In the original Russian Roulette scenario pack, the "Eyes of the World" scenario was changed from the original manuscript. Reproduced here for the first time is the scenario as it was originally designed. 

The scenario, as designed, is a very large scenario, and is better suited for use with the Miniatures Rules. Hardcore players can, of course, attempt this with the full Phoenix Command Small Arms and Mechanized rules. 

The Siege of Yeltsin

A group of Gorbachev's most trusted ministers ousted him from power for a short time. They would hold power in the Soviet Union for two days and watch their government and authority crumble around them as the Soviet people refused to heed them. This scenario is based upon these events.

Anatomy of a Coup

Day 1: On August 19, 1991, Army, Fleet, KGB, and Interior Ministry forces moved to surround President Gorbachev's Black Sea residence and place him under house arrest and hold him incommunicado. These units are acting on the orders of an eight-member ruling council, which included KGB Chair Kryuchkov, Defence Minister Yazov, Interior Minister Pugo, Prime Minister Pavlov, and Vice-President Yanayev. The council claims Gorbachev resigned due to health problems and declares a six-month state of emergency. Soviet military and paramilitary forces move quickly to take control of Moscow and cities in the Baltic republics. In Moscow, the ruling council is opposed by reform-minded Russian President Yeltsin who calls the Soviet people to resist the coup.

Day 2: Yeltsin barricades himself in the Russian Parliament building behind rings of civilian supporters and expedient barriers. The equivalent of two tank battalions and supporting motor rifle units are deployed by the coup leaders around Yeltsin's stronghold. Public demonstrations continue and several APCs are destroyed by partisan petrol bombs. Three partisans are killed by nightfall by a panicked APC crew. The military makes it clear to coup leaders that they will not use force against civilians and, in fact, some military units have defected to Yeltsin's side and news footage shows Yeltsin's photograph laminated onto the side of an APC turret. The ruling council gives orders for the arrest of Yeltsin.

In outlying republics, Soviet troops crack down on dissent. Latvia's broadcast station is seized and the Estonian city of Tallinn is under naval blockade and occupied by airborne forces. Large protests take place in the Ukraine and Moldavia.

Day 3: The coup crumbles as the military refuses to act against Soviet civilians. Without the military and paramilitary forces to back up its decrees, the ruling council is powerless. Military forces pull out of Moscow and the Baltic republics as the coup leaders scatter. Five would be arrested, two would claim parliamentary immunity, and one, Pugo, would commit suicide. President Gorbachev would arrive back in Moscow the next day to return to power in a coalition with Yeltsin and Gorbachev would later resign from the Communist Party.

This scenario takes place on the dawn of the third day of the coup. It is a hypothetical scenario which examines what could have happened if the Soviet military had been ordered to attack the Parliament buildings and to capture Yeltsin, dead or alive. Players take the side of either the junta or Yeltsin as each tries to command fragmenting forces in what could be the deciding battle of the coup. Special rules are provided below covering refusals, civilians, and Adamsite gas attacks.

This is a very complex scenario and team play with a referee is strongly recommended. One set of players should handle infantry combat within the Parliament buildings while the rest handle the armoured combat. In order to make the scenario more realistic, strict use should be made of initiative and morale rules.

Building Notes: All buildings in this area are multistory buildings. Treat each as having 10 floors.

Junta: The ruling council has seen Yeltsin as a major problem which must be neutralized before he rallies the people to tear apart all order in the capital. Elements of a motor rifle regiment have been sent in to break through the barricades to the parliament buildings. A Spetsnaz platoon will be inserted by helicopter to the top of the buildings to work their way down to capture Yeltsin. Airstrikes are not allowed as pilot loyalty is questionable and the junta cannot afford the public backlash from bombing Moscow. Gas grenades have been issued to deal with civilian protestors. The Junta sets up at least 20 hexes away from civilian barricades.

Junta Units:

2 Tank Platoons, each containing

4 T-80 MBT with Professional Crews

2 Motor Rifle Platoons, each containing

3 BMP-2 APC with Professional Crews

3 Motor Rifle Squads (mounted). See below for T.O. & E.

1 Motor Rifle Command Group (mounted). See below for T.O. & E.

1 Spetsnaz Platoon, containing

1 Spetsnaz Command Group. See below for T.O. & E.

3 Spetsnaz Airborne Squads. See below for T.O. & E.

T.O. & E. Motor Rifle Squad:

Number             Quality              Weapons

1                      Prof.                  AK-74

1                      Prof.                 AK-74/BG-15 and 10 HEAT

1                      Prof.                 RPK-74

1                      Prof.                 AK-74/RPG-7V with 5 HEAT

4                      Militia               AK-74

T.O. & E. Motor Rifle Command Group:

Number             Quality              Weapons

1                      Prof.                 AK-74

1                      Prof.                 SVD

T.O. & E. Spetsnaz Command Group:

Number             Quality              Weapons

1                      Elite                  AK-74

1                      Elite                  AK-74

T.O. & E Spetsnaz Airborne Squad:

Number             Quality              Weapons

4                      Elite                  AKR

1                      Elite                  AK-74/BG-15 with 10 HEAT

1                      Elite                  RPK-74

Ammunition: All soldiers carry 10 magazines FMJ and 4 RGD-5 hand grenades. Each Spetsnaz Squad also has access to 3 RPG-18s. Armoured units have a full ammunition load. All squads and armoured vehicles have 6 Adamsite gas grenades each.

