The Volkoregrod Incident

Overview
The Volkoregrod Incident occurred on June 2nd, 2021. The incident began when President Aveleksei Tossovich of the Third Tsardom of Ryzan ordered the Army to occupy the city of Volkoregrod, leading to an intense hour-long standoff between the Ryzani National Armed Forces (RNAF) and an improvised Volkoregrod militia. The Incident ended with de-escalation and an eventual withdrawal of the army from the city.

Events Leading Up to the Incident
Shortly before the Incident, the Ryzani government received information indicating a potential plot to partition the country and allow for Senator Athos to secede from the country to form his own state with the aid from Bardonia and Aurlûnor Velande. The government swiftly enacted its emergency response plan, which involved the arrest of Senator Athos on charges of treason and massively scaling up military presence in Volkoregrod to put down any potential revolts.

After his cabinet briefed him on the potential crisis, President Aveleksei declared a state of emergency and ordered the military to move in. In response, the confused and angered citizenry hastily formed a militia to guard Athos from arrest and protest the increased military presence in the city. What followed was a 1-hour standoff between the military and militia forces.

The Hour of Terror
During the standoff, tensions were at a boiling point, with some military officials who disagreed with the arrest of Athos switching allegiances and both sides heavily armed and ready for a fight. The bulk of federal forces congregated in the northern section of the city, eventually forming a shield wall when the President arrived to explain the situation to the Volkoreans. While this was occurring, an elite team of four soldiers made their way into Fort Azurov, evacuating the garrison of all federal equipment and eventually relocating it to a currently undisclosed site outside Vonskyr. The situation below remained tense and inconclusive as insults were thrown by both sides, including "Everyone knows that [the president] is just a cuck boy for the Tsarina!" and other more vulgar phrases. From the militia's point of view, the evidence for arresting Athos was far from adequate and the military presence in Volkoregrod was considered an occupation. From the federal government's point of view, Athos's alleged actions were treasonous, and sending in the troops was an unfortunate but necessary measure to prevent rebellion and reassert control in the region.

After around twenty minutes in this state, Tsarina Ibris arrived, who entered into talks with Vice President Sarlician (who supported the militia and represented them) aided by Secretary of State Darrow Aasimar. Negotiations concluded a little while later, with the result being an informal agreement that saw the withdrawal of all federal forces from the city in return for the militia standing down and all weapons being banned from Volkoregrod for the next 24 hours.

Aftermath
For his involvement in the obstruction of justice, Sarlician was impeached by President Aveleksei and received a major demotion in the military along with Vetrys Zukolav, who also participated in the militia. Athos was cleared of all charges in a brief court trial later that day.

Despite this, a peaceful resolution was met and relationships were reestablished as both sides agreed to put the Incident behind them.

Due to Aurlûnor's involvement in the central government's initial allegations, relations between the two suffered a heavy blow, with the Treaty of Balreska being voided by Velereth Sareariel and a mild but noticeable increase in toxicity from some Ryzani citizens towards Aurlûnor. A diplomatic summit was called for, which was held on June 3rd. The summit brought back cordial relations between the two neighbors, but also saw Athos, Sarlician, and Vetrys excommunicated from the Twin Dragon faith.

Speculation
W.I.P