In mid-2009, the security division of Russian conglomerate Shashka International was tasked with securing the disputed former Soviet-bloc territory of Chernarus. In recent years there had been increasing pressure, both from within Chernarus and internationally, for the Russian-occupied state to be granted true independence from the Russian Federation. Tensions escalated in early 2009, when significant mineral deposits were discovered in Chernarus. Russia took swift action to clarify what was seen by many commentators as an international grey-area, which Russia had previously been content to ignore. Shashka International were contracted to secure key strategic positions in the region, and quickly succeeded in doing so. Russia was widely condemned for its actions, with criticism ranging from veiled remarks about geo-political cynicism to more serious accusations of contravening international law. A US-backed security firm, River Stone Incorporated, was dispatched to the area to monitor Shashka International and ensure human rights were being observed. To the dismay of the international community, what followed was six months of bloody war - or more specifically, a proxy war - though both Russia and the US have gone to great lengths to downplay the conflict and obscure their official involvement in it. The conflict played-out during autumn and winter of 2009/2010 saw River Stone prove too strong for the Shashka forces. Eventually the Russians were forced to withdraw from the region, peace was restored, and a new interim government was established in Chernarus, pending summer elections. Shashka International all but disappeared in the immediate aftermath, and it was widely believed that the conglomerate had been dissolved, but, in April 2010 they sensationally resurfaced in a new guise. The Russian military has apparently taken quasi-control of Shashka International, in order to maximise the potential of the company's highly trained staff, and has deployed them in a new conflict zone....... the Republic of Celle.Since the end of the Cold War and the subsequent increase of military activity in other theatres - primarily the Middle East - the US has sub-contracted a large proportion of its security commitments to private security firms. Unknown to many, the same is true in many regions along the old Cold War frontier - including several areas in Germany. River Stone, finding themselves with many un-deployed veterans of the Chernarussian War, have recently acquired several such security contracts, believing them to be low-risk jobs. It now appears that their down-time will be curtailed, as Shashka forces have gained a foothold in Eastern Celle. Celle, a landlocked enclave surrounded by Germany, gained independence from West Germany in October 1990, in what is now seen as an oft-overlooked, and controversial footnote in the reunification process of Germany. This small, picturesque state on the banks of the River Aller, noted for its baroque architecture and gentle rolling hills, is now a scene of panic. Thousands of residents are fleeing to neighbouring provinces by road and rail (a situation unfortunately exacerbated by the Icelandic Volcano air-travel crisis) in anticipation of a bloody reprise of the cruel struggle for Chernarus.While Celle may seem like an unusual target for such an offensive - it is not without strategic value. Leading analysts speculate that the Russian motive for seizing control of Celle is to put increasing pressure on US resources, which may in turn force the US to withdraw security forces from oil-rich areas such as Quesh-Kibrul and Isla Duala - paving the way for subsequent Russian annexation of these regions. The strategic significance of Celle is underlined by the presence of Immelmann Barracks - a local air base. This facility - most recently used as an army aviation school, could prove invaluable. A sustained Russian foothold here, in the heart of central Europe, would be impossible for the West to ignore, and would inevitably divert attention and resources from disputed territories further afield.This bold gambit by the Russians is further proof that a new era of aggressive resource wars is upon us. Old alliances and pacts are being ripped up and burned as international uncertainty and suspicion intensifies. The US claims Chernarus has been liberated - but at what cost? The misery of Chernarus may just have been the prologue to this developing, and increasingly horrifying story. If this quiet Germanic enclave in the heart of the western world is overrun, who will be next? The world's eyes look to Celle.
Jared Meznak, 45 and his wife Katja, 27.
