Ukraine: Russo-Ukr War (June-December 2015) [Archive] - Page 9

OUTLAW 09

08-31-2015, 01:21 PM

I have been repeating over and over the mantra that Obama, Hollande and Merkel have actually been forcing the Ukrainian into unilateral appeasement moves WITH absolutely no reciprocal demands being placed on Putin ie simply fulfill Minsk 2.

Putin has noticed this and just keeps on increasing his demands and the West just keeps on pressuring the Ukraine.

The last time Europe went down this path in Munich 1938 it did not turn out well at all.

http://euromaidanpress.com/2015/08/30/the-west-is-pressuring-ukraine-not-russia-british-diplomat/

The West is pressuring Ukraine not Russia– British diplomat

The West is finding it easier to demand the implementation of peace agreements from Ukraine than to increase pressure on Russia, says Ian Bond, the director of foreign policy at the Center for European Reform and a veteran member of the British diplomatic service. According to Bond, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, knowing the position of his partners, finds himself in a very difficult position. Therefore, the solution to the problem of Russian aggression must be sought in the capitals of Western countries, which must be encouraged to take decisive action.

We begin our conversation with the question that is most frequently asked in Ukraine — is there a problem with the format of the negotiations when the most powerful Western players are not participating, most notably the United States?

Right now the problem stems from the fact that in this format Russia can pretend that it has nothing to do with the conflict in eastern Ukraine and that it is sitting at the negotiating table on the same basis as France and Germany, as a neutral country with no special interest in the matter, which sincerely wants to put an end to the bloodshed.

But in reality that is not the case. Russia is a party to the conflict. This is why the format is invalid. The format itself enables Russia to put pressure on the Ukrainian government but to remain on the sidelines, saying that the situation has nothing to do with the Russian government.

Would the presence of other countries in the negotiations give better results or would it only lead to Russia’s departure from the negotiating table.?

The questions is what would change if Russia did leave the negotiating process if Russia is not negotiating honestly anyway? I understand the position of President Petro Poroshenko, who is forced to hold on to the so-called “Normandy format” and the Minsk process because he knows the position of his Western partners, who are not yet ready to support him fully and to strengthen Ukraine’s defense capability. But this process is not producing any results because one of the parties is manipulating the process in order to prevent the achievement of any positive results.

Critics of President Poroshenko have reacted very sharply to his efforts to carry out that part of the agreement that has to do with amendments to the Constitution on the issue of territorial rule. In particular, they say that there is nothing special about the eastern region other than the fact that part of this territory is occupied by troops and mercenaries from neighboring Russia. They say that since Ukraine has no control over this territory and does not control the border, as is called for in the Minsk agreements, any legitimization of the control over this territory by people that Kyiv calls terrorists would be an unjustified concession by Ukraine to Russia and especially to Western partners, who are trying to pressure the victim and not the aggressor in this conflict.

I think they have grounds for their conclusion. But when it comes to President Poroshenko, I can understand his position, since, as I said, until he has full support of his Western partners, he may feel that he has no other choice than to demonstrate to these partners that he is doing everything in his power to carry out the agreements.

But the problem, in my opinion, lies precisely in the fact that, as you mentioned, the West is putting pressure on Ukraine, knowing that it has more leverage with Ukraine than with Russia.

But this can undermine the position of President Poroshenko, whom the (Western partners) assure of their friendship and support, because opposition to him and the way he wants to implement these decisions in parliament keeps growing.

Of course. But he does not have much choice. If he rejects the Minsk agreements because they are not being fulfilled by Russia, there will be voices in the West stating that they, supposedly, knew all along that this Ukrainian government is filled with unreliable neo-Nazis and that the Russians were right after all. And there will be many politicians in different parts of Europe who will interpret this situation that way.

But regarding the special status for occupied Donbas territories, it will be necessary to create some special conditions, even temporary ones, whether we like it or not. But here it important to be very careful even on the question of decentralization. Because the local governments have not changed; they continue to be weak and corrupt, so decentralization can only strengthen the corrupt local officials or gangsters. And that way control and the chance for legal structures in these territories will only weaken. Decentralization can be carried out only after cleaning out the corruption in the top leadership. Only that way will it be possible to build a strong society over the next 10-20 years.

Decentralization is no panacea. Because special status for the occupied Donbas territories means that all kinds of Pushilins, Zakharchenkos and other thugs and Russian agents that have crawled out from who knows what holes over the last eighteen months will receive permanent power in the occupied territories. Because when the Russians say that it is important to decentralize power, they really mean that power over the occupied territories needs to be centralized in Moscow and that they will decide who will govern these areas. And this will be fatal for Ukraine as well as for those people in the occupied territories who dream that sometime in the future there will be an honest government in this territory.

Actually, this is something many Ukrainian observers would agree with. They say that they could easily find a common language with the inhabitants of the occupied territories themselves if they weren’t fighting with Russia there. This is why they are questioning the German Foreign Affairs Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier who keeps saying that it is necessary to present these arguments to the Russians once again. They see that this approach is not working.

The German foreign affairs minister has always opted for a soft approach, so his statement does not surprise me at all. There are continuing problems on the German side, although Chancellor Merkel is a bit tougher, but still not enough in my view. However, things are still better than two years ago. But Steinmeier continues to think that if we keep explaining to the Russians they will finally understand they have chosen the wrong way. But I don’t think this will convince Putin.

If the negotiations do not produce results because of the format or other circumstances, what would be a more effective way to stop Russian aggression in Ukraine, since Western politicians are not ready to agree even to this description (of events)?

I think the description is completely accurate. The first thing the Western politicians should do is help Ukraine defend itself. This is a sovereign state that has a right to self-defense. I think we do not emphasize this enough. By deciding not to provide military means of defense to Ukraine, we have equated the victim to the aggressor. We need to provide help in training and in the military-industrial sector. And additionally, we can do more in terms of sanctions against Russia.

Americans are much more advanced in this than the Europeans. They always find the loopholes used by the sanctioned individuals to bypass the sanctions and they close them. We could do more in that direction. When the Prime Minister of Great Britain David Cameron talks about the importance of the fight against money laundering, it is important for all of the EU, for all the countries that have created comfortable conditions for laundering Russian “dirty money” to make the process of hiding money and avoiding sanctions more difficult for the Russians.

THIS article really does explain the Obama shift to forcing the Ukraine to cave and implement the political pieces of Minsk 2 instead of resolving the military issues first which really was the path set out in Minsk 2--meaning calm down the fighting to a true ceasefire and then move onto to the political solutions.

I will go back and dig out two posted comments which clearly show this shift in greater detail.

Never thought I would see US foreign policy shifting to total unilateral appeasement for the sake of one's own "legacy".

OUTLAW 09

08-31-2015, 01:28 PM

OUTLAW 09

08-31-2015, 01:34 PM

During a right wing nationalist demo being held outside of the Ukrainian Parliament Building someone threw a grenade into the National Guard security force protecting the building wounding at least 50.

Rada was voting on the new decentralization laws as per Minsk 2 and the right views giving anything to the Russian mercenaries as an act of treason on the part of the Ukrainian government and their caving to US and Russian demands for Russian stealing Ukrainian territory.

Not known if this was from a demo individual or a true terrorist attack using the demo as an effective covering shield.

National Guard reporting of 50 wounded http://liveuamap.com/en/2015/31-august-national-guard-reporting-of-50-wounded- … #Ukraine pic.twitter.com/N3zXg65FF8

Appears a large number of those demonstrating in front of the Rada today were "paid" demonstrators----

Buying protester in #Kiev today ...
=(((
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpbRknCUFqg … pic.twitter.com/lsJ1WjLVTS

.@5channel vid shows anti-decentralization protestors at Ukraine parliament receiving money. 50 UAH/hour, one says

OUTLAW 09

08-31-2015, 01:39 PM

http://windowoneurasia2.blogspot.de/2015/08/protests-against-moscows-economic.html

Monday, August 31, 2015

Protests against Moscow’s Economic Policies Spread across Russia’s Regions

Paul Goble

Staunton, August 31 – Demonstrations ranging in size from 300 to 500 people took place in five Russian provincial cities over the weekend, with participants demanding that Moscow change its economic policy in order to prevent a further decline in standards of living and provide real support and not empty promises.

But one politician says that Moscow has no money or intention of providing real help given its military expansion and so is planning to respond to these and other protests – including one by small businesses against the closing of banks (profile.ru/rossiya/item/99332-rossiya-zovet-tsb-otzyvaet) by banning media coverage of both rising prices and demonstrations.

Such actions may keep the lid on for a time: they would certainly limit the attention to protests outside of Moscow. But they would not be able to address another potential threat: the possibility that some governors may decide to side with the demonstrators as a way of building their own power in what is for many of them a rapidly deteriorating situation.

That some of the regional heads may be thinking about that possibility is in fact suggested by a survey of the situation in the Urals region where governors find they are trapped between the demands Moscow is making on them and the failure of the center to provide them with the resources to meet those demands (ura.ru/articles/1036265713).

As for the demonstrations, “Novyye izvestiya” reports today that Russians took to the streets in Volzhsky, Kalach-na-Donu, Blagoveshchensk, Chita and Birobidzhan not to protest this or that action but rather the decline in living standards as a result of central government policies (newizv.ru/politics/2015-08-31/226365-banalno-net-deneg.html).

As a result of higher prices and lower incomes, “Novyye izvestiya” writes, “not a small part of the population simply is being impoverished and because no end of the crisis is in sight, those protesting are telling the authorities that it is time to remember the people and change domestic policies.”

Valery Borshchev, a former Duma deputy and rights activist, says that “the higher leadership of the country receives information about all protest actions and about [this] change in their character. But it is necessary to point out at the present time the Center really doesn’t have a genuine chance to provide help to the regions. For the banal reason that there is no money.”

Consequently, he continues, the enter plans “’to help’” via “other means.” He says that he has information that the government is preparing a ban on the dissemination of information of prices increases so that the population won’t get agitated. [It] also plans to prohibit the media from reporting about prices and also about protest actions” so that demonstrations won’t spread.

“But such a policy won’t lead to a good outcome,” Borshchev says. “The crisis is not going to end in the short term, and people already are really feeling its influence.”

Dmitry Gudkov, a member of the Duma’s constitutional law committee, agrees that the leadership “knows all about this but hardly will do anything in the near term to help the population.” They are “studying the situation,” but small protests like this weekend’s don’t have much effect.

Moreover, he continues, those who think the center must provide aid assume that this will be possible only if oil is again at 150 US dollars a barrel, something that isn’t going to happen. He notes that the situation is getting worse as well because businesses are shifting capital abroad, but the regime isn’t prepared for radical reforms.

Boris Kagarlitsky, head of the Moscow Institute of Globalization and Social Movements, says that the issue is not in the number of protesters but in the demands they are making. “A protest against the reduction of the standard of living is one the authorities will listen to,” although they won’t react at least not yet.

As the situation gets worse, however, “the number of participants at protest meetings will increase significantly,” he says, “and then the Center will have to make concessions. The question is: will it then have the ability at that time to satisfy these demands?” Right now, the country needs serious reforms but Moscow isn’t ready to begin them let alone carry them out.

OUTLAW 09

08-31-2015, 05:10 PM

Massive Russian anti Maidan military exercises are ongoing at the moment—who said Putin is not afraid of the Maidan does not understand Putin and his inner circle of advisors?????

Russia #CSTO military exercise practicing "eliminating illegal armed formations in the Eastern European region” http://thediplomat.com/2015/08/russia-engages-in-military-drills-on-europes-doorstep/ …

The first trains with Belarusian soldiers arrived in Leningrad oblast to participate in exercise Union Shield 2015 https://twitter.com/mod_russia/status/638376110653313024 …

Latitude 67N SIGINT @Sigint67n
RUAF traffic in Baltic Sea - poss fighters enroute for Gulf of Finland

OUTLAW 09

08-31-2015, 05:11 PM

80% of Russians anticipate escalation in #Donbass and 50% support Russian military action.
http://www.ng.ru/politics/2015-08-31/1_crimea.html … pic.twitter.com/2LLcEHS4lA

91% of Russians think US policy toward #Russia either "hostile" or "unfriendly"- up from 42% in 1990
v @BilyanaLilly pic.twitter.com/6Bzl0zLqdk

OUTLAW 09

08-31-2015, 05:12 PM

Will be interesting to see where this individual sits in the Ukrainian political spectrum and what potential group he belongs to or is he potentially a proRussian supporter.

He was initially identified out of a video photo and in the middle of the crowd--potentially shielding himself after throwing the grenade.

Video----youtube.com/watch?v=DinAxLyR7II&feature=youtu …

The guy who threw the grenade. pic.twitter.com/pc5SzzZW9U

HAS been arrested.

Attacker on the police near Rada was detained http://liveuamap.com/en/2015/31-august-information-that-attackers-were-detained …

One dead policemen after an explosion & clashes near #Ukraine's parliament in Kyiv, the mayor confirms to us.
Roughly 100 injured.

Avakov: already 30 people detained. "Grenade launcher" is also captured. Police found one more F-1 hand grenade pic.twitter.com/eU2FWn6Ek9

LIVE VIDEO outside #Ukraine Parliament building https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Siy69o-rKU4 … #Kiev #Kyiv pic.twitter.com/X0rSOowlUw

LOOKS LIKE the Ukrainian Far Right---they seem to have forgotten just how video footage is used these days.

Far right Svoboda party top brass photographed at attack on police at Ukraine rada. 100injured http://nv.ua/ukr/ukraine/events/vishche-kerivnitstvo-vo-svoboda-sfotografuvali-pid-chas-ataki-na-natsgvardejtsev-66449.html … pic.twitter.com/3cCaR9Kobi

Here's a video with the live grenade coming in from the protesters' crowd. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DinAxLyR7II …

Oleh Tyahnybok, leader of far-right Svoboda party, at Rada riot today.
via @SputnikATO: https://twitter.com/SputnikATO/status/638323253396787200 … pic.twitter.com/CHYMVHJCIo

Man Who Threw Grenade In Front of Rada Reportedly A Volunteer Soldier On Break From War In Donbass http://bit.ly/1Q3MioH

Videos Show What Happened Before And After Grenade Attack In Kiev http://bit.ly/1JHaqMM pic.twitter.com/SD7v3yJQQr

Remember the ex-MP from Svoboda in the first picture? Now says on air: "I was just holding a baton in this pic". pic.twitter.com/LcIDlHlD3D

OUTLAW 09

08-31-2015, 05:14 PM

Hate using the word cool--but this application in the social media open source world is actually kool...........

Automatically Discover Website Connections Through Tracking Codes via @bellingcat https://www.bellingcat.com/resources/2015/08/28/automatically-discover-website-connections-through-tracking-codes/ … pic.twitter.com/fMlpAbavPu

Someone looking very much like gay-bashing St Petersburg deputy Vitaly Milonov appears to use firearms in Ukraine http://www.fontanka.ru/2015/08/31/081/

Volunteers create a single database w/ evidence of Russian military involvement in #Ukraine’s Eas
http://uacrisis.org/32333-informnapalm …

OUTLAW 09

08-31-2015, 05:19 PM

Light humor----

I shell the sh.......t out of an Ukrainian town with 122mm artillery for three straight 24 hour a day months and not a single MSM article about it--BUT let a loser throw a grenade AND I am swamped with MSM articles.

What the heck????????

I am still progressing on my DAY count to see if MSM picks up the massive Russian military in eastern Ukraine intel dump----outside of Business International not a single other MSM and we are now going on DAY Five.

I am waiting as well on the DAY count for the Russian leaked military loss article--we are now on DAY Three headed to DAY Four.

Still nothing on either articles from MSM??????

OUTLAW 09

08-31-2015, 05:27 PM

OUTLAW 09

08-31-2015, 05:45 PM

This Ukrainian blogsite is well worth tracking----To help understand today’s Rada vote on the decentralization change to the Ukrainian Constitution that led to the volunteer fighter throwing a grenade.

http://www.odessatalk.com/2015/09/un-decentralisation-rada-passes-2nd-decentralisation-vote/

Un-decentralisation? Rada passes 2nd “decentralisation vote”

September 1, 2015 by Nikolai Holmov

On 17th July, this entry appeared relating to the successful passing of Bill №2217a “On Amendments to the Constitution of Ukraine (concerning the decentralization of power).

“Having garnered 288 votes (300 being a constitutional majority), the Bill now heads to the Constitutional Court for its consideration.

It has to be noted that the Venice Commission is generally in favour having seen the amendments, returned them with “recommendations”, and those “recommendations” were by and large acted upon. Thus any constitutional issues are not likely to be with content but with the procedures of the Bill passing through the Rada – if there were any.

Once given the Constitutional Court’s nod of approval, the amendments must then be returned to the Rada where a majority second, and final third vote on the Bill which must gather 300 or more votes in favour, lest it fail to meet a constitution changing majority, to then be sent to the President to sign these amendments into constitution changing force.

Ergo the 288 MPs that voted in favour today cannot change or waver in their position over the Bill, and another 12 or more must also be found to vote in favour – a vote probably some time in late September/early October to allow the Constitutional Court sufficient time to ponder the amendments thoroughly. Hurdles clearly remain.”

Since that entry was published, unsurprisingly the Constitutional Court has given an approving nod. An extraordinary Rada session of 31st August predicatably saw the second reading of Bill №2217a, gathered the simple majority it required to continue along the constitution changing route. The vote, 265 in favour from the 320 MPs registered at the extraordinary session.

vote machine

All clearly progressing as outlined above, the plan being to hold the final reading requiring a 300+ vote in favour prior to the local elections of 25th October.