Notes: Only 4 platoons are listed among junta forces. In fact, the junta could have fielded up to two tank battalions against Yeltsin, each with 9 platoons of four tanks each. The accompanying troops from the two motor rifle regiments (MRR) to which the tank battalions belonged would have come to six motor rifle battalions, each with 9 platoons. Each MRR has one tank battalion and three motor rifle battalions. Players wishing to expand the scenario to include these troops are encouraged to do so.

Yeltsin: The Yeltsin forces were barricaded in the Parliament buildings and much of the effort in planning was focussed on protecting the buildings and passive resistance. Now, the Soviet forces are moving in and approaching the civilian ring. Yeltsin's group has little military experience and has only the military units which defected for protection. Yeltsin armored units set up on the Parliament building grounds and infantry units may set up anywhere behind the barricades. Yeltsin himself must set up in the Parliament buildings.

Yeltsin Units:

Armored Units (defectors)

3            T-80 MBT with Professional Crews

5            BMP-2 APCs with Professional Crews

2            BMD-1 ACVs with Professional Crews

Personnel (defectors)

4            Motor Rifle Squads            (T.O. &  E. identical to Junta squads, above)

2            Motor Rifle Command Groups (T.O. & E. identical to Junta squads, above)

5            OMON Squads (see below for T.O. &  E.)

Personnel (civilian)

Number             Role                  Quality              Weapons

1                      Yeltsin              Militia                None

20                     Partisans          Militia               None

10                     Partisans          Militia                Karabin 1938g

10                     Partisans          Militia                M-870

10                     Partisans          Militia                SKS

20                     Milicye              Militia               AK-47

T.O. & E. OMON Squad

Number             Quality              Weapons

3                      Elite                  AK-74

3                      Prof.                  AK-74

Yeltsin Ammunition: All Soldiers and Milicye carry 10 magazines FMJ and 4 RGD-5 hand grenades. OMON units also have access to 3 RPG-18s per squad.

Partisans with either an SKS or Karabin 1938g have 200 rounds FMJ each. Partisans with M-870 equivalent shotguns carry 50 rounds "00". In addition, each Partisan squad has access to 10 petrol bombs (Molotov cocktails).

Special Rule--Refusal: Every 10 turns, roll 3(6) for each Junta and Yeltsin infantry squad and vehicle crew. If the roll is below 9 plus the squad's highest SL, the squad continues to fight. If the roll is higher than 9 plus the squad's highest SL, the squad refuses to fight and is out of play. They must either surrender or move off the mapboard, depending on the situation, but they will no longer fight. 

As an option, players on the Yeltsin side may add +2 to the odds to represent desperation and Yeltsin's oratory skills. 

Special Rule--Civilian Supporters: At the start of the coup, the rally around Yeltsin's stronghold had as many as 50,000 civilians in it. At the moment, only 2,000 civilians staff the area around the Parliament buildings. These will act like rioters, but will move in clusters of 100. Each cluster occupies a hex, but can spread out to occupy other hexes as well. These clusters can be simulated by a simple counter or group of counters, rather than placing a figure for every rioter.

Movement of infantry through these clusters is prohibited and any soldiers who try will be attacked. The use of riot gas or deadly force on a cluster permits infantry to move through the cluster at 10 x normal cost. Movement of tracked vehicles is permitted at 4 x normal cost and will cause (10) civilian casualties per hex. 

Special Rule--Adamsite Gas: Adamsite gas (Designation DM) is used by the Soviet Union as their primary riot control gas. It is, in fact, classed as a vomiting agent and is much stronger in symptoms than lachrymators like CS riot gas used in Western nations. DM symptoms include tearing, salivation, nasal drip, retching and vomiting, and agonizing gastric and nasal pain. Adamsite is dispersed in burning-type grenades like tear gas, and anyone exposed to the cloud takes 2 SP for every 2-second phase of exposure. Roll for knockout at the target's KV + 10, but when checking to see how long the incapacitation lasts, use the SP taken times 10. This is severe incapacitation, where the person affected can do nothing but writhe on the ground in pain. 

Gas masks provide complete protection against Adamsite. All soldiers carry gas masks and all armoured vehicles are sealed against gas. Yeltsin's forces also have access to 30 gas masks for distribution among partisan and Milicye forces.

Special Rule--Helicopters: Two Mi-17 HIP-H helicopters will deposit the Spetsnaz assault teams anywhere the Junta players choose on the Parliament building roof or grounds. Insertion time is in (10)+5 phases after the start of the scenario. For simplicity, these helicopters provide no air support, cannot be shot down, and are not subject to refusal. 

Victory: This is a fight to the death between the two governments claiming control over Russia. For the Junta, Yeltsin must be captured or killed, or the Parliament buildings taken in order for them to claim victory. Yeltsin wins by preventing a Junta victory. The game lasts until all junta units have either refused to fight or been eliminated, or until the junta satisfies its victory conditions.