina Docks

🔴 ENEMY FORCES – VYMPEL 322 INSURGENT NETWORK
Affiliation: Russian/CSAT-backed hybrid force
Tactics: Guerrilla warfare, sabotage, cyberwarfare, propaganda, religious extremism
Structure: Codename hierarchy based on playing cards for identification

🃏 HIGH COMMAND – JOKERS
Red Joker (Leonid Karpin): Supreme Warlord, Russian national. Fortified east of Virojoki.

Black Joker (Jari Vainio): Finnish traitor. Logistics master and shadow strategist. Highly mobile.

🂡 ACES – Elite Operatives
Ace of Spades (Kravtsov): Underground safehouse, west Virolahti. Black ops leader.

Ace of Hearts (Korhonen): Recon and vanguard unit leader, Border Ridge zone.

Ace of Diamonds (Malenkov): Cyberwarfare hub (Grid 034-118), telecom station.

Ace of Clubs (Lehtinen): Religious cult general, operates in Saarasjärvi Lake forests.

🃠 SUIT CELLS
♠ Spades – Urban Warfare & Black Ops
King: Viktor Sokolov — Tactical planner, industrial sabotage

Queen: Sampo Laine — Assault commander, Hamina zone

Jack: Dmitry Volodin — Sabotage Cell Alpha, explosive specialist

♥ Hearts – Propaganda & Civil Affairs
King: Nikolai Orlov — Chief propagandist

Queen: Anja Niemi — Loyalty enforcement in civilian populations

Jack: Pavel Mirov — Recruitment & psy-ops expert

♦ Diamonds – Intelligence & Logistics
King: Maksim Antonov — Arms and supply convoys

Queen: Sari Koskinen — Political subversion and surveillance

Jack: Yegor Barinov — Comms interceptor, hilltop facility (Grid 041-123)

♣ Clubs – Religious Enforcement & Zealots
King: Arkady Zotov — Preacher Warlord and executioner

Queen: Helena Miettinen — Overseer of faith militias

Jack: Grigori Melnikov — Indoctrination preacher, nighttime raids

🎯 MISSION OBJECTIVES
1️⃣ Eliminate Vympel 322 Command Structure
Prioritize Jokers & Aces

Conduct raids, assassinations, HVT extractions

Destroy or recover enemy comms and intel caches

Deny leadership any form of reorganization

2️⃣ Stabilize Virolahti
Reclaim towns, markets, and key transport nodes

Defend critical infrastructure (power, water, comms)

Prevent civilian targeting and promote pro-government stability

Support Finnish Loyalist Forces in securing governance

⚠️ THREAT AREAS – HOT ZONES

Crossroads Echo: Confirmed ambush corridor and sniper nests

Haavisto: Suspected CSAT drone over-watch and signal interception

🔐 RULES OF ENGAGEMENT (ROE)

PID before engagement — civilian shielding is common

Avoid structural collapse in urban fights

Secure intel before extraction/destruction

Coordinate air and ground units — operate as joint task force

🛠️ SUPPORT ASSETS AVAILABLE

UAV Recon Flights — grid scans, urban overwatch

SIGINT Support — disrupt enemy comms during operations

Civil Affairs Teams — influence operations & civic recovery

Air Assault / CASEVAC — 9th ACG on standby

🧭 COMMANDER’S INTENT
Break the spine of Vympel 322. Deny the insurgents their leadership, their propaganda, and their faith-fueled terror. Restore Virolahti to its people. NATO forces are the shield, the hammer, and the voice of order in the chaos. This is not just a battle for a town — it's a stand against the spread of authoritarian shadow warfare in Europe. Move with precision, fight with purpose, and do not fail.

✅ MISSION SUCCESS CRITERIA
Joker and Ace tier HVTs neutralized

Propaganda and logistics cells dismantled

Finnish civilian population reporting improved confidence and safety

MISSION CODE NAME
OPERATION IRON RESOLVE