Immediately prior to the second reading, President Poroshenko changed the plan – or so it appears.

He announced to MPs that there would be no attempt to adopt the constitutional changes before The Kremlin removes all troops and equipment from the occupied Donbas and returns control of the internationally recognised border to Ukraine.

Thus as Minsk II deadlines are at the year end, it seems extremely unlikely that there will be a third vote this year, the due date (theoretically) that Ukraine should retake control of its borders per the agreement.

It clearly shines a new light upon President Poroshenko’s statement regarding more local elections 2 years after the local elections of 25th October and the creation of a “framework” for decentralisation during that period. Whether or not the Kremlin removes its troops, equipment and proxies from the Donbas or not – and one has to suspect not – the final decentralisation vote does not seem likely to occur any time before Easter 2016.

Indeed if the third reading is dependent upon the Kremlin pulling out its troops, equipment and proxies from the Donbas as President Poroshenko stated, it could very well be several years before the third final (and potentially constitution changing) reading.

An unpleasant and unexpected surprise for the Europeans, Council of Europe, and in particular Berlin and France and Washington?

Actually probably not.

Having sat & done a guesstimate vote count for Const amendments on 31 Aug, the 226 votes are there. Final vote (in Oct?) 300 votes not there

— Nikolai Holmov (@OdessaBlogger) August 30, 2015

OUTLAW 09

08-31-2015, 05:54 PM

Full text of President @Poroshenko's address following deadly clashes near Ukraine's parliament

http://www.president.gov.ua/en/news/zvernennya-prezidenta-shodo-golosuvannya-u-verhovnij-radi-zm-35891 …

OUTLAW 09

08-31-2015, 06:02 PM

HOPE THIS KEEPS UP-----

Today (6am-6pm) in the zone of ATO, militants committed just one ceasefire violation - ATO press center
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1057587794252026&id=820651001279041&refid=17&_ft_=top_level_post_id.1057587794252026&__tn__=%2As …

Almost no fire along the frontline; all RU media switched to UA politics, is that coincidence?" https://twitter.com/flash19800/status/638347957578895360 …

16:27 #Starohnativka @Staroignatievca ...power restored.
Quiet for 2 days.

Novozarievka, #Starobesheve raion @Ukr_Che This night all RUS troops and tanks went away.

20:13 #Luhansk @antonio_fz1 ...I saw columns abt 10 trucks each [moving tow/#Alchevsk] on Hayovoho block & #Yuvileyny settlement

Russia|ns transported fuel all day towards #Alchevsk, many fuel trucks.

Preparing for a ceasefire or something else? Russian army fuel trucks resupply 'hybrid' forces 31 Aug pic.twitter.com/nmX9nJiY7s

29/30 Aug, OSCE UAV spots surface-to-air missile system, R-330ZH Zhytel mobile jamming station in "DPR" territory
http://www.osce.org/ukraine-smm/179246 …

After spotting a large number of Russian SPGs and armor the OSCE drone was jammed by Russian troops.

OUTLAW 09

08-31-2015, 06:03 PM

Quiet evening signing off----will check in the morning to see if there were any new shellings or if all is still quiet which the UAF and front line civilians on both sides really need right now.

OUTLAW 09

08-31-2015, 06:10 PM

Caught this just before coming off social media this evening--really does show the power of the image of the UAF in the eyes of the Ukrainian civil society.

Cool photos of what's reportedly a Ukrainian paratrooper stepping in to break up today's parliament clashes https://twitter.com/sodel_vlad/status/638409693862449152 …

No weapons to be seen standing in the smoke of a smoke grenade calming down ranting right wingers in front of and protecting the National Guard riot police.

The UAF has gained much respect since the Maidan and is greatly supported by the Ukrainian civil society something that was not true three years ago.

OUTLAW 09

09-01-2015, 04:09 AM

Further evidence of the weakness of Obama's foreign policy towards Putin--actually this President is one of the weakest in 40 years when dealing with Putin and actually Putin knows that and is playing that weakness as he knows Obama will cave and cave and cave in order to avoid using anything close to hard power and that includes hard economic power which he definitely has.

Obama's own words--" we will judge Putin by his actions not his words"--quoted in 2014 in a public statement for the world to see and hear.

NOW Putin actions are as of yesterday----

The leader of the LNR and Russia announced a new economic union between Russia and the LNR where the common currency will be the Ruble.

THIS is in effective a true quasi annexation nothing more and nothing less--and the response from Obama has been--he "urges" Russia to adhere to Minsk 2--just what the heck does "urges" mean---I mean I often "urge" the parking meter woman here in Berlin to not give me a parking ticket--do I get the ticket yes I do--well so much for the word "urge".

So again we see actions being carried out by Putin and all we hear from Obama is words---let's be blunt and to the point--that is the very definition of weakness--no response.

Literally one of the weakest Presidents and his NSC in the last 40 no 50 years and we seem to not see it.

OUTLAW 09

09-01-2015, 07:36 AM

Perfect example of the total disconnect between the US/Obama administration and the Russian reality inside the Ukraine---during the just ended Russian slow stepped offensive the UAF lost over 160 KIAs, over 600 WIAs AND this does not count the civilians ie children that were KIAs/WIAs and the sheer destruction of Ukrainian physical property and residences.

NOT a single word or utterance out of Obama, Holland and or Merkel.

BUT let a grenade fly AND we get this statement from the DoS—just how strange it that???—silence on one hand and outrage on the only AND that is not supporting Putin’s demands?????

US-EuropeanMediaHub ✔ @USAandEurope
.@statedept Dep Spox: We deplore violence outside #Ukraine's parliament that reportedly resulted in at least 1 death & dozens of injuries.

ALL we got out of Obama and his NSC at the very end of the fighting five weeks ago was the word "urges"--at least they could have said something along the lines of "we deplore the heavy fighting/shellings that is being led by Russian troops" at the very beginning of the fighting---nothing though along these lines was done--WHY at the end??

It is all about the legacy.....stupid.

OUTLAW 09

09-01-2015, 07:39 AM

Horlivka
Russian "aidconvoy" for some reason brought office equipment. Some printers are sealed with such stickers https://twitter.com/Gorlovec/status/638438217176514560 …

For those who can't read russian - it's FSB seal

OUTLAW 09

09-01-2015, 07:41 AM

Am really happy to post the following social media account from this morning-----
19 #Russia|n ceasefire violations yesterday. From midnight till 6am this morning there was not a single shot. Sep 1st, #ceasefire working.

Although this morning was also reported the following---

Latest Russian equipment spotted near Donetsk airport. https://twitter.com/BuTaJIu4eK/status/638600406189375488 …

A true “ceasefire” under the Minsk 2 agreement is the complete pull back into controlled areas under OSCE monitoring/registering ALL and I mean ALL heavy weapons and tanks down to the 100mm caliber.

THAT has not happened so this so called “ceasefire” has to be intently watched.

All this reminds me of the so called "fake war of 1939" right after the Germans had rolled over Poland and there has a quiet phase before they rolled westward to the English Channel.

OUTLAW 09

09-01-2015, 07:51 AM

My ongoing DAY count of the non response by MSM on two stories carried mainly by social media and totally ignored by western mainstream media (MSM).

NOW --going on SIX days ago the Ukrainian State Security Service data dumped a massive amount of Russian military information pertaining to their being inside the Ukraine and this so called separatist mercenary army was depicted as being a strictly Russian organized, supplied and led Russian hybrid army complete with numbers, locations and info on six Russian generals who are leading this Russia army.

VAST amount of this information comes directly from the SBU SIGINT side, their own agents and the Ukrainian SF.

COMPLETE and TOTAL silence on the part of the western MSM.

Now that is just how effective someone in the US is at controlling and dictating what goes into your mainstream media for so called "news"--one has to ask does the complete western MSM actually work for and support the Russian informational war being carried out against the West???

A valid question.

John Schindler @20committee
BREAKING: Get a close look at Russia's occupying army in SE #Ukraine. These aren't "rebels", they're Putin's military http://20committee.com/2015/08/28/russias-secret-army-in-ukraine-2/ …

OUTLAW 09

09-01-2015, 08:07 AM

Whoops:
Link:http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/the-number-of-russian-troops-killed-or-injured-fighting-in-ukraine-seems-to-have-been-accidentally-published-10472603.html

THIS is the second article that has not gained traction in the MSM with the exception of a few western journalists declaring it a fake right along with the Russian super info warfare Russia Today.

Forbes was about the only MSM that picked up on it.

In the meantime the for a fake and against a fake debate is still ongoing.

Yesterday a local Russian independent investigative journalist who had released an article on three disappeared Spetsnaz soldiers came out and declared it a fake for a number of reasons.

Then the Ukrainian "The Interpreter Magazine" carried his research work but in the end admitted that he had not really answered the core question--is the number of KIAs actually correct??

WHAT was interesting is that a major Russian Military Mothers' Group carries a total of over 500 KIAs and over 300 MIAs BEFORE they were forced by the FSB and the new Russian law to stop their research and to stop contacting military families.

BUT since both the Russian blogger and the Mother's Group received visits by the FSB they both have been silent.

So it does not surprise me that this blogger suddenly goes "full in" as a government supporter in order to stay out of jail--especially under the new Russian law on not reporting death numbers during peacetime.

WHAT this Russian blogger and the rest of MSM has somehow totally missed has been the correctly geo tagged and dated imagery of a massive military grave yard near Rostov containing over 1200 graves backed by two released and geo tagged burial videos AND the verified OSCE reporting of 21 Russian +200 (meaning carrying Russian KIAs) that had recently crossed back into Russia heading to Rostov--that estimated number could haven as low as 400 and as high as 1000.

NOTHING at all on the social media imagery and OSCE information was mentioned at all in this so called "faked report".

IMO this is what led to the The Interpreter hedging their comments on the so called fake story as they indicated there had been a series of social media reports actually reinforcing the so called leaked article that had been to a major degree verified.

AGAIN though not a single MSM journalist and or media outlet showed any interest in doing further research and or fact checking.

OUTLAW 09

09-01-2015, 08:19 AM

OUTLAW 09

09-01-2015, 08:26 AM

NOTICE now just how the Russian informational warfare is suddenly being used in Syria to justify attacking any resistance group in Syria that is fighting against Assad BY placing them in the IS box.

AND it is now the main Russian FP to rescue Assad using the US-----as a “partner in their fight against IS—suddenly Russia is the leading IS fighting nation BUT still supplies wepons,GRU, bombs and fighters to Assad.

Life News continues to (presumably deliberately, as it's not that hard) conflate every group in #Syria with #IS pic.twitter.com/qu26G098QZ

OUTLAW 09

09-01-2015, 08:27 AM

Reference the grenade throwing yesterday in Kyiv---

Sich battalion commander confirms grenade thrower in Kyiv was one of his fighters
http://www.unian.info/society/1117389-sich-battalion-commander-confirms-grenade-thrower-one-of-his-fighters.html …

Sich battalion says the grenade attack suspect (who's their operative) had filed a resignation prior to the tragedy. pic.twitter.com/I1s1ZbssUC

Sich is a police special forces unit---probably an proRussian recruited by FSB when all is said and done.

OUTLAW 09

09-01-2015, 08:30 AM

Is this the Ukrainian loop hole to give the Russian occupied zones veto rights over anything the Ukraine does ie the Bosnian model that Putin is pushing as his "federalization plan"????

Ukraine decentralisation bill: "cross-border cooperation with local authorities of Russian border communities" must also be clearly defined

OUTLAW 09

09-01-2015, 09:29 AM

BREAKING--Ceasefire is being broken

Selydove 11:03AM
Incoming towards #Karlivka https://twitter.com/rechnikato/status/638623314177605632 …

Have to wait to see if there are further artillery strikes or is this a frustrated mercenary gun crew letting off steam about their abject failure in this last slow stepped Russian offensive.

Reports of shelling in and around Donetsk this morning

Deliberate shellings--not frustration

Donetsk, clear incomings in Peski, approx 11:20 https://twitter.com/HuAdvokatos/status/638627463099207680 …

BreakingNews
Russian forces from #Donetsk's northern districts are shelling Ukrainian troops near the airport & in #Pisky with artillery.

Donetsk 11:36AM
Serious volleys, airport area or Kuybyshevskyi district https://twitter.com/KalinaiMalina/status/638631506450251776 …

I hear shot and immediate landing from Donetsk center, smoke in East direction" "this is either Southor East" 11:22 https://twitter.com/666_mancer/status/638629081353977856 …

OUTLAW 09

09-01-2015, 09:36 AM

FURTHER EVIDENCE OF RUSSIAN TROOPS IN THE UKRAINE----THEY WOULD NEVER TURN OVER A COMINT FACILITY TO THE MERCENARIES---

The new Russian COMINT complex THORN spotted close to Donetsk airport - via @InformNapalm
https://translate.google.com.ua/translate?hl=en&sl=ru&u=https://informnapalm.org/12200-kompleks-radyorazvedky-torn-dap&prev=search … pic.twitter.com/XeG9lIVpSp

OUTLAW 09

09-01-2015, 09:42 AM

OUTLAW 09

09-01-2015, 09:45 AM

Reports of shelling in and around Donetsk this morning

Deliberate shellings--not frustration

Donetsk, clear incomings in Peski, approx 11:20 https://twitter.com/HuAdvokatos/status/638627463099207680 …

BreakingNews
Russian forces from #Donetsk's northern districts are shelling Ukrainian troops near the airport & in #Pisky with artillery.

Donetsk 11:36AM
Serious volleys, airport area or Kuybyshevskyi district https://twitter.com/KalinaiMalina/status/638631506450251776 …

I hear shot and immediate landing from Donetsk center, smoke in East direction" "this is either Southor East" 11:22 https://twitter.com/666_mancer/status/638629081353977856 …

TRUCE HAS ENDED---

Donetsk 11:22AM
The truce ended. In Donetsk you hear explosions from something heavy. https://twitter.com/liya2905/status/638627913026416640 …

I knew the Russian military would not end this thread.

This is just how mixed up the current Russian military and her mercenaries are today---this comment from the DNR flies in the face now of the shellings which have started up again.

Today's statement from DNR. pic.twitter.com/8PE4Rq9J8r

BUT remember the DNR "defense minister stated a week ago a ceasefire is 30 attacks a day so maybe they are working up to 30 from the lows the last few days.

OUTLAW 09

09-01-2015, 09:54 AM

Map. Situation in eastern #Ukraine, September 1, 2015, 00:00 EET pic.twitter.com/JFfumXR04U

Moscow using non-Slavic soldiers in #Donbas war to prevent Russian-Ukrainian fraternization:
http://euromaidanpress.com/2015/08/31/moscow-using-non-slavic-soldiers-in-donbas-to-prevent-russian-ukrainian-fraternization/ … pic.twitter.com/Vi3jIauBxC

Especially after their heavy loses in August 2014--the non Slavic troops were used initially in the Debaltseve attacks and takeover.

Ukraine's decentralization and Donbas "special status": what you need to know http://euromaidanpress.com/2015/09/01/ukraines-decentralization-and-donbas-special-status-what-you-need-to-know/ … via @EuromaidanPress 1 Sept

OUTLAW 09

09-01-2015, 09:56 AM

http://euromaidanpress.com/2015/09/01/ukraines-decentralization-and-donbas-special-status-what-you-need-to-know/

Ukraine’s decentralization and Donbas “special status”: what you need to know

2015/09/01

On Monday, August 31, clashes erupted at a protest against decentralization law outside Ukraine’s parliament. Key opposition figures and parliamentary coalition parties protested the reform, claiming it would legalize Kremlin’s proxies in Ukraine. Experts admit Poroshenko’s administration failed to convey the true meaning of this reform to the public. This, in turn, lead to politicians capitalizing on the ensuing uncertainty, which culminated with 1 dead and over 100 wounded (mostly policemen due to a grenade attack at the Rada).

We looked through the decentralization laws to find out what they really mean.

Origins

Since independence Ukraine has suffered from the Soviet legacy of an extremely centralized system. The concentration of power and finances in the capital allowed for institutionalized corruption, perhaps best symbolized by Yanukovych’s Mezhihirya residence. Decentralization has been among the demands of Maidan protestors who ultimately toppled Yanukovych’s regime. You can read on the origins of decentralization in more detail here.

Decentralization is included as a requirement from Ukraine set in the Minsk agreement signed by Ukraine, Russia and its proxies in February this year. Under its provisions, Ukraine must adopt constitutional reform taking into account the specifics of Donbas regions.

The reform

On July 16, Ukraine’s parliament put the presidential administration’s decentralization bill on the agenda and sent it to the Constitutional court for approval. On July 31 it was OK’ed by the CC. A month later, it passed the 1st hearing with a majority of 265 (with 300 needed for the bill to pass second hearing).

The reform’s proponents point out it is shifting more power from Kyiv to the local communities. The draft law organizes local governments into three tiers: from the community (“hromada”) to county (“raion”) to region. In lieu of powerful presidential-appointed regional governors, it introduces prefects for regions and counties which are tasked with coordinating local and state authorities and controlling the legality of county and regional councils’ decrees.

The constitutional amendments define local council powers in pretty broad strokes, most prominent being levying local taxes and defining economic and social policies of their constituents. Other important things include local referendums on key issues of the community and a guarantee that any increase in local powers would be followed with an increase of local budget.

Experts believe the law in its current form leaves loopholes for abusing of power by the President and presidential-appointed prefects (such as annulling decrees by local councils or dissolving them altogether upon a court decision). However, the reform’s proponents (including Poroshenko himself) praise the reform as a shift of power to local communities.

The point of contention

According to the draft, the new constitution would explicitly provide for special status of only its capital, Kyiv. However, the most controversial line of the constitutional amendment is article 18 of the “Transitional Provisions”, which says the following:

“The specifics of executing local governance in certain counties of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions are defined by a separate law”

Poroshenko insists this is in no way a “special status” provision and part of Ukraine’ obligations under Minsk agreements (which, according to the administration, Ukraine adheres to while Russia and its proxies do not). Critics of the Minsk agreements say that this provision was imposed on Ukraine by outside forces and constitutes capitulation before Russia’s invasion and legitimizing the Donbas “republics.” An appeal by Ukrainian intellectuals to the President stresses that the reform constitures “geopolitical subordination to the dictates of Russia.” Ian Bond, the director of foreign policy at the Center for European Reform, claims that Russia’s participation in the negotiation process invalidates the outcome, and that instead of pressuring Ukraine, the West should be helping Ukraine defend itself.

Some ground for those claims may be seen in the “separate law.”

The “Special status law”

The bill “On the special order of local governance in certain counties of Donetsk and Luhansk regions” was passed by the Ukrainian (Yanukovych-era) parliament on September 16, hot on the heels of the first Minsk agreement. It covers the territories currently occupied by Russian hybrid troops.

The law understandably caused trouble with Ukrainian patriotic opposition due to such provisions as a broad amnesty to “participants of the events in Donetsk and Luhansk regions.” It is unclear how far this amnesty would stretch and if “events” include murder and acts of terror committed by the militants.

Other controversial provisions are the extended status of Russian language as well as cross-border cooperation with local authorities of Russian border communities. Another point of content is the provision for “local militia units” created by local councils. On one hand, this sure looks like legitimizing DNR and LNR terrorists. On the other hand, a “militia” member should be a citizen of Ukraine and a resident of the community in question, meaning mercenaries from Russia wouldn’t be able to stay.

In March 2015, after the so-called “Minsk II” which defined a road map towards peace in Ukraine, the “special governance” law was amended to the effect that most of its provisions would come into force only after local elections under Ukrainian law and monitored by international observers would take place. This angered the “rebels” and the Kremlin, ostensibly because it allowed for little to none Moscow control over occupied Donbas. A year after the law (itself limited by three years) was passed, the elections in question (that would have to include Ukrainian nationalist parties) are still to take place. Under Minsk agreement, the constitutional reform also comes after pulling out foreign troops from Donbas and return of border control to Ukraine.

Bottom line
•The decentralization reform proposed by Poroshenko’s administration has its merits and drawbacks.
•The main controversy is the special law for Donbas counties’ governance provided for in the Constitution.
•The law in question has controversial provisions like amnesty and “local militias” but will not come into effect before Ukrainian border control is restored, Russian troops pull out and elections under Ukrainian law take place. It is currently to remain in force for two more years
•The administration claims the reform is in line with Maidan demands and Minsk agreement
•The opposition believes the “special status law” amounts to capitulation before the Kremlin under international pressure

OUTLAW 09

09-01-2015, 10:11 AM

MFA Russia ✔ @mfa_russia
#Lavrov:We must get down to restoring order in international relations based on the principles of equality, mutual respect, non-interference.

In Russian Orwellian doublespeak this means ---

We want you the US to respect us as a superpower equal to you and we want you the US to let us define our own "spheres of influence" and THEN do what we want in those "spheres of influence" WITHOUT a word from you.

The sooner Obama and his NSC all 700 of it's members realize this the sooner they can formulate a response as this is the exact wording repeated now in two days by the Russian MFA.

Comment yesterday from a major Russian politician who is on the US travel sanctions list and was not allowed to travel to anything other than the UN holding meeting.

Her venting as follows----

Matvienko said the three-day conference is taking place at a time when there is a shift to "a multipolar world order," accompanied by "drastic crises and bloody conflicts, counter-revolutions and coup d'etats with horrendous humanitarian catastrophes."

"The old model of a unipolar world order based on the domination by one power or a group of countries has been confined to the past," she said.

But the U.S. and Western countries are making every effort to try to preserve it by openly pressuring other countries, "subjecting them to unilateral sanctions and using armed force against them."

"As a result, terrorism and political extremism are raising their heads, entire regions are being plunged into chaos, holy sites are being destroyed, (and) women, old men and children are being killed," Matvienko said.

"Nevertheless," she said, "a new model of the world is confidently making its way forward."

Russia is trying hard to be recognized again as a superpower---they simply have not realized what it takes to become one and to stay one outside of military aggression against their neighbors and having nuclear weapons---that does not make a superpower.

OUTLAW 09

09-01-2015, 05:11 PM

Two key elements to the Russian non linear warfare--informational warfare and cyber warfare and cyber crime.

Russia hackers stole gigabytes of customer data from several US banks & financial companies http://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/natosource/china-and-russia-are-using-hacked-data-to-target-us-spies-officials-say … pic.twitter.com/QT8IMqgMdI

OUTLAW 09

09-01-2015, 05:21 PM

Horlivka: DNR "member of parliament" killed, body thrown to garbage. https://twitter.com/BylByleva/status/638739636727218176 …

Voronezh Region: RU reservists mobilised at Boguchar, deployed to Talovsky District (1st Guards Tank Army) field camp pic.twitter.com/5yMv2fgiYg

Ceasefire per Mbnsk 2 is no shooting anywhere----
Today the situation in Donbas remained calm. 00:00-18:00 militants 4 times violated the ceasefire - ATO press center https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1058440500833422&id=820651001279041&refid=17&_ft_=top_level_post_id.1058440500833422&__tn__=%2As …

Still no really effective truce in Donetsk---
Dokuchaevsk: from Yasne direction heavy booms of truce are heard. https://twitter.com/shuttle1907/status/638746984703225856 …

Some truce--even OSCE drone gets shot down---

DPR insurgents shot down #OSCE UAV when it was flying over their territory near #Mariupol http://www.osce.org/ukraine-smm/179456 … pic.twitter.com/ku9LLOzCRr

OUTLAW 09

09-01-2015, 05:23 PM

http://www.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/world-report/2015/08/06/russia-bullies-sweden-and-finland-away-from-joining-nato

The Bully to the East

Russia is trying to scare Sweden and Finland away from joining NATO.
Russian President Vladimir Putin addresses a joint session of Russian parliament on Crimea at the Kremlin in Moscow on March 18.

Making threats.
By Jorge Benitez
Aug. 6, 2015 | 1:45 p.m. EDT

Russia's ambassador to Sweden, Viktor Tatarintsev, recently warned Sweden that if it joined NATO, Russia would respond with "counter measures." Unfortunately, this was not an isolated threat. It is part of a pattern of earlier threats issued by senior Russian leaders to Sweden and Finland to bully them to comply with Moscow's wishes over their alliance choices. Stockholm and Helsinki must not underestimate these threats and should make more of an effort to deter Russia from carrying them out. Deterring Russia will require greater political attention to this problem and more defense capabilities against this unconventional military threat.

Tatarintsev made it clear that these threats come directly from Russian President Vladimir Putin. The ambassador specifically warned that "Putin [himself] pointed out that there will be consequences," if Sweden or Finland try to join NATO. What kind of consequences are the Russians threatening? According to Tatarintsev, Russia's response will be "of the military kind." These threats are very troubling because Russia is being very explicit that if Sweden and Finland move closer to NATO membership, Russia's response will be a lot more dangerous than simple diplomatic criticism. Moscow has already demonstrated it is willing to overreact to misperceived threats to Russia's security.

Just as Russia warned Georgia and Ukraine not to draw closer to NATO, senior Russian leaders have made several explicit and dangerous statements about the relationships between Finland and Sweden with NATO. During a visit to Helsinki in 2012, then Chief of the Russian General Staff General Nikolai Makarov issued the stark warning that "cooperation between Finland and NATO threatens Russia's security."

Last year, one of Putin's advisors, Sergei Markov, made even more provocative comments. According to Markov, "Finland should think of the consequences, if it ponders joining NATO. It must ask could joining start World War III." Russian leaders want to let Finland know that if they choose NATO, they should not omit the possibility of another world war.

It is tempting to hope that this negative behavior is limited to exaggerated rhetoric from Russian leaders, but unfortunately, it is also being manifested through a more aggressive and interventionist Russian military policy against Sweden and Finland. The simulated attack trajectory of Russian bombers against Stockholm during the Easter weekend of 2013 was not an isolated case. According to Swedish defense minister Peter Hultqvist, "It's a general fact that Russia is carrying out bigger, more complex, and in some cases more provocative and defiant, exercises."

There are also the recent cases of mysterious submarines violating both Swedish and Finnish territorial waters. In addition, Russia announced in January a large expansion of a military base 50 kilometers from the Finnish border. Moscow says it is turning this into a major base for its operations in the area and plans to build 14 airfields in this facility. It is hard to see how building so much military infrastructure can serve a defensive purpose.

Regrettably, the leaders of Sweden, Finland, and NATO have chosen to downplay all this evidence, even though the Russian foreign ministry has stated explicitly that its "greatest concern is over the increasingly strong convergence of Finland and Sweden with NATO."

As occurred in Crimea and Donbas, Russia will probably not wage a conventional war of conquest against Sweden or Finland. Putin is more likely to combine hybrid warfare backed by conventional military superiority to seize just enough Swedish or Finnish territory to create a new frozen conflict and make it politically impossible for either to gain NATO membership. Also, the smaller the amount of territory taken by Russia, the harder it will be for the Swedish and Finnish governments to justify full scale warfare to regain them.

Just as it did when it invaded Ukraine, Russia will unleash its propaganda tsunami to confuse international opinion with fabricated tales of how it was wronged by the target country, of lies by the West, and ludicrous denials of the full extent of its military aggression. This new campaign will not only misinform the public and the media, but also give sufficient excuse to delay a response and to divide decision makers in Stockholm, Helsinki and the NATO capitals.

Putin's willingness to cross lines and take unnecessary risks has already surprised Western leaders multiple times; take, for instance, the cyberattack against Estonia in 2007, the war against Georgia in 2008 and last year's invasion of Ukraine. Finland and Sweden must not be surprised if Putin intervenes to stop them from joining NATO membership. The leaders in Helsinki and Stockholm must increase their national deterrence against this contingency. Some important steps have been taken (such as incremental increases in defense spending, assignments to reserve forces and acquisition of new military capabilities), but they are not sufficient and fall short of the defense capabilities requested by Swedish and Finnish military leaders. Finland's recently announced plans to reform its Army rapid response units and to re-examine the defense of the Aland islands are a good examples of the type of steps that need to be taken to improve operational readiness and deterrence.

The decision to apply for NATO membership belongs solely to the people of Finland and Sweden. They should be able to make that decision without military threats from Russia. As popular support grows in Finland and Sweden to discuss the merits of joining NATO, Helsinki and Stockholm should also take precautions to deter Russia from trying to take that choice away from them.

OUTLAW 09

09-01-2015, 05:27 PM

OUTLAW 09

09-01-2015, 05:30 PM

Russian (hybrid) forces, Starobesheve District, Donetsk Region, Ukraine 31 Aug (via @GirkinGirkin) pic.twitter.com/KA79Z9PbZN

29.08.15 #Donetsk oblast #Oleksandrivka Terrorists' positions https://youtu.be/ybdo8zHYDH0 HD: http://img.ly/Cv6a pic.twitter.com/KVfUcMsQ9v

ATO Staff Spokesperson: Militants violate ceasefire 72 times over the last four days http://uacrisis.org/32560-rechnik-shtabu-ato-42 … pic.twitter.com/UoCegGkRaB

OUTLAW 09

09-01-2015, 07:00 PM

The German newspaper Bild is reporting today that Russia is planning now to conduct a referendum on the joining of their occuppied zones into Russia proper ie annexation.

If that does happen what then will Obamas respnse be--silence.

ARTIKEL @BILD Russischer Bericht: Kreml plant Anschluss-Referendum im Donbass http://www.bild.de/politik/ausland/ukraine/annexion-donbass-42405998.bild.html … pic.twitter.com/ZBdvkssivq

There had been some social media comments a few days ago about it but not much else.

BreakingReport Kremlin sources: #LPR,#DPR plan to hold referendum to join #Russia not later than November this year. http://www.gazeta.ru/politics/2015/08/31_a_7731551.shtml …

OUTLAW 09

09-01-2015, 07:05 PM

A lot of armor movement reports for Donetsk. is something new in cards? i don't know...

OUTLAW 09

09-01-2015, 07:11 PM

OUTLAW 09

09-01-2015, 07:13 PM

@carlbildt

Center Party in Sweden coming out in favor of NATO membership is a major development. Neutrality was in the old world part of its DNA.

Leaders of #Sweden Center Party: "non-alliance risks becoming a security risk rather than offering safety" #NATO http://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/natosource/swedish-party-changing-position-leaders-now-call-for-membership-in-nato …

In significant U-turn, leaders of Center Party will recommend at the party's next conference that Sweden join NATO http://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/natosource/swedish-party-changing-position-leaders-now-call-for-membership-in-nato …

Three of the four political parties in Sweden opposed to the government are now in favor of joining #NATO. http://www.ibtimes.com/sweden-joining-nato-centre-party-now-favor-becoming-part-international-alliance-2077659 …

OUTLAW 09

09-01-2015, 07:22 PM

Ceasefire is defintely holding all along the Minsk 2 defined demarcation front line.

Will be signing off early this evening.

For the first night of autumn in Berlin--cool after raining.

This finishes the third hottest summer for the area in over 150 years.

Outside of several reports of armored vehicles on the move in various front line Russian controlled areas ---not much is happening.

Donetsk 21:28PM Kirovskyi ds Mil. equipment on move, loud. Probably the night will be "festive". https://twitter.com/war_explorer/status/638780383585267714 …

Donetsk 21:31 Kirovskyi ds Very much equipment, hum since 5-10 minutes. I don't know where are they going. https://twitter.com/war_explorer/status/638781217740070912 …

Donetsk 22:18 Kirovskyi ds Again equipment! https://twitter.com/war_explorer/status/638792971282980865 …

Makiivka 22:20 Equipment! Loud! https://twitter.com/war_explorer/status/638793597551312897 …

Have a nagging feeling--the Russian mercenaries who have been excessively talkative over the last year propoganda wise suddenly announced this ceasefire and suddenly are holding to it without even a propaganda whimper or explanation for it--totally unnormal for Russian standards.

For the Russians who have been claiming that they are winning to suddenly appear to be defeated makes no sense--therefore the nagging feeling.

Looks like the Russians want to put the thread out of business.

Final sign off for the day.

OUTLAW 09

09-01-2015, 07:32 PM

Will watch the social media a tad longer--now a sudden up tick in Russain heavy equipment being on the move--in two different normal hotspots.

second report from Makiivka 22:18 armored trucks here http://wikimapia.org/20052841/ru/%D0%BC%D0%B8%D0%BA%D1%80%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B9%D 0%BE%D0%BD-%D0%92%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%82%D0%BE%D1%87%D0%BD%D1%8B%D 0%B9 … https://twitter.com/VasyaMakeevskiy/status/638793328251793408 …

More equipment moves in Makiivka

This is why I have a nagging feeling---something is simply not right and makes no sense from the previous Russian military actions.

Basurin of DNR: #Ukraine continues to mass weapons near front-line. Accuse the other of what you do yourselves http://liveuamap.com/en/2015/1-september-basurin-of-dnr-ukraine-continues-to-mass-weapons …

OUTLAW 09

09-01-2015, 07:32 PM

Humor----

Starting from 1st of September, #ruble becomes primary currency of #DPR, #LPR, El Dorado, Atlantis, Middle-earth, Valhalla and Shangri-La

OUTLAW 09

09-02-2015, 04:33 AM

Russia Puts Boots on the Ground in Syria by .@michaeldweiss
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/09/01/russia-puts-boots-on-the-ground-in-syria.html?via=twitter_page …

OUTLAW 09

09-02-2015, 04:34 AM

ATO presser: Almost complete ceasefire, 5 russian attacks in #Donbas yday, and 1 attack after midnight with grenade launchers near #Optyne.

#Donetsk
3:02AM Loud explosion.
3:07AM Assault rifles. https://twitter.com/Serzzze/status/638873349758812165 …

'Thorn’ – the Latest #Russia|n Radio Intelligence System Was Noticed Near #Donetsk Airport
https://en.informnapalm.org/torn-the-latest-russian-radio-intelligence-system-was-noticed-near-donetsk-airport/ … pic.twitter.com/vYby1VCO4R

OUTLAW 09

09-02-2015, 11:14 AM

OUTLAW 09

09-02-2015, 11:19 AM

The writing by this former USAF SOF pilot is really really good and he is about the only US journalist who has been constantly on the front lines since last year YET largely ignored by western MSM and he writes with a passion.

Recommend to all ---read anything of his since 2014 when you come across it.

http://dailysignal.com/2015/09/01/the-ukraine-war-is-supposed-to-end-today-but-it-wont/

The Ukraine War Is Supposed to End Today. But It Won’t.

Nolan Peterson / @nolanwpeterson / September 01, 2015

KYIV, Ukraine—One year ago I was in Mariupol, Ukraine, when the first cease-fire was signed on Sept. 5, 2014.

Late that afternoon I visited the still smoldering battlefields outside the city. There had been a battle that day and the day prior, involving tanks and artillery. The aftermath was tragic. Many soldiers still lay dead where they had fallen in battle, frozen in the moment and the motion of their deaths.

During the fighting, the sounds of the cannons had rattled windows in central Mariupol. The people of the city weren’t yet used to the sounds of heavy weapons as they are today, and they wore their fears on their faces. I remember, in particular, eating lunch at a seaside café when the sounds of explosions first started. The young man sitting across from me, who was sipping on a beer and eating a salad, looked up from his meal and into my eyes.

Is this really happening? We both seemed to ask each other with a shared look.

Any doubts about the terrible reality of this war were erased when I visited the battlefields. I could write my impressions again, but I think it would be best to show you what I wrote that evening, when what I had seen was still fresh in my mind and not dulled by a year of reporting on this war.

Sept. 5, 2014:

[…]Tank battles, heavy artillery, long distance rocket attacks—this kind of combat is terrifying.

But the terror is short lived, and the cease-fire appears to be holding. The bars are open tonight in Mariupol. Across town young brides and grooms are getting married, following through on ceremonies put off by the fighting.

Life goes on.

Yet out there beyond the city streets, far away from the cheesy music and the embraces of newlyweds, the scars of the last two days of battle are still smoldering. After the fighting ended today, I went out to where the fighting had been to see what war really is.

The charred bodies of Ukrainian and separatist soldiers dotted the freshly stilled battlefields. These were the bodies of men who did not die well. Not by the mercy of a gunshot to the head or the heart. Some had their bodies ripped apart by the concussion of artillery blasts. Some were missing limbs. Some with their insides spilled in the earth around them. Others burned to death, trapped inside the steel coffins their tanks became. Quite a few died in the way they desperately clung to life—bodies halfway out of their ruined vehicles or splayed on the ground in fetal positions. All young men. And all of their lives ended today. The convenient forgetting about why they died begins tonight.

And still, as Mariupol celebrates, as I write these words, many more scared and tired young men wait in trenches and in tanks poised to once again release the dogs of war.

And I was right. On Sept. 6, the day after the cease-fire, fighting resumed around Mariupol, commencing five months of escalating violence that would last until the second cease-fire, signed Feb. 12, 2015, which immediately collapsed into another six months of war, which leads us to now, and another cease-fire…

The Revolving Door of War

The Ukraine war is scheduled to end Sept. 1 with a new truce set to coincide with Ukrainian students’ return to school.

On Aug. 26, the trilateral contact group—comprising representatives from Ukraine, Russia and the separatist territories, under OSCE oversight—hashed out this latest call to end the fighting. And during an Aug. 29 telephone call, Russian President Vladimir Putin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande called for a full cease-fire on Sept. 1.

At midnight on Tuesday, guns fell silent along the eastern front, according to the Ukrainian military. “From midnight to 06:00 on Sept. 1, the Kremlin-backed mercenaries were not using weapons along the demarcation line,” the Anti-Terrorist Operation press center wrote in a Tuesday morning statement.

It feels like déjà vu in Ukraine.

OUTLAW 09

09-02-2015, 11:24 AM

Ukraine is determined to ensure security in Kyiv and to not allow another grenade attack occur.

Maxim Tucker @MaxRTucker
#Ukraine: Cougar AFVs are to patrol streets around #Kiev's government district, with an extra 2,200 security forces pic.twitter.com/cvfCTLKTOd

OUTLAW 09

09-02-2015, 11:39 AM

Has Russian now expanded their non linear war to include Syria---after the recent dust up between Russia and the KSA Foreign Minister who declared that Assad is the problem and must go.

Russia is attempting to rebrand Assad as this great anti IS fighter and Russia is doing everything it can to convince the US to support their proxy in his fight against IS BUT at the same time Russia has defined Assad a key ally.

BUT it now appears that Russia has place Russian boots on the ground and not said a single world--that can not have gone undetected by US intel.

Syria Nusra linked acc. posted pics of Russian made drone & jets flying over Western #Idlib. Huge if true. pic.twitter.com/1xPuUbD9an

OUTLAW 09

09-02-2015, 02:58 PM

When one sees the Ukrainian loses just for the period August 2015 and the sheer number of Russian attacks--it is hard not to state the Russians were in fact slow stepping ie masking their general offensive.

IT is also pathetic that Obama, Hollande and Merkel during the same timeframe uttered not a single condemnation against Putin and the Russian military.

Actually even the NATO SACEUR was extremely quiet--wonder why--he was #### down just like every US General has been that stated Russian is an existential threat to the US.

2920 cease-fire violations. Ukrainian Army lost 45 KIA and 225 WIA in August 2015. See report http://lugansk-news.com/2920-cease-fire-violations-by-russian-hybrid-army-ukrainian-army-lost-45-kia-and-225-wia-in-august-2015/ … pic.twitter.com/WXXg41nRsq

OUTLAW 09

09-02-2015, 03:14 PM

All quiet on the "eastern frontline"--ceasefire is holding.

Dug up this on Russian military doctrine which accurately depicts what Russian troops and her mercenaries are up to.

"Ceasefire" - Russian military term for consolidating occupied territory, strengthening positions, resupply, rearming and rotating troops.

http://www.interpretermag.com/ukraine-live-day-562-while-ceasefire-appears-to-be-holding-2-anti-smuggling-patrol-members-killed-near-schastye/#9797

If There's A Ceasefire, Why Are Russian-Backed Fighters Massing Armor And Jamming OSCE Drones?

13:10 (GMT)

So far Ukraine is seeing its second day of ceasefire, and as we reported below for the most part it is holding. Appearances, however, can be deceiving. The OSCE is witnessing the ceasefire holding, but they are also simultaneously warning that Russian-backed forces appear to be massing just behind the front lines. In fact, their drones are still crashing after their signal is interrupted by jamming equipment.

Take these excerpts from their report published yesterday but dated August 31:

At a “DPR” training area and shooting range in Rozy Liuksemburh (45km north-east of Mariupol), the SMM heard five explosions and shooting, which it assessed to have been fired from infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs), anti-tank guns (ATGs) and anti-tank guided missiles (ATGM).

At 10:13hrs, while flying south of “DPR”-controlled Sontseve (59km north-east of Mariupol), all contact with an SMM unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was abruptly lost. Contact with the UAV was not restored by 13:45hrs, by which time the UAV must have run out of fuel. At this point, following the procedures, the aircraft was declared lost. An SMM patrol went to the last known location over which the UAV was flying on a field 1.5km south of the village, where the SMM was stopped by two armed “DPR” members, who denied the SMM further access to the area*. However, when looking towards the probable crash area, the SMM could observe burned patches on the ground.

...

The SMM also revisited four “DPR” heavy weapons holding areas whose locations corresponded with the respective withdrawal lines. In two areas, it found that all previously recorded weapons were present. In the third area, the SMM observed five mortars (120mm PM-38) were missing. In the fourth area, the SMM observed that the serial numbers of three howitzers (122mm D-30) did not match the numbers previously recorded, and one anti-tank gun (100mm MT-12 Rapira) was missing. In a fifth area, the SMM was denied access*.

In “DPR”-controlled Sontseve, the SMM observed a parked truck with an anti-aircraft gun mounted from 100m south from its position. Until the moment contact was lost between the UAV and its base, the UAV observed concentrations of military hardware in “DPR”-controlled areas close to the contact line: notably seven main battle tanks (MBTs), twenty-five armoured personnel carriers (APCs) and four multi-purpose light-armoured towing vehicles (MT-LBs) in and around Komsomolske (73km north-east of Mariupol), five self-propelled howitzers (2-S1 Gvozdika,122mm) and eleven APCs in and around Rozdolne (46km south-east of Donetsk), two MBTs in Michurine (55km north-east of Mariupol), and two MBTs in Bezimenne (30km east of Mariupol).

In the report, Ukrainian military holding areas were in full compliance with the Minsk agreement.

As we've been reporting, the jamming equipment seen in separatist territory in recent months was almost certainly supplied by the Russian military.

The OSCE has not released a report from yesterday yet, but the Ukrainian military spokesperson, Colonel Andriy Lysenko, is still reporting sightings of enemy drones:

OUTLAW 09

09-02-2015, 03:16 PM

More smuggling via the Russian mercenary crime bosses that now control the Donbas.

Security Service of #Ukraine found cigarettes worth about 2 mln UAH in a truck from #Donetsk http://lugansk-news.com/security-service-of-ukraine-found-cigarettes-worth-about-2-mln-uah-in-a-truck-coming-from-donetsk/ … pic.twitter.com/lOOyPxG0DI

There was, however, one deadly incident on the front line.

Georgiy Tuka, the governor of the Lugansk region, announced on his Facebook page this morning that a 'combined mobile group,' patrolling the frontier to combat smugglers, had been attacked near Schastye.

Two members of the patrol were killed and four wounded. One of the dead was a personal friend of the governor.

Car of joint mobile group who was ambushed near Shchastya today (v @7w7w7w) pic.twitter.com/tbYvIPM4JI

No suggestion was made in Tuka's post as to the identity of the attackers.

On August 27, another 'mobile group' was attacked near Schastye. Their vehicle was damaged but there were no casualties.

OUTLAW 09

09-02-2015, 03:17 PM

Fascists in #Ukraine? Enemies in America? It’s staple fare on Russia’s state-controlled #TV. http://www.dw.com/en/behind-russias-tv-propaganda-machine/a-18689297 … pic.twitter.com/9x987MCM1c
15:46 Sep. 2, 2015

DW: Behind Russia's TV propaganda machine

Fascists in Ukraine, enemies in America: it's staple fare on Russia's state-controlled television

When Angela Merkel, François Hollande and Petro Poroshenko met recently for talks in Berlin on the Ukraine's independence day, the 'Rossija' (Russia) channel opened its news broadcast with a man shouting "Poroshenko is a fascist" in Russian. It wasn't clear who the man was, but this type of thing is common on Russian TV these days, with its daily discussions about the supposed Ukrainian fascists. The cynical, critical tone of the piece was also typical of reporting about the Ukrainian president. The broadcaster was at pains to present Poroshenko as a guest of little importance. At the same time, the report criticized the fact that Putin had not been invited to the meeting.

"According to the propaganda, the nationalists, ultranationalists and radicals are in power in Ukraine and are threatening the Russians in East Ukraine, that's why Russia is bound to defend them," said Russian public opinion researcher and sociologist Lev Gudkov in an interview with DW last year. But his statement is just as true today.

OUTLAW 09

09-02-2015, 03:18 PM

Really good video of the first major UAF defeat in August 2014 inflicted on them by the Russian invasion forces that Obama, Hollande and Merkel appear to have ignored.

VIDEO "Deathtrap Ilovaysk" (by German TV WDR) 44 min.....
RU - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggwsWYx5Ulg&feature=youtu.be …
GER - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_6d2M6zun0 …

OUTLAW 09

09-02-2015, 03:19 PM

OUTLAW 09

09-02-2015, 03:31 PM

Fallout, #Ukraine Deadly Munitions on Ukraine’s Battlefields" http://sofrep.com/42700/fallout-ukraine-pt-6-deadly-munitions-ukraines-battlefields/#ixzz3kacaQdHR … by @SOFREP pic.twitter.com/5AxlsgemVJ

70% of Russians believe their country is not waging war in Ukraine, 72% are against direct military intervention in Donbass - Levada poll

OUTLAW 09

09-02-2015, 03:38 PM

http://www.interpretermag.com/russia-the-state-sponsor-of-terrorism/

Russia: The State Sponsor of Terrorism?

Stephen Blank September 1, 2015

Russia’s recent vote to block formation of a tribunal to investigate the shooting down of Malaysian Airline flights MH17 last year was entirely predictable. Undoubtedly a tribunal would have assigned guilt to Russia where it belongs, denting Mosco0w’s claim that it is responsible to nobody for its actions. But this vote also shows that Moscow remains a state sponsor of terrorism and not only in Ukraine. Since that vote The British government has assigned direct responsibility for the murder of Alexander Litvinenko to President Putin, and both the Russian and Western press have published reports that Russia is allowing homegrown terrorists to depart for Syria and Iraq so that they do not make trouble at home. Whatever Moscow’s motives, these are the actions of a state sponsor of terrorism.

Neither are they the only examples of such behavior. Putin came to power through bombings in Russian cities in 1999 that strongly look like the handiwork of the FSB and which represented (and were so described at the time) acts of terror against the Russian population in Moscow and other cities. Litvinenko’s murder was hardly the only act of political assassination abroad carried out by Russian agents. Russian agents are permitted by Russian law to conduct such operations abroad and have carried out political “hits” in Doha, and even in the United States. Many political refugees in London also claim to have received death threats. Neither does Russian sponsorship of terrorism abroad stop at political assassinations. Former President Jose Mojica of Uruguay wrote in his memoirs that Hugo Chavez told him in 2008 that Putin gave his support for a war against Columbia, a US ally at that time. We should remember that in 2008 Viktor Bout, who enjoyed high-level political protection in Moscow, was convicted of running guns to the FARC rebels in Colombia, Igor Sechin and Nikolai Patrushev were traveling around Latin America calling openly for an anti-American alliance and intelligence cooperation among friendly pro-Moscow Latin American states, and Moscow was selling Chavez’s Venezuela billions of dollars in weapons.

In the Middle East Moscow has been the main source for the sale of the chemical weapons that Bashar Assad (and his enemies) continue to use in their civil war despite the supposed removal of those weapons in 2013-14. Moscow also is a major if not the major purveyor of arms to Hezbollah in Lebanon and has supplied them and Hamas weapons through Syria and Iran. Moscow still recognizes Hamas as a legitimately elected government despite its refusal to renounce its calls for the destruction of Israel and continuing terrorist bombings and operations against Israel. Indeed, in 2007 its ambassador to Israel, Andrei Demidov, stated that it is essential for Israel to talk with Hamas no matter what it does. But when asked about Russia’s refusal to talk with Chechen terrorists he stated that this is because the Chechen problem is an internal Russian one and “we decide how to settle the problem.” Moreover, in complete defiance of the facts, he claimed that Moscow has settled it by peaceful means and created a government, parliament, and judicial system there. He even recommended that Israel learn from Russia in this regard.

Thus we should not be surprised that Moscow is allowing terrorists to move from Russia to Syria and Iraq so that it can export its terrorist problem abroad. But Moscow’s conduct in its anti-Jihadist counterinsurgency in the North Caucasus partakes of the same tactics that terrorists habitually employ. Thus Russian forces operating in the North Caucasus carry out most of the a abductions and kidnappings there, evidently with full impunity — actions which are essentially tantamount to state-sponsored terrorism. In Ukraine it is not only the shooting down of MH-17 that is grounds for labeling Rusisa a state sponsor of terrorism. Indeed, terrorism has been an important part of Moscow’s overall strategy in Ukraine. Thus Russian supported forces have carried out bombings in Odessa, Kharkiv, and other Ukrainian towns as part of the ongoing effort to destabilize the entire Ukraine.

The sum total of all these activities, dating back to 1999 and Putin’s rise to power, show that terrorism is an accepted and habitually employed instrument of Russian power and strategy and that it is deployed at home and abroad in order to serve state interests. The record shows also that Russia, as befits an outlaw state, refuses to accept any legal or moral responsibility or constraints upon its actions and demands that it be free to act with impunity. Allowing international terrorism to flourish, whatever its origin, is a recipe for plunging the world into anarchy. We certainly have imposed sanctions on Iran and are fighting the Taliban, ISIS, etc as other states are also fighting other terrorist groups.

Apart from the fact that Russia is clearly an international aggressor as far as Ukraine and Georgia are concerned, should we not also draw the other appropriate conclusion that Russia, like Iran, is a major sponsor of state terrorism at home and abroad and act accordingly to sanction it as we have sanctioned Iran and other terrorist groups?

OUTLAW 09

09-02-2015, 03:39 PM

Humor---

Novorossiya receives mobile church from Russia

pic.twitter.com/sSq4bcu81X

OUTLAW 09

09-02-2015, 03:44 PM

Reference Russian non linear warfare expansionism into the Artic----

This has been building + obvious for years. Obama WH has done almost nothing despite NATO allies (+ DoD) screaming. https://twitter.com/CSIS/status/639099973951320064 …

One more in the long line of failures within the Obama foreign policy which is basically built on wanting a great legacy for himself nothing more nothing less.

OUTLAW 09

09-02-2015, 04:14 PM

Ceasefire still holding as of now--an increasing number of Russian troop and equipment movement reports are drifting in--appears to be fueling/resupply ops and troop rotations.

Will continue to monitor lightly social media over the next hour or two but if nothing pops up--- will be signing off early today.

General overall posting is slowing way down--this is the break the UAF and Ukrainian civilians really needed to get some normalcy back in their lives and to patch up their residences as winter is coming--the autumn nights are trending temp wise ever downward and winter might in fact be early this year.

OUTLAW 09

09-02-2015, 05:11 PM

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/on-the-frontlines-in-ukraine-a-technological-gap/2015/08/31/8a62a94c-4b7c-11e5-84df-923b3ef1a64b_story.html

On the frontlines in Ukraine, a technological gap

By Thomas Gibbons-Neff August 31 

In June, Ukrainian army Lt. Sasha Bak finally got his hands on a drone.

He had been fighting in eastern Ukraine since March, and it was the first time he was able to get real-time imagery of the Russian-backed separatists and their trenches a little more than a half-mile away.

The aircraft? A small quadcopter more common in toy stores than combat zones, with a GoPro camera strapped to its underside. The drone flew one mission before its owner, a foreign volunteer, left with it.

Bak’s shortage of drones is just one piece of the many technological shortcomings he faces. His unit — the 7th Company of the 93rd Brigade — talks primarily on unsecure radios or field telephones left over from the Cold War that are frequently disabled when artillery rounds sever the wires that connect them. With no secure way to transmit data to other units, important messages such as company rosters and battlefield reports are delivered by hand.

The Russian-backed separatists in the trenches opposite Bak’s are much better equipped. Not only do they have numerous drones of their own, but the separatists — with significant assistance from Russia — have more-sophisticated communications and an ability to jam Ukrainian radios.

They have also knocked out Ukrainian radio and television towers and have repurposed them to broadcast their own programming — a key element in a parallel propaganda war.

This disparity in communications and surveillance technology has added to an already daunting task for beleaguered Ukrainian units trying to hold their lines. The imbalance persists despite pledges from the international community, including $220 million in aid from the United States, to train and equip Ukrainian forces.

“The Ukrainians have very bad communications and very bad command and control,” said John Herbst, director of the Atlantic Council’s Dinu Patriciu Eurasia Center and a former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine. “Russia has great advantages in drones and electronic warfare . . . and Ukraine has a limited capacity.”

The separatists fly drones constantly. Bak said he has seen ones the size of U.S. Predators while others, he maintains, are flown overhead simply to draw Ukrainian fire and reveal their positions.

Eduard Basurin, a deputy defense minister and military spokesman for the separatists in the self-declared Donetsk People’s Republic, said he would not comment on the use of drones by his forces. He did say, however, that the rebels are able to jam Ukrainian drones. “We have a possibility to stop them from flying,” he said. “What will you do when the enemy breaks into your house?”

Laura Seal, a Pentagon spokeswoman, said in an e-mail that the United States is in the process of supplying 3,000 radios with various levels of encryption to Ukrainian forces as part of the nonlethal military assistance the Pentagon started sending last year. The United States has also sent counter-
artillery radar that has helped Ukrainian troops respond more accurately to separatist shelling.

“This assistance is tailored to fill Ukraine’s capability gaps, as identified by Ukraine,” Seal said.

Bak’s 7th Company has yet to see an American radio, but the threat posed by an enemy that can disrupt and monitor communications hasn’t been lost on the men holding the line. The troops have said that if a major offensive happened, the Russians would first destroy their ability to communicate.

The separatists’ tactics have piqued the interest of defense officials in Washington who hope they can glean intelligence about Russia’s capabilities.

“We’re learning a lot from them,” said a senior defense official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media. “What we’re learning from Russia’s electronic warfare sets up our approach to their techniques and doctrines.”

Yet, Russia’s warfare extends off the battlefield as well. In an effort to control the flow of information around the front lines, Ukrainian television channels — except music and sports programming — have been blocked and replaced with Russian and separatist counterparts.

Almost immediately after hostilities began, the separatists took over a number of radio and television towers in parts of eastern Ukraine, according to Tetiana Popova, Ukraine’s deputy minister of information,

“The towers in this region have either been destroyed or captured” by the separatists, Popova said in an interview in Kiev, pointing to a cluster of concentric red circles on a map of eastern Ukraine. “Of the ones they have captured, we currently don’t have towers tall enough or powerful enough to counter them.”

Popova is attempting to procure new towers to help push Ukrainian channels back into the east.

For now, however, the lack of Ukrainian coverage means that both civilians and troops on or near the front get their news from separatist-controlled territory.

Although the programming is mostly Western movies and Russian sitcoms, there is a diet of news and battle reports. They are greeted with jeers and laughter from the Ukrainian troops.

“It’s propaganda,” Bak said. “But we watch it anyway.”

Yet for Ukrainian officials, Russia’s ownership of the airwaves is no laughing matter.

“This information front is no less important than the military front,” Valeriy Chaly, Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States, said in an interview. “This aggression not only threatens an offensive against our troops but destroys Ukraine from the inside.”

Obama is sitting on an approved Congressional amount of 300M USDs tucked into the Defense Spending Bill that could close this gap.

BUT he is afraid Putin will escalate the fighting BUT he has four times and the US has sent not a single defensive weapon to the Ukraine.

It just takes Presidential leadership which there has been none.

OUTLAW 09

09-02-2015, 05:19 PM

OUTLAW 09

09-02-2015, 05:35 PM

Russians are itching to break their owned declared ceasefire—they have started a nickel and diming slow step masking to break it again.

Donetsk area, militants fired on ATO positions south of Avdiivka with small arms and RPGS - ATO press center

In addition to the ambush near Shchastya this morning, militants also fired on Krymske (small arms) and Novotoshkivske (120-mm mortars)

Today in Donbas, situation slightly deteriorated in the Luhansk region - ATO press center
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1058972527446886&id=820651001279041&refid=17&_ft_=top_level_post_id.1058972527446886&__tn__=%2As …

Ukraine conflict: Deadly Luhansk ambush ends lull in east - BBC News http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-34128085 …

OUTLAW 09

09-02-2015, 05:51 PM

Perfect example of the Russian style of informational warfare—the Ron Paul Institute was identified early in the Ukrainian conflict to be a Russian info war mouth piece and it still continues to be one.

The Russian non linear warfare has two very important legs—informational warfare and cyber warfare/cyber crime in order for it to be successful.

http://ronpaulinstitute.org/archives/featured-articles/2015/august/27/syria-the-propaganda-ring/

Syria: The Propaganda Ring

Written by Vanessa Beeley

Thursday August 27, 2015

“The media’s the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that’s power. Because they control the minds of the masses.” - Malcolm X

After four and half years of relentless propaganda being flung around our mainstream media by propagandists, NGOs and Empire serving mouthpieces, one wonders how this stream of effluent still manages to stick to the consciences of the public it serves to deceive.

Yesterday, a Facebook post caught our attention. A Palestinian based in Gaza posted two photos of child victims in Syria. The photos were accompanied by the caption, “The massacres of Assad regime in Syria #Douma”. The subsequent barrage of comments consisting of the usual plethora of outpouring against Assad and the SAA provoked us to investigate further.

We discovered that both photos were taken by photographer Khaled Khatib, and were of “reported” SAAF barrel bomb attacks on unclassified areas of Aleppo. Bearing in mind, most of Khaled’s photos on Google appear to be of the immediate aftermath of such an attack, one wonders why he does not specify the area and offer a verified claim of the attack being from barrel bombs, rather than the rather non committal “reported” tag.

Further investigation revealed that in reality, Khaled Khatib works for and with the White Helmets and his photos are used extensively by the well known EU-backed, one man propaganda band, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The SOHR is actually Mr Rami Abdul Rahman, who runs this propaganda feed from his house in Coventry, UK, and who bases the majority of his information on Skype calls to Syria. This information, however, is unilaterally used by the Axis of Interventionism [US, Europe in particular] to justify their proxy invasion of a sovereign nation and their clumsy, murderous 4.5 year long attempt at the “regime change” of an elected government, engendering, in the process, the widespread loss of civilian life in Syria at the hands of their proxy armies.
Continued……

Notice the lack of referencing a particular social media open source analyst who has been tracking the Syria war daily now for four years and was the first to really analyze and document the use of barrel bombs and the use of chlorine barrel bombs when the US looked the other way for months.

Michael Weiss @michaeldweiss
The Ron Paul Institute bravely attacks the White Helmets in Syria, who pull people from rubble:

OUTLAW 09

09-02-2015, 05:54 PM

First possible report of Russian artillery firing or Russian artillery incoming--have to wait to verify.

19:52 #Dzerzhynsk @blessmaster Something has strongly boomed 5 minutes ago

OUTLAW 09

09-02-2015, 05:57 PM

Have to wait to see if these initial Russian artillery reports are verified as attacks or drills--BUT ceasefire might just over.

19:34 #Luhansk @antonio_fz1 "What has rumbled all day? ceasefire or drills?"

20:08 #Volnovakha @solomazheka "Ceasefire over. Artillery is pounding"
20:11 There were 5-6 salvos of something very heavy

Volnovakha: silence. Drone activity reported...

DNR, Enakievo, training range of Verovka: half a day for biggest "drills" since July, together with DNR of Horlivka https://twitter.com/Utilizator_/status/639110739790163969 …

OUTLAW 09

09-02-2015, 06:18 PM

Russian expands use of non linear warfare into the Artic----

Russia to Reinforce #Arctic Troops With Air Defense & Missile Regiment http://europe.newsweek.com/russia-reinforce-arctic-troops-air-defence-missile-regiment-332342?utm_content=bufferba72f&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer … pic.twitter.com/whNvobxmmX

OUTLAW 09

09-02-2015, 06:27 PM

OUTLAW 09

09-02-2015, 06:34 PM

Humor-----

Cyberwar

pic.twitter.com/549wdgUDPP

OUTLAW 09

09-02-2015, 06:36 PM

Reference Transnistria---Moldavia

VIDEO Columns of #Russia(n) T-64 tanks and armor on the move in #Transnistria near #Ukraine https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lj4YwI2_yTY … pic.twitter.com/B66yZqz5lT

OUTLAW 09

09-02-2015, 07:00 PM

http://euromaidanpress.com/2015/09/02/donbas-mercenaries-bringing-the-war-home-to-russia-with-them/

Donbas mercenaries bringing the war home to Russia with them

2015/09/02

Russians mercenaries who fought in the Donbas “militias” are returning home not only with their weapons but with increasingly violent dispositions, and according to three experts, they now represent a threat not only to public order but also to political stability.

Valery Borshchev, a former Duma deputy, tells Russian newspaper “Novyye izvestiya” that many of the returnees have “damaged psyches” and that as a result and in a way recalling those who returned from the Afghanistan and Chechnya wars, Russia now faces “a ‘Donbas’ syndrome” that it must somehow deal with.

But he suggests that the Donbas returnees will find it “significantly more difficult to adapt to peaceful life.” That is because “after ‘the Chechen campaign,’ rehabilitation centers were established; and these helped many recover. But those centers, Borshchev says, were set up not by the government but by social organizations.

Now, he says, it appears unlikely that any such centers will be set up. The government doesn’t want to recognize the problem or spend the money, and the NGOs who helped in the past find themselves today in a significantly more difficult situation. Consequently, more guns are coming in, and more of them will be used.

Returning Donbas “volunteers,” Borshchev says, have gotten used to death and “don’t fear anything. Thus, to stop them [from committing crimes] will be much more difficult than it was to mobilize them in the first place.” And their willingness to use violence will change the face of business conflicts and other disputes.

“I am not demonizing those who have returned from the Donbas,” he says. “But these are the realities,” and those coming back need “immediate psychological help” or the situation will deteriorate.

Valentina Melnikova of the Union of Committees of Soldiers Mothers of Russia agrees, arguing that the Russian authorities having sent these men into battle has now largely washed its hands of them, and as a result, there is increasing violence in their homes and on the streets of Russian cities and villages.

Unless someone provides the Donbas veterans with immediate psychological help, she continues, “some of them really will try to repeat a Donbas in Russia.”

And she adds, “it isn’t important who will create this … it is important to set up [centers of psychological help and even whole services] precisely now.”

And Vladimir Zherebenkov, a former investigator at the interior ministry, “confirms the seriousness of the situation,” “Novyye izvestiya” says.

“Russians went to the Donbas for various reasons: because they believed in the cause, because they wanted money or because they wanted to kill.” Now, they “want a repetition of the military scenarios in Russia,” with some engaged in political causes because of belief, others to get money, and still others to engage in senseless killing.

All of those threats must be addressed because as one can already see in Rostov oblast, the returning Donbas veterans with their weapons and attitudes are a big problem.

More police are needed alongside psychological assistance programs, but “the situation [in Rostov] will stabilize it would appear only after the end of military operations. Even after that, however, one must not forget about the returning” militiamen. Otherwise, “the ‘Donbas syndrome’ may become a drawn out illness with a tragic outcome for many.”

OUTLAW 09

09-02-2015, 07:13 PM

This is the key question: how did Russia inherit #UNSC seat after the USSR breakup while 15 it's republics did not? https://twitter.com/AlexPeresviet/status/639075090567700480 …

OUTLAW 09

09-03-2015, 04:28 AM

ATO presser: 10 ceasefire violations yesterday. Ukr strongholds near #Maryinka came twice under RU small arms fire at 7PM and 10PM.

OUTLAW 09

09-03-2015, 07:58 AM

Russian altered state of reality is returning again in full force----appears that while accusing the Ukraine of not fulfilling the political points contained in Minsk 2—Russia completely fails at implementing not a single point in Minsk 2---and denies still they are not involved in the eastern Ukraine.

Typical Russian Orwellian doublespeak—blame others of things one does not do themselves.

MFA Russia ✔ @mfa_russia
#Churkin: #Ukraine authorities are violating #UNSC resolution by ignoring political aspects of the Minsk agreements http://tass.ru/en/world/818320

OUTLAW 09

09-03-2015, 07:59 AM

Decrease of militant attacks on Ukr troops stands: 10 attacks on 2 Sep, small arms, large-caliber machine gun in use https://www.facebook.com/ato.news/posts/1059228867421252 …

Russian proxies cease systematic shelling of ATO forces
http://www.unian.info/war/1118237-russian-proxies-cease-systematic-shelling-of-ato-forces.html … pic.twitter.com/LQjx5XyAaS

The Ukrainian Security Service claims to have uncovered a plot to blow up an apt building in Kiev suburbs.Sounds like Moscow '99 if true.

In Kyiv SBU eliminated the group that was planning attacks in the capital http://liveuamap.com/en/2015/3-september-in-kyiv-sbu-eliminated-the-group-that-was-planning … pic.twitter.com/izrT2D9BVi via @ServiceSsu

Files indicating very close ties between Ukrainian businessmen and Russia in the Ukraine.
https://dropmefiles.com/CblfJ
http://www.fayloobmennik.net/5416645

Is Russia preparing to annex occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk? Or like Russian passports in Transnistria? https://twitter.com/i_korotchenko/status/639338378337591296 …

OUTLAW 09

09-03-2015, 08:03 AM

This is probably true as Putin needs to appear like a statesperson so he needs some peace and quiet in the Ukraine--- and he then can state see via strong Russian diplomatic engagement we got a ceasefire--thus deflecting any accusations of Russian troops and heavy weapons in the Ukraine.

Russian expert Belkovsky: new ceasefire in #Ukraine will hold until #Putin's visit to New York. . http://totall.info/lenta/JXQNRUWV.html …

Would also explain the suddenness of the Russians themselves declaring virtually a one side ceasefire and why there was not a single propaganda statement made around explaining the ceasefire.

OUTLAW 09

09-03-2015, 08:13 AM

First indication at least in this combat zone that Russians are pulling back heavy weapons which was a big part of Minsk 2 but never fulfilled by Russia.

Still no OSCE involvement to confirm and verify where they are being pulled back to also required as part of Minsk 2.

Cease-fire held for 5th day in sector "M", while mercenaries withdraw heavy equipment from front line - Sec. M spox
http://m.0629.com.ua/news/947718

BUT a further clarification----only partly withdrawn--again it seems strictly for PR.
Militants are partly withdrawing heavy weapons from near #Mariupol - Sector M spokesperson

Ceasefire. Only one question: Are Russian Ground Forces standing down and withdrawing from occupied Donetsk and Luhansk, Donbas, Ukraine?

ALSO required in Minsk 2--withdrawal as well of all Russian mercenaries.

We have seen no evidence that Russian Southern Military District 2C structure has been dismantled in occupied Donbas https://twitter.com/GorseFires/status/639350638468591616 …

We have seen no evidence that Russian Ground Forces rotations, resupply and H-22-00 armour transfers have ceased https://twitter.com/GorseFires/status/639350638468591616 …

OUTLAW 09

09-03-2015, 08:25 AM

Since Russia is such a heavy user of the term the Ukraine is not fulfilling Minsk 2--IT is wise to go back and review the document to understand even the Russian requirements on occasions.

Minsk 2 Agreement

12:11PM GMT 12 Feb 2015

• Immediate and full ceasefire in particular districts of Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts of Ukraine and its strict fulfilment as of 00.00 midnight (Kiev time) on Feb. 15, 2015.

• Pull-out of all heavy weapons by both sides to equal distance with the aim of creation of a security zone on minimum 50 kilometres apart for artillery of 100mm calibre or more, and a security zone of 70km for MLRS and 140 kilometres for MLRS Tornado-S, Uragan, Smerch and tactical missile systems Tochka U.

– for Ukrainian troops, from actual line of contact;

– for armed formations of particular districts of Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts of Ukraine, from the contact line in accordance with the Minsk memorandum as of Sept. 19, 2014

• The pullout of the above mentioned heavy weapons has to start no later than the second day after the ceasefire and finish within 14 days.

• This process will be assisted by OSCE with the support of the Trilateral Contact Group.

• Effective monitoring and verification of ceasefire regime and pullout of heavy weapons by OSCE will be provided from the first day of pullout, using all necessary technical means such as satellites, drones, radio-location systems etc.

• On the first day after the pullout a dialogue is to start on modalities of conducting local elections in accordance with the Ukrainian legislation and the Law of Ukraine “On temporary Order of Local Self-Governance in Particular Districts of Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts,” and also about the future of these districts based on the above mentioned law.

• Without delays, but no later than 30 days from the date of signing of this document, a resolution has to be approved by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, indicating the territory which falls under the special regime in accordance with the law “On temporary Order of Local Self-Governance in Particular Districts of Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts,” based in the line set up by the Minsk Memorandum as of Sept. 19, 2014.

• Provide pardon and amnesty by way of enacting a law that forbids persecution and punishment of persons in relation to events that took place in particular departments of Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts of Ukraine.

• Provide release and exchange of all hostages and illegally held persons, based on the principle of “all for all”. This process has to end – at the latest – on the fifth day after the pullout (of weapons).

• Provide safe access, delivery, storage and distribution of humanitarian aid to the needy, based on an international mechanism.

• Define the modalities of a full restoration of social and economic connections, including social transfers, such as payments of pensions and other payments (income and revenue, timely payment of communal bills, restoration of tax payments within the framework of Ukrainian legal field)

• With this aim, Ukraine will restore management over the segment of its banking system in the districts affected by the conflict, and possibly, an international mechanism will be established to ease such transactions.

• Restore full control over the state border by Ukrainian government in the whole conflict zone, which has to start on the first day after the local election and end after the full political regulation (local elections in particular districts of Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts based on the law of Ukraine and Constitutional reform) by the end of 2015, on the condition of fulfilment of Point 11 – in consultations and in agreement with representatives of particular districts of Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts within the framework of the Trilateral Contact Group.

• Pullout of all foreign armed formations, military equipment, and also mercenaries from the territory of Ukraine under OSCE supervision. Disarmament of all illegal groups.

• Constitutional reform in Ukraine, with the new Constitution to come into effect by the end of 2015, the key element of which is decentralisation (taking into account peculiarities of particular districts of Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts, agreed with representatives of these districts), and also approval of permanent legislation on special status of particular districts of Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts in accordance with the measures spelt out in the footnotes, by the end of 2015.

NOTICE: the distance for Russian heavy weapons to be pulled back is actually from the first Minsk 1 demarcation line--Russia and her mercenaries argue it is from the Minsk 2 demarcation line.

Argument is academic as they have never pulled at all.

OUTLAW 09

09-03-2015, 08:34 AM

Russian non linear warfare includes the weaponization of economics as well----

Russia invaded #Ukraine, destroying its coal industry. The result? Ukraine is now importing coal from Russia http://interfax.com.ua/news/economic/287653.html …

Russia has been stealing Ukrainian coal from the very beginning--first by truck and now by rail.

OUTLAW 09

09-03-2015, 08:40 AM

This is how Russia is handling the so called "ceasefire".

OSCE UAV lost over Sontseve most likely shot down by militants & possibly by 9K35 “Strela-10”

http://www.osce.org/ukraine-smm/179706 … pic.twitter.com/WauvJfspZK

TASS press release shortly after the shot down claimed technical failure as the reason.

Russian mercenaries did not allow the OSCE to recover the crashed UAV remains--they were under gun point forced to leave the area--THAT is

Remember. Russian (hybrid) forces can withdraw armour from Sontseve then return it to frontline positions in <1 hour pic.twitter.com/WaE8LX96GhRussia adhering to Minsk 2.

OUTLAW 09

09-03-2015, 08:56 AM

OUTLAW 09

09-03-2015, 09:02 AM

One does well to go back and review past Russian statements on the eastern Ukraine and then look at how it fits into the current "ceasefire".

http://tass.ru/en/world/794684

Russian official says Ukraine's eastern regions may opt for Crimean pathway

May 14, 15:53 UTC+3

A member of Russian parliament's upper house said Kiev will have to treat Donbas as a special region and take account of the losses it has suffered during the military operation if it wants to keep it

MOSCOW, May 14. /TASS/. Ukraine's eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions may opt for the pathway already trodden by Crimea, Konstantin Kosachev, the chairman of the foreign policy committee in the upper house of Russian parliament wrote on his blog on Thursday.

He recalled a recent remark that the leader of the Petro Poroshenko Bloc, Yuri Lutsenko, made in Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada, saying Donbas was not entitled to getting any special autonomous status.

Lutsenko drew a comparison between Donbas and Crimea. "In 1991, the contrived special status (of the former Crimean region of what used to be the Ukrainian Soviet Social Republic - TASS), which transformed the regional council into the Crimean Supreme Rada, brought up separatism and put a part of the country into an opposition to all other parts," he said.

"In reality, everything happened the other way round," Kosachev said. "It was the underestimation of Crimea’s specificity by the Kiev authorities and the persistent diminishing of its status over a period of more than twenty years that generated all the subsequent problems."

"Exactly the same thing will happen or won’t happen in the southeast of Ukraine depending on what scenario of actions the Kiev government opts for," Kosachev said.

He believes that decentralization tailored along the ‘one size fits everyone’ formula, which Kiev is seeking to impose on Donbas won’t be accepted by its residents.

"If Ukraine wants to keep Donbas within its sovereign borders, the government will have to treat it as a special region and to take account of the losses it suffered during the so-called Antiterrorist Operation, which actually turned out to be a war against fellow-countrymen," Kosachev said.

OUTLAW 09

09-03-2015, 09:09 AM

Map. Military situation in eastern #Ukraine, September 3, 2015, 00:00 EET pic.twitter.com/Y2vLOWE1U6

Militants fired on positions near Krymske with small arms. Ukrainian soldier was wounded - MIA
http://www.mvs.gov.ua/mvs/control/luhansk/uk/publish/article/182272 …

OUTLAW 09

09-03-2015, 09:12 AM

Relatively quiet on the Ukrainian eastern front line---will check in on social media this evening to see if there is anything that needs posting.

OUTLAW 09

09-03-2015, 03:01 PM

Russian altered state of reality again hits the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs---

Zakharova of MFA of RF: Conduct of U.S.-Ukraine naval exercises is against peace at Donbas http://liveuamap.com/en/2015/3-september-zakharova-of-mfa-russia-the-conduct-of-the-usukraine … pic.twitter.com/SJJQwuJE5r

As Russian troops continue to fight in UKR @SputnikInt claims "US Troops in #Ukraine violate #MinskDeal @MFA_Russia pic.twitter.com/H7IRwXmu2J

#Zakharova: Make no mistake, peaceful settlement based on Minsk Agreements is the only way to settle the crisis in Ukraine

Russia set to extend its "universal jurisdiction" to Donbas
http://www.unian.info/war/1118448-russia-set-to-extend-its-universal-jurisdiction-to-donbas.html … pic.twitter.com/iIMUWrSTlV

BUT Russia has never fulfilled a single point of Minsk 2.

Russian MFA: the primary responsibility for the Downing of MH17 is on Ukraine

Russian BUK shots down MH17 with a joint Russian and Russian mercenary crew AND then blames the Ukraine by stating they are responsible—seems like the Russians are actually the responsible party ifn it their missile and missle crew.

Zakharova: Russia took note of belligerent talk that once again comes from Kiev; decisions aimed at escalating the conflict are being taken

Putin using far right to destabilize Ukraine, Poroshenko says

Zakharova: All Moscow wants is a peaceful settlement and for Kiev to fulfill its commitments as soon as possible

NOTE again begs to be not involved yet it is their troops and heavy weapons inside the Ukraine AND they have never fulfilled a single point in Minsk 2.

Zakharova: Ukrainian constitution amendments regarding Donbass should be coordinated with these territories, including decentralization

As a sovereign state the Ukraine does not have to decide to who and with whom they talk—Russia cannot dictate that to any sovereign nation that they promised to protect under the 1994 Budapest Memorandum.

OUTLAW 09

09-03-2015, 03:16 PM

Notice just now Russia now turns the Minsk 2 agreement into a legally binding international law agreement when it fact it is not as it was never ratified by the Ukraine nor was it ratified by France and Germany.

Russia loves using the term international law, international agreements BUT often fails to exactly define what they mean.

When he refers to the Geneva Convention one could actually via massive social media videos and photos charge the entire Russian leadership with multiple war crimes against humanity and using civilians as human shields BUT notice he did not mention that small aspect.

http://www.unian.info/war/1118448-russia-set-to-extend-its-universal-jurisdiction-to-donbas.html

Russia set to extend its "universal jurisdiction" to Donbas

03.09.2015 | 16:51

Chairman of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation Alexander Bastrykin claimed the extension of Russia's "universal jurisdiction" to the southeast of Ukraine and justification of "criminal prosecution" of top political and military leadership of Ukraine.

Such statement he made when speaking at a meeting devoted to "countering violations of human rights of the civilian population of the southeast of Ukraine," a Russia-based UNIAN correspondent reported.

Bastrykin said that under such circumstances the Investigative Committee "cannot keep aside" as this crime is related to violation of universally recognized norms and principles of international law, including the Geneva Conventions of 1949, as well as obligations under Minsk agreements, involving withdrawal from September 2014 of heavy weapons (over 100 mm caliber) to a distance of 15 km away from the front line, as well as a ban to use all weapons and conduct offensive operations considered as war crimes against peace and security of mankind.

NOTICE this is a somewhat typical Russian misinterpretation of the Minsk 2 agreement--if one reads it thoroughly and the Russians never read the exact words--it clearly states that it applies to both the UAF and the Russian troops and her mercenaries AND the Russian troops and her mercenaries HAVE to withdraw their heavy weapons FROM the Minsk 1 define demarcation line.

THAT is what Russia somewhat missed in their version of the agreement.

Bastrykin said Russia has thoroughly explored the issue of Russian jurisdiction in connection with such events. According to him, the international humanitarian law provides grounds for Russia to apply its universal jurisdiction in the investigation of this category of cases.

Bastrykin believes "it is legitimate and justified for the Russian Investigative Committee, based on both the Russian legislation and the international law, to initiate criminal cases of genocide, as well as prosecute political and military leadership of Ukraine."

According to Bastrykin, the committed crime is proved by collected evidence and testimonies of witnesses and victims residing in the territory of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, and those who were forced to leave the territory of Ukraine.

One has to really love the way the Russian leadership twists and turns information to match their ideas.

OUTLAW 09

09-03-2015, 03:22 PM

Since Russia is such a heavy user of the term the Ukraine is not fulfilling Minsk 2--IT is wise to go back and review the document to understand even the Russian requirements on occasions.

Minsk 2 Agreement

12:11PM GMT 12 Feb 2015

NOTICE: the distance for Russian heavy weapons to be pulled back is actually from the first Minsk 1 demarcation line--Russia and her mercenaries argue it is from the Minsk 2 demarcation line.

Argument is academic as they have never pulled back at all.

Notice the true altered state of reality the Russian MF still seems to be in--is it they cannot read the Minsk 2 agreement OR are they afraid to actually read it and implement it??????

MFA Russia ✔ @mfa_russia
#Zakharova: The key provisions of the Minsk Package are clear and should not be interpreted at will, let alone distorted

So flipping the argument back to Russia --WHAT is it in the Minsk 2 agreement the Russian FM clearly seems to not understand AND why does Russia not implement fully Minsk 2.

BUT it appears the Russian MF seems to not know the full story about fulfillment of Minsk 2----

Systematic jamming of #OSCE UAVs, particularly in separatist contr areas in #Ukraine must stop, says EU in OSCE perm Council

UK Delegation OSCE ✔ @UKOSCE
In #OSCE PC, EU condemns continuing restrictions on #SMM movement & #security, including loss of 1 UAV over separatist-controlled territory.

Appears that while Russian demanded the OSCE be involved in the Ukraine--THEN they fail to implement and or allow the OSCE to do their jobs--why is that and what are they afraid of????

OUTLAW 09

09-03-2015, 03:27 PM

Russian "Orlan" drones in #Ukraine, excellent OSINT job https://en.informnapalm.org/orlan-drones-the-sea-eagles-of-st-petersburg/ … pic.twitter.com/BZLnDqnjBr

Moscow blogger posted photos of war-torn Debaltceve
http://24today.net/open/517586 pic.twitter.com/OGqhgfqdFA

1,500 Russian Southern MD NBC troops heavy flamethrower (TOS-1) combat training at Prudboy range, Volgograd Reg 2 Sep http://eng.mil.ru/en/mcis/news/more.htm?id=12054815@egNews …

250 Russian Southern MD artillery units & 1,300 troops combat training at Prudboy range, Volgograd Region. MoD 3 Sep http://eng.mil.ru/en/mcis/news/more.htm?id=12054887@egNews …

OUTLAW 09

09-03-2015, 03:34 PM

Oleksandr Motuzyanyk: Russia-backed militants use heavy weapons in Luhansk sector for the first time in the past days

Kyiv, September 3, 2015. The situation remained tense in the Luhansk sector as Ukraine’s mobile group designated to counter smuggling across government- and militant-controlled areas was ambushed between Shchastya and Slovyanoserbsk resulting in death of a volunteer and a State Fiscal Service officer. Six Ukrainian troops were injured. Ukrainian forces did not incur any casualties in other sectors over the last 24 hours. “Militants also used heavy armament the first time in four days, firing at Ukrainian positions near Novotoshkivske, Bakhmutivska road, from 120 mm mortars,” said Colonel Oleksandr Motuzyanyk, spokesperson of the Administration of the President of Ukraine on ATO-related issues, at a press briefing at Ukraine Crisis Media Center. Provocations instigated by militants took place near Shchastya and Krymske where they fired from small arms. The ceasefire held yesterday in Popasna district as well as near Svitlodarsk, Horlivka and at the front line between Dzerzhynsk and Yasynuvata.

Need to watch this to see if this is in fact a slow stepped restarting of the war or just "restless mercenaries".

OUTLAW 09

09-03-2015, 03:37 PM

Excellent example of Russian informational warfare--ie the twisting of words to awake a total different image.

TASS, RT: "Mogherini calls to destroy vessels with migrants" http://russian.rt.com/article/113037
Actual quote: "Capture and disposal of smuggler vessels"

At the @OSCE, the Russian Federation has accused others of "propaganda" and "cynicism". http://liveuamap.com/en/2015/3-september-at-the-osce-the-russian-federation-has-accused …

Russian informational warfare is now in full swing in Syria----

Here recent Lifenews report on pro-Assad 'Special Forces' preparing to fight ISIS. Perviy Kanal reports next?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jV4FJ4yOapQ …

OUTLAW 09

09-03-2015, 03:50 PM

Worth reading the complete article-----

http://euromaidanpress.com/2015/09/02/dnr-leaks-how-a-ponzi-scam-turned-into-a-russian-fueled-rebellion/

DNR leaks: “Rebel” leader infighting, Ponzi schemes, and Russian intelligence supervisors

Article by: Kirill Mikhailov

Ex-DNR leader’s Denis Pushilin’s and his aide’s messages surface on the Internet

“Ukrainian Cyber Army” hackers published messages of a former “Donetsk People’s Republic” (“DNR”) leader and current DNR representative in the Minsk agreement contact group Denis Pushilin and his aide. Among the data, analyzed by Radio Liberty’s Russian service, are Pushilin’s Skype messages as well as well as an archive from the Viber messenger of his aide, Aleksandr Serov. These messages tell a lot about “DNR’s” inner workings and the life of its leadership. They contain everything from reports to supervisors from Russian intelligence to Pushilin’s attempts to work in the Amway multi-level marketing system, bypassing US sanctions.

Машина наблюдателей ОБСЕ в Луганске
OSCE monitor car in Luhansk

The messages cover a period from spring 2014 to summer 2015. Pushilin’s Skype contains little interesting information – most of the messages published are routine correspondence with DNR ex-“minister of information and mass communications”Aleksandr Khryakov and his successor Elena Nikitina. For instance, Khryakov complains to Pushilin on the lack of gas needed to drive Russian and OSCE members of the truce monitoring committee around the Donbas. The minister also doesn’t like that his and Russians’ documents are routinely checked at “DNR” checkpoints:

“I’m driving Russians at the head of the convoy and OSCE goes in line after me!!! And they ask for papers at military checkpoints (just so you know)!!! And, you aren’t gonna believe this, but a car needs gas to move, it won’t move without it, see!!!”

Denis Pushilin’s Skype message dated 24 July 2015 mentions he is outside Donetsk “at a meeting with V. Yu.” These initials may mean Vladislav Yurievich Surkov, a Kremlin official who, according to uncofirmed data, supervised the first stage of Putin’s “Novorossiya” project. Pushilin admitted plans to meet Surkov in an interview to slon.ru on June 18. Later he wrote on Skype that the meeting went well and “everything is ok.”

Much more information on how “DNR” functions may be derived from Viber messages of a certain “Petrovich.” The messages tell us that this is a cover for Aleksandr Petrovich Serov, codename “Chapai” (Serov’s vk.com profile where he calls himself Sergey), an old friend and colleague of Pushilin since the times the latter was just a head of an “MMM” Ponzi scheme in Donetsk and Makiivka (cities in Ukraine’s Donetsk Oblast).

mmm2

МММ was a Russian company that perpetrated one of the world’s largest Ponzi schemes of all time, in the 1990s. By different estimates from 5 to 40 million people lost up to $10 billion. The exact figures are not known even to the founders.

Source: Wikipedia

This is indeed a cover: according to Serov himself, most of his acquaintances think he was “killed in a shelling in Donetsk airport,” and only his children, girlfriend (who later became his wife) and the closest friends know he’s alive. At only two points in the correspondence does Serov reveal his true name. He needs it for filing an official paper and so that a middleman through which he bought weapons in Russia would recognize him. The authenticity of the messages is confirmed by a lot of names, last names, codenames, dates and other details matching real events of 2014-2015 in Eastern Ukraine.

Денис Пушилин в роли представителя
Denis Pushilin acting as “DNR” representative in the contact group on Minsk agreement monitoring, August 2015

It’s unclear how the hackers managed to access Serov’s correspondence by hacking Pushilin’s computer. Probably at some point Pushilin bought a new phone, while Serov received his old one and started actively using it. According to the messages, Serov performed technical functions: helped his friends with transportation and weapons, discussed the “republic’s” internal politics and planned on becoming an MP of the “DNR people’s council,” arranged moving Russians coming in and out of the Donbas across the border and even found a way to register his boss Pushilin in the US marketing network Amway, bypassing sanctions imposed on Pushilin by the US. The messages also mention Russians – both “vacation soldiers” and supervisors from the FSB [Federal Security Service] and GRU [Main Intelligence Directorate].

The Ponzi revolution

The war does not stop Serov from advancing his MMM Ponzi scheme through both Russia and Ukraine, registering people in the system left and right, while at the same time looking to buy a used car in Russia, ostensibly “for DNR purposes,” but really for personal use.

В феврале 2014 года Денис Пушилин лично участвовал в открытии первого офиса
Denis Pushilin opening MMM’s first office in Simferopol, Crimea, on February 2014

In between discussing Grad attacks, he also attempted (successfully) to register Denis Pushilin in a US Amway network for distributing cosmetics and healthcare products. The procedure was complicated by the US sanctions against “DNR” leaders, including Pushilin.

Serov persuaded his correspondents in Russia to register in the MMM pyramid, operating in Russia since 1994. “MMM people made this revolution, that’s a fact,” Serov boasted in one of the messages.

Spreading the “Ponzi scheme revolution,” Serov discussed with his MMM colleague in Kyiv ways to peddle their scam to National Guardsmen stationed in Ukraine’s capital. “Ukraine would indirectly finance DNR,” he noted triumphantly.

False reports and border crossings

In June 2014, Serov arranged moving several colleagues across the Russia-Ukraine border. Apparently they did so through official channels, as they spoke of forging migration papers.

Going back to Russia included getting approval from pro-Russian fighters from Chechnya manning “DNR” checkpoints.

Бойцы из Чечни, воюющие на стороне сепаратистов
Chechen fighters forming parts of Russian hybrid troops

Other routine tasks include finding a drunken separatist fighter who went to Donetsk on foot or getting a template from “Luhansk Republic” officials for an appeal to another Russian-backed “republic” of South Ossetia to recognize “New Russia.”

In September 2014, right after the first ceasesifre was signed, Serov tells Alexau Muratov, head of “Donetsk Republic” movement in Russia and editor of a pro-“rebel” news websitе, to change the date of a video of a destroyed Ukrainian convoy in order to conceal a blatant ceasefire violation.

At some point, he also discussed “correcting” a Lifenews dispatch from Donetsk Airport, which showed the “rebels” being inept and lacking combat skills. The report, according to Serov, “didn’t follow the Guidelines.”

Something rotten in the Republic of Donetsk

Игорь
Igor “Demon” Bezler

Apparently Serov was close to Igor “Demon” Bezler, a terrorist commander in the town of Horlivka. On 1 July 2014, when Bezler refused to submit to “DNR” authorities and attempted a coup in Donetsk, Serov frantically wrote to a friend of his in Russia:

“Urgent: Bezler men (i.e. us) are declared terrorists and ordered to be shot on sight.” Serov considers fleeing to Russia, but doubts he would be safe enough even there. Apparently, he did manage to avoid persecution, since he didn’t move to Russia after all.

Александр Бородай (слева) и
Aleksandr Borodai (left) with “DNR” “Prime Minister” Zakharchenko

Serov’s accounts tell of DNR’s internal strife, conflicts between Denis Pushilin and Aleksandr Borodai, a “political expert” from Moscow and another “DNR” “Founding father.” He wrote that Borodai was trying to push Pushilin’s dismissal through “DNR’s” “People’s council,” but the deputies were against putting the item on the agenda.

Serov blames another of the early “Novorossiya” leaders, Pavel Gubarev, for staging an attempt on his own life – in a message right after the media told about the incident.

Павел Губарев
Pavel Gubarev

Serov definitely envies media attention to Gubarev and reminds this is not the first “murder plot” against him.

Other messages speak of fierce competition between “DNR” units: Serov urges to film a report glorifying Bezler’s actions during the September 2014 Russian offensive, so that Motorola (another prominent rebel commander) or Zakharchenko’s “Oplot” battalion wouldn’t steal all the credit.

In a July message, Serov admitted that “people [in Donetsk] say Putin is a d***head” and “Russians’ rating in Donbas is extremely low.” This may be related to Kremlin’s refusal to incorporate the “republics” into Russia via Crimea scenario.

In November, Serov planned to gain an MP seat during the sham “DNR” elections, but Pushilin would have none of it, which led Serov to complaining of forsaken ideals of their “revolution.”

Later Serov also discussed Moscow plans to arrest Pushilin. This is perhaps why the frequent use of slogans like “Glory to Ukraine” in the messages may be not as ironic as it might seem.

Money, guns and loot

Владимир Путин с автоматом во время визита на Тульский оружейный завод в январе 2014 года
Vladimir Putin at the Tula weapons plant, March 2014

It turns out Denis Pushilin, who, according to a Russian investigation, was in charge of large sums of money for Kremlin’s “Novorossiya” project, didn’t give salaries to his aides, despite promising to “sponsor” them via “New Russia People’s Front”.

Continued......

OUTLAW 09

09-03-2015, 06:16 PM

http://www.rferl.org/content/a-soft-annexation-in-donbas/27225009.html

A Soft Annexation In Donbas

By Brian Whitmore

September 03, 2015

They're already using the Russian currency. They may soon be issued Russian passports. And in a couple of months, they plan to vote in a stage-managed referendum to formally join Russia.

It sure is beginning to look a lot like an annexation in Donbas. Or at least a well-orchestrated bluff.

Separatist officials in the self-styled Luhansk People's Republic this week formally made the Russian ruble their main currency.

The ruble, of course, has long been in circulation in the breakaway eastern Ukrainian enclave. But effective September 1, it will be the official monetary unit for taxes, the budget, wages, pensions, and other social benefits.

The goal, separatist officials say, is to bring the territory fully into the ruble zone and eliminate the hryvnya.

The move followed announcements that separatist-held areas of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts will hold a referendum on uniting with Russia in late October or early November.

And this all comes amid persistent press reports claiming that the Kremlin is mulling the option of issuing Russian passports to residents of the so-called Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics.

We've of course seen this movie before -- in Transdniester, in South Ossetia, and in Abkhazia. But if in those cases, forcing a frozen conflict and creating a Russian protectorate was part of an offensive strategy meant to exert pressure on Moldova and Georgia, respectively.

But in eastern Ukraine, they are a sign that Moscow is losing the diplomatic and political tug-of-war that is the Donbas endgame -- and losing it badly.

And that is because Russia's goal in eastern Ukraine -- at least in the small chunk of territory it now controls - has never been annexation or the establishment of a de facto protectorate.

Moscow doesn't want the separatist territories separated from the rest of Ukraine, but integrated into it. The Kremlin wants Kyiv to carry the burden of reconstructing the region, and it wants Moscow's proxies to act as a fifth column to disrupt Kyiv's westward drive.

But the authorities in Kyiv aren't letting this happen.

"Ukraine's position is that it will not play according to the Kremlin's script in Donbas," Vladimir Gorbulin, a former secretary of Ukraine's National Security Council, wrote in NZ recently. "The reintegration of Donbas into Ukraine in Russia's terms will not happen,"

MIsplaced Fury

Sure, Ukrainian nationalists are up in arms about proposed amendments to the constitution that will devolve power to the regions and stipulate that a vaguely defined special status will be granted to the separatist-held areas of Donetsk and Luhansk.

Those changes, part of the Minsk cease-fire agreement, passed their initial reading in parliament this week, sparking the worst violence Kyiv has seen since the Euromaidan revolution when far-right protesters hurled grenades at police, killing three.

But if you look closely at what is going on, it is clear that the nationalists' fury is misguided.

President Petro Poroshenko and his government are obviously slow-walking the process and have no intention of granting the separatist-held territories special status any time soon.

Kyiv is insisting that the pro-Moscow rebels disarm, Russia withdraw its troops from Donbas, and that separatist-controlled areas of the border be returned to Ukraine's control before there can be any discussion about the territories' status.

Poroshenko says the decentralization amendments won't even come up for a final vote until the end of the year.

"Whether or not the Kremlin removes its troops, equipment and proxies from the Donbas or not -- and one has to suspect not -- the final decentralization vote does not seem likely to occur anytime before Easter 2016," political analyst and blogger Nikolai Holmov wrote recently.

Holmov adds that it's highly unlikely they will pass with the required super-majority as long as the clause about the rebel regions' status is included.

And what about that clause? It simply states that "The particulars of local government in certain districts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions are to be determined by a special law."

In other words, even if the amendments pass, the status of these territories won't be determined until an entirely new law passes.

This is clearly going to take a while -- which is the point.

The Poroshenko government is being careful to tick all the boxes on the Minsk accords, while at the same time running the clock out until the end of the year, when Moscow is obliged to fulfil its end -- returning the border to Ukraine's control.

Unpalatable Options

All of this puts Russia in a very tough spot.

The Kremlin had been heavily lobbying the West to pressure Ukraine to grant the separatist areas autonomy before it ceded the border, but these efforts appear to have failed.

This became apparent, according to political analyst Taras Chornovil, following Poroshenko's meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande in Berlin on August 24.

"There was a breakthrough moment in Berlin," Chornovil told Nezavisimaya Gazeta. "Germany and France for the first time admitted openly that they support the Ukrainian side in its interpretation of the Minsk agreements."

Moscow can't force Ukraine to take the rebel-held territories back on its terms. And this leaves it with three unpalatable options: restart the war, annex the territories, or freeze the conflict and turn them into a protectorate.

The moves to formally introduce the ruble in the separatist regions, the threats to hold a referendum on joining Russia, and the noise about issuing Russian passports are a last-ditch effort to pressure Kyiv. And Kyiv isn't budging.

Which leaves Moscow stuck taking its least worst option: call it a soft annexation.

And this removes the last bit of leverage Russia has over Kyiv.

"Ukraine will never now be a gray neutral territory between East and West," Ukrainian political analyst Serhiy Taran told Nezavisimaya Gazeta. "Either we won't emerge alive from this hell or else we will emerge very strong. I am convinced it will be the latter, if only because this is what everyone except Russia wants."

OUTLAW 09

09-03-2015, 06:22 PM

This cannot be the Obama foreign policy------long article.

Why Waiting for Russia to Collapse Is a Terrible Ukraine Policy

Nikolas K. Gvosdev

September 1, 2015

Two months ago, a number of senior U.S. national-security officials insisted that the Russian Federation has reemerged as the premier existential threat to American interests. Today, as energy prices continue to tumble and China's economy falters, a new narrative has emerged: the pending collapse of Russia itself, or at least the prospects that the government of Vladimir Putin is entering into its last days. The continuous oscillation in views—Russia as a powerful threat, Russia as an imploding basket case—does not permit a cool, rational assessment of Russia's actual strengths and weaknesses.

Let's first start with the economic indicators. Russia's economy is contracting, its currency is losing value vis-à-vis the dollar and the euro, and its industrial output is showing signs of decline. Because of the conflict in Ukraine, Western sanctions remain in place against Russia. The second round of collapsing energy prices further decreases the revenues available to the Kremlin—although the devaluation of the currency has helped to partially compensate for this since energy exports are priced in and generally paid for in dollars and euros. And Putin's lifeline against Western sanctions—more than $100 billion in deals, credits and loans with China—has been compromised by China's own economic woes. Inflation is eating away at the savings and purchasing power of Russian citizens. Between devaluation, Western sanctions and Russian countersanctions, imports have become either more expensive or have disappeared altogether, while domestic substitutes have not generated sufficient replacements.

These basic facts are not in dispute by most people ranging from Kremlin ministers to vociferous Putin opponents. What these developments may portend, however, is open to interpretation.

In one narrative, the declining economy will galvanize widespread public opposition to the Putin government, as hundreds of thousands of Russians are set to fall below the poverty line. Declining commodity prices make it much more difficult for the Kremlin to be able to distribute financial support to a number of the economically strapped regions of Russia, depriving the government of one of its more effective tools for managing local unrest. The cratering economy will also negatively impact the fortunes and livelihoods of the Russian elite, particularly as sanctions cut into their ability to maintain access to Western sources of goods and services. The Kremlin will come under tremendous pressure to reverse its foreign-policy choices—starting with supporting separatists in Ukraine and aiding the regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria—in order to shore up its economic base. Spending on military rejuvenation will have to end. Moreover, some have even begun to speculate about a combination of mass public protests and elite maneuverings coalescing in Putin's very removal as president.

The seductiveness of such a narrative to Western governments is apparent. For the last year, American and European leaders have solemnly warned about the dangers posed by Putin to Euro-Atlantic security, yet the rhetoric has still not been completely matched by decisive action. There have been some rotations of forces and equipment to the eastern frontiers of the NATO alliance, but no permanent pivot back to Europe, and in fact, the United States continues to withdraw personnel. Many European governments have still not increased defense spending while some continue to cut such expenditures. Ukraine has received only a fraction of the aid it needs and almost none of the military assistance it has requested to push back the separatists. A narrative that a collapsing Russian economy, however, is going to deliver Moscow's complete reversal on Ukraine and may even lead to regime change in the Kremlin itself—and in a matter of months—takes Western governments off the hook. The West need not "do" anything more, but simply wait for the Russian collapse, in a repeat of what happened to the Soviet Union thirty years ago.

It seems quite dangerous, however, to base policy towards Russia on assumptions of a forthcoming economic disaster. The Russian economy is slated to enter a period of extreme austerity, but even with the declines, there is nothing that resembles the catastrophe of the 1990s, with GDP being nearly halved. Declines are still predicted in the single digits—indicating future hardships, not outright collapse. It is also not clear that popular unhappiness will translate into sustained anti-government unrest. Here, the failure of the West to develop a rapid, comprehensive Ukrainian rescue package plays a critical role. Russians are well aware of the tremendous economic hardships Ukraine is facing in the post-Maidan period and that Ukraine has not been given any significant help to put it on a path to prosperity, which may temper enthusiasm for any sort of revolutionary activity. Russian media has also consistently covered the prolonged economic crisis in Greece and other EU member-states, sending a very strong signal that not only would there be no real reward for Russia if Putin were to be removed, but that Russia could face even worse economic conditions than the current austerity they must undergo. Given the conservative and risk-averse nature of Russian political culture, grumbling and protests about current conditions may not in fact translate into sustained action for political change.

Continued........

OUTLAW 09

09-03-2015, 06:25 PM

Russian heavy equipment on the move----

reports of moving BMPs (APCs) thru Donetsk, in direction to airport...

more APC movements.. Azotniy district of Donetsk https://twitter.com/AkaDON12/status/639495694072553472 …

OUTLAW 09

09-03-2015, 06:36 PM

Footage
Russian invaders ambush "Right Sector" jeep, capture weapons.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMBhwb1oy-4 …
pic.twitter.com/q24lxGz6qL

Russian Hackers group got documents on Akhmetov visits to Donetsk and ties with Zaharchenko pic.twitter.com/RS3q3EA8eg http://liveuamap.com/en/2015/2-september-russian-hackers-group-b0ltai--got-documents-on …

OUTLAW 09

09-03-2015, 06:45 PM

Quiet evening--outside of occasional Russian heavy equipment movements not much going on----signing off.

OUTLAW 09

09-04-2015, 06:53 AM

Putin "We are not to blame for the incidents in Ukraine" https://twitter.com/theinsider_ua/status/639675529143152640 …

Only 5 #Russia|n ceasefire violations with small arms yesterday

07.30 #Yasinovataya quiet. Traces of tracked equipment by #Zemlyanky. 2pcs left to Zorka & 4 tow traffic police post https://twitter.com/PVB40/status/639668664367759360 …

Explosion in #Zaporozhye at night http://espreso.tv/news/2015/09/04/u_centri_zaporizhzhya_pidirvaly_ofis_anisimova …

Lysychansk
Loud rumble can be heard from #Zolote the second morning in a row.
(drills?) https://twitter.com/lisichanskiy/status/639658808495763456 …

The UAF strongholds from #Optyne after midnight twice came under small arms fire.

Around 8:30 from #Spartak they hit with 82-mm mortars UAF positions at #Optyne.

ATO presser: 5 ceasefire violations yday, chaotic & provocative. In the evening UAF pos. nr #Avdiivka twice came under small arms & RPG fire

OUTLAW 09

09-04-2015, 06:54 AM

OUTLAW 09

09-04-2015, 07:00 AM

Russian non linear warfare is now fully functioning inside Syria with Russian boots on the ground.

Notice the interplay between social media open source analysis and MSM in certain areas--ie aviation.

The first report came from social media and then The Aviationist picked it up and ran with it.

The Aviationist » These photos suggest Russian Air Force jets and drones are already operating against ISIS in Syria http://theaviationist.com/2015/09/02/russians-against-isis-over-syria/ …

#Breaking - #Russian soldiers were viewed in #Zabadani while fighting for #Assad regime. #Syria pic.twitter.com/tZn3rXP52n

VIDEO supposedly showing #Russia(n) troops fighting in #Syria https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttqTm6C3rjM … pic.twitter.com/RKTe4oTNqR

Russia (#Assad supporter) holds up start of UN #Syria chemical weapons probe http://www.france24.com/en/20150903-russia-holds-start-un-syria-chemical-weapons-probe?ns_campaign=reseaux_sociaux&ns_source=twitter&ns_mchannel=social&ns_linkname=editorial&aef_campaign_ref=partage_aef&aef_campaign_date=2015-09-03&dlvrit=66745 … #Putin #Ukraine pic.twitter.com/2y9Ud9sPOg

OUTLAW 09

09-04-2015, 07:06 AM

Appears the ambush on the Ukrainian anti smuggling team WAS in fact an ambush by the UAF 92nd Bde who was evidently protecting the smuggling operation----typical of the systemic corruption that the Ukraine needs to root out.

Head of #Luhansk regional admin/ Tuka: mobile anti-contraband group was attacked by 'our forces' covering smuggling http://www.5.ua/ato-na-shodi/Ya-budu-ioho-znyshchuvaty--Tuka-pidtverdyv-shcho-znaie-ubyvtsiu-bortsiv-iz-kontrabandoiu-92166.html …

OUTLAW 09

09-04-2015, 07:07 AM

Russia is condemning itself to repeat history-flexing muscles,Gov`t mistakes http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate/2015/09/03/russia-is-condemning-itself-to-repeat-history/ … pic.twitter.com/cQ5LpVsIQl

VIDEO: Tank column (train st. Kantemirovka, RU) 03/09/2015
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UZ3pPN-hTuU … pic.twitter.com/eAInW7x1LF

OUTLAW 09

09-04-2015, 07:14 AM

Pure Russian hypocrisy----

MFA Russia ✔ @mfa_russia
Envoy to EU Vladinir Chizhov: Russia has rich experience in migraion issue & is ready to consult other countries http://tass.ru/en/russia/818636 …

First of all their weapons ie bombs and fighters and missiles to Assad has created this problem in the first place and their refusal to allow humanitarian aid into Syria just reinforces this hypocrisy.

Secondly yesterday a top Russian Duma member openly complained that in aiding the so called ethnic Russian fleeing the Ukraine has cost the Russia budget 60M USDs and that it was "damaging" the overall Russian budget.

So much for being a subject matter expert in migration issues.

OUTLAW 09

09-04-2015, 09:37 AM

Russian non linear warfare being challenged by the IS non linear warfare--will be an interesting war.

IS had months ago declared war on Russia and everyone laughed.

ISIS claims car bomb attack on #Russia(n) military base in #Dagestan http://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/462745/ISIS-car-bomb-Russian-military-base … pic.twitter.com/YwrxGEFCGS

OUTLAW 09

09-04-2015, 10:26 AM

So let's see just how both the US and Russia are handling the charge that Russian boots are on the ground and fighting in Syria----.

1. US first denies any knowledge, then they are monitoring Russian military flights. BUT only AFTER social media gets adamant Russians are fighting in Syria.

2. Russia and Putin openly state in true Ukrainian fashion--it ain't us it must be the Ukrainians............

3. Even the Russian info warrior TASS gets into the fray and denies any Russians are fighting.

BUT leave it up to social media to do their due diligence.............

Soldiers speaking Russian in Syria 2:05-2:10 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdX1...ature=youtu.be … pic.twitter.com/oHnfpC67gc

BTW--80% of all intelligence is OSINT--open source--this confirms it yet again.

OUTLAW 09

09-04-2015, 10:41 AM

Russian spy ship spotted near US sub base
http://www.unian.info/world/1118647-russian-spy-ship-spotted-near-us-sub-base-media.html …

Russian news agencies TASS and (international) Russia Today to merge. https://twitter.com/snob_project/status/639692569136381952 …
Heck now a more streamlined info war approach----

Operational Environment in E. Ukraine as of Sept. 4, 2015, 00:00 EET pic.twitter.com/R7ErkQ1ylb

Analysis #Map
Train w/ #RussianArmy T-72 tanks, less than 18 km from the #Ukrainian border.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZ3pPN-hTuU … pic.twitter.com/XfMkwKaQoK

In the last 6 days there were 74 cease-fire violation VS 546 for same period one month ago in #Lugansk and #Donetsk Regions

OUTLAW 09

09-04-2015, 10:56 AM

Russians at NATO @natomission_ru
A.Grushko: It is evident that the opening of NATO force integration units in six Eastern-European

A.Grushko: This decision which is part of NATO efforts to strengthen its eastern flank will feed a…

A.Grushko: This will also fuel a tendency towards the creation of dividing lines in Europe

Russians at NATO @natomission_ru
A.Grushko: Whatever the claims are that this step does not contradict the Russia-NATO Founding Act, it is destructive

NOTICE that at no time does the Russian NATO rep talk about the simple fact that Russian activities with Crimea, and eastern Ukraine have driven NATO to this move---if Russia had not annexed the Crimea and invaded eastern Ukraine doubt seriously NATO would be opening these new centers.

BTW NATO has repeatedly stated theses such centers are in no violation of the Russia NATO Founding Act—BUT actually NATO has documented six direct Russian violations just in the last year of the Russia NATO Founding Act.

Side note--NATO tossed out 25 Russian military officers for spying and reduced the entire Russian NATO contingent by 50%.

Here is the Russian beef with the Founding Act--they interpret the Act to state no NATO facilities, bases, troops etc. on the border to Russia--NATO states--not a problem since we in the 4 plus 2 German Reunification treaty stated and have repeatedly stated---permanent based troops are not allowed--rotating troops on the other hand are absolutely not a problem.

OUTLAW 09

09-04-2015, 10:58 AM

More 6П11 NSV, more 12.7mm "BS" Armor Piercing Incendiary in #Ukraine pic.twitter.com/C2590O0Bve

One Ukrainian soldier killed in Donbas in last day
http://www.unian.info/war/1118785-one-ukrainian-soldier-killed-in-donbas-in-last-day.html … pic.twitter.com/VHCde2cg9Z

Sep03 #Bezimenne @GirkinGirkin
"[RUS hardware] by Sparta gang and other ones" pic.twitter.com/InhTu41Qus

OUTLAW 09

09-04-2015, 11:37 AM

Really quiet on the Ukrainian eastern front---no reporting--- not even a minor shooting incident.

The Russian mercenaries must be totally bored and or totally drunk due to the enforced boredom.

Will come off social media for awhile--am watching the Russian engagement into Syria development though and will post events of that on the new Syria thread as they appear via social media.

OUTLAW 09

09-04-2015, 11:47 AM

OUTLAW 09

09-04-2015, 12:17 PM

More from the Russian info war front---taken from their info warrior media outlet Interfax.

Russian troops and her mercenaries are still refusing to withdraw weapons of 100mm and smaller from front line.
Interfax today:
14:48 Arms withdrawal consensus yet to be reached – DPR

Under the rubric of fake news and blatant lies---the OSCE has not indicated they will certify the Russian mercenary elections—and Merkel warned Putin in the last Normandy Four teleconference all elections must be held under Ukrainian election laws.

Interfax today:
14:04 DPR, LPR expect monitors from OSCE in local elections

13:04 EU, U.S. may broaden sanctions on Russia unless DPR, LPR coordinate local elections with Kyiv - newspaper

More lies and fake news—first Russia vetoes the UNSC tribunal for MH17 THEN they claim they have legal jurisdiction over eastern Ukraine under the Geneva Convention?????????

Interfax today:
13:17 Investigative Committee is convinced that tribunal on war crimes in Donbas will take place

Russia still believes it has the inherent right to tell other nations what they can and cannot do---

Interfax today:
09:08 Amendments to Ukrainian constitution are instrument of struggle for power - Putin

OUTLAW 09

09-04-2015, 12:31 PM

SBU blocks VAT refunds to Akhmetov’s businesses registered in so-called DPR
http://www.unian.info/economics/1118813-sbu-blocks-vat-refunds-to-akhmetovs-businesses-registered-in-so-called-dpr.html … pic.twitter.com/5mFX3u00MO

Hacked docs revealed this week the deep relationship between Akhmetov and the DNR mercenary leader even before the Russian invasion in August 2014.

This week’s Top Extremism- and Terrorism-Related Stories in Russia http://extremistrussia.com/2015/09/04/top-extremism-and-terrorism-related-stories-in-russia-28-august-3-september-2015/ …

not only R-330Zh "Zhytel", also "Torn" showed up https://en.informnapalm.org/torn-the-latest-russian-radio-intelligence-system-was-noticed-near-donetsk-airport/ …

OUTLAW 09

09-04-2015, 12:34 PM

ATO Staff spokesperson: Ceasefire holds but militants keep provoking Ukrainian troops
http://uacrisis.org/32897-stelmakh pic.twitter.com/wqwbuVi49x

OUTLAW 09

09-04-2015, 06:00 PM

Strong rumors of major coup -------

Panic in so called #DPR, a "constitutional coup" was announced in social networks https://plus.google.com/104010886469890350976/posts/gQG6UeStADt … pic.twitter.com/fLp8nhQjuH

DPR's Dvoryadkin: Purigin detained and driven to #Donetsk, we gather journalists now http://www.novorosinform.org/news/id/36373
pic.twitter.com/g3dHTkiIPa

http://www.interpretermag.com/ukraine-live-day-564-blasts-in-two-ukrainian-cities-while-front-remains-relatively-calm/#9825

Rumors of a Coup in the 'Donetsk People's Republic'; Purgin and Aleksandrov Blocked at Border

15:25 (GMT)

Novosti Donbassa reports today that there are rumors of a coup in the self-proclaimed 'Donetsk People's Republic' (DNR), the spearhead of the Russian-backed separatists in southeastern Ukraine.

Says Novosti Donbassa:

Rumors have actively been circulating on social networks. In particular, there are reports from various sources that DNR members Andrei Purgin and Aleksei Aleksandrov are not being allowed into the occupied territory of Donetsk Region at the Uspenka checkpoint on the Russian-Ukrainian border.

Meanwhile, a meeting of the so-called "Popular Council" took place in occupied Donetsk chaired by Denis Pushilin. Thus, DNR members are beginning to spread rumors that Pushilin and his supporters have seized power in the occupied government.

Journalist Aleksei Matsuk reported live on Donbass Public TV that Purgin went to Moscow for talks with Vyacheslav Volodin, first deputy head of the Russian presidential administration (translation by The Interpreter):

"As is known, Volodin has a long-time enmity with Vladislav Surkov, aide to the president. The internal conflict continues. Essentially, Denis Pushilin is Surkov's man. And Purgin is a representative of Volodin. We are simply watching a struggle for power between the Russian figures Surkov and Volodin."

A video has also been uploaded to YouTube purporting to be an intercepted conversation with Aleksandrov recounting his denial of entry to the DNR at the border, and a verbal instruction that had gone to guards saying that he should not be allowed "without a reason" into the DNR. He said there was a long line at the border of people waiting to enter.

OUTLAW 09

09-04-2015, 06:02 PM

Russian soft annexation of eastern Ukraine is now formally underway-----
Russia's rouble now the official currency of the 'Donetsk People's Republic'. So much for autonomy within #Ukraine pic.twitter.com/cXjOUrpKvk

Today (6am-6pm) militants 6 times attacked UKR positions, mostly near Donetsk - ATO press center
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1059974414013364&id=820651001279041&refid=17&_ft_=top_level_post_id.1059974414013364&__tn__=%2As …

Russian soldier Viktor Soloviev of 165th artillery brigade revealed near Novoazovsk. PH http://24today.net/open/518945 pic.twitter.com/NjDGuEbiA8

OUTLAW 09

09-04-2015, 06:08 PM

OUTLAW 09

09-04-2015, 06:21 PM

Russian non linear warfare in the Baltics-----

Investigation shows that Kremlin pumped >1.5mln EUR over 3 yearsover 40 NGOs in the Baltics
http://en.delfi.lt/nordic-baltic/kremlins-millions-how-russia-funds-ngos-in-baltics.d?id=68908408 … pic.twitter.com/KH3bMKKQOb

OUTLAW 09

09-04-2015, 06:24 PM

[QUOTE=OUTLAW 09;172725]Appears the Russians are shelling again--reasons not so apparent---truce is now over----war is back on

Donetsk 20:49
Petrovka - Periodically deaf single volleys, pretty powerful.

Truce ended in #Orlivske area, volleys.
20:30 https://twitter.com/vs1310/status/639853030960197632 …

Maryinka 20:00
Now quiet. Not good news/rumours from Aleksandrivka. https://twitter.com/hyeva_maryinka/status/639850200551567360 …

Unconfirmed Reports Of Fighting Near Donetsk And Mariupol http://bit.ly/1LPqIma pic.twitter.com/Jll0xwUcyS

Maryinka @hyeva_maryinka [vk]
20:35 again it rumbles a bit
20:44 it boomed once, pretty perceptibly
QUOTE]

Avdiivka 21:05
Shooting towards #Yasynuvata https://twitter.com/666_mancer/status/639865167707275264 …

Krasnohorivka 21:05
Assault rifles shooting, in Mayak area https://twitter.com/666_mancer/status/639864955047686144 …

21:12 #Donetsk @AlfaNubovsky Yesterday some covered high-sided trucks were still on move, almost none today

OUTLAW 09

09-04-2015, 07:42 PM

OUTLAW 09

09-04-2015, 07:46 PM

OUTLAW 09

09-04-2015, 07:47 PM

Major Russian mercenary coup is now in progress inside eastern Ukraine--

Whatever's going on in Donetsk with "DPR" Council (purge, coup, putsch...) you can be sure the Russian General Staff will come out on top.

Amidst the coup-d'etat-faux in DNR, official statement "DNR may return to hryvna"..Something cooking there. http://dnr-news.com/dnr/24863-minfin-dnr-ne-isklyuchaet-vozvrata-k-grivne-v-sluchae-rosta-ee-doli-v-oborote-respubliki.html …

Looks like coup in #Donetsk. Purgin can't enter "DPR", blocked @ Russian border. Rumor's that Pushylin's behind it. pic.twitter.com/Q7ulikawEK

As @olliecarroll says, a lot of confusion... #Donetsk #crazy #RussianOccupation

Finally there will be junta they told all year about. And not Ukrainian, but their own one :) https://twitter.com/olliecarroll/status/639878040458264576 …

Oliver Carroll @olliecarroll
A well-placed source inside DNR tells me even he doesn't understand completely what is going on, but confirms "emergency council underway"

Evening in #Donetsk. Lenin sq. No rallies to support Purgin and "People's council of DPR". How come? pic.twitter.com/uUjxcPMT3E

Is the Surkov-Volodin spat within the Kremlin playing out through their proxies in "DNR"? Pushilin is a Surkov puppet & Purgin a Volodin man

Horlivka @gorlowka_kun "In [pro-RUS] Samooborona Gorlovki they delete comments on treason and Purgin, now we know what it is about"

There is also speculation as to the cause of the standoff, though at issue are two key aspects of governance -- whether or not the Russian-backed separatists feel adequately supported by Moscow, and whether or not their military should negotiate with Ukraine or continue to fight. Since the Russian military plays a key role in these battles, those issues are nearly impossible to separate.

RIA Novosti: "#Pushilin is seated as acting chairman of People's council of DNR - source" http://m.ria.ru/world/20150904/1230222993.html … https://twitter.com/loogunda/status/639885775174266880 …

There are a lot of armed people in the building of Donetsk city council

Oliver Carroll @olliecarroll
longtime donetsk no 2 Purgin def shunted aside. Source also confirms to me that leader Zakharchenko was NOT present at meeting

Was there a #coup vs. #Zakharchenko tonight?
Russian state news RIA says #Pushilin "became acting chairman of the DPR National Council".

Zakharchenko is still in Donetsk, he just left regional administration building. Bldg is still encircled. https://twitter.com/pandenik/status/639889145293316096 …

Pushilin, viewed by many "rebels" as pro-Ukraine traitor, has become "DNR parliament" speaker after a coup - sources. pic.twitter.com/xsCBjVwM7q

If this means Surkov beat Volodin, there is another problem for Putin.... https://twitter.com/olliecarroll/status/639885060989145088 …

Rus. blogger/Strelkov aide @El_Murid: Only puppets left in Donbass, Donetsk events projection of Kremlin infighting
http://el-murid.livejournal.com/2501021.html

With news of Purgin arrest, Zacharchenko missed.
And "MoD of DNR" Basurin with Russian troops -> military coup pic.twitter.com/6eIYex0ilP

WHO's really inside #Donetsk Regional Council? Donbas guys or Russian neo-Nazi paratroopers?http://novosti.dn.ua/details/259052

Info in MM that Purgin and his wife've been arrested and Zakharchenko's taken a powder.

Admin building was encircled by ~100 soldiers, AA gun was around, for parliament to agree on things faster. https://twitter.com/pandenik/status/639890021433114624 …

Oliver Carroll @olliecarroll
Apropos Donetsk infighting, am reminded DNR plan elections soon and very similar story happened with Gubarev on eve of last years elections

If Purgin is out and Zakarchenko is currently conspicuous by his absence, then Surkov just made a significant move

DNR source confirms Purgin has been replaced. Future of DNR leader Zakarchenko is under question http://liveuamap.com/en/2015/4-september-dnr-source-confirms-purgin-has-been-replaced … via @olliecarroll

Former head #Putin DNR council #Purgin in #Donetsk & may be under (house) arrest https://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?depth=1&hl=en&prev=search&rurl=translate.google.co.uk&sl=ru&u=http://ria.ru/world/20150904/1230267701.html&usg=ALkJrhg49yws89v1M7SraN51n1K4LFGnGA … #Ukraine pic.twitter.com/0WGOkgr9jy

Separatist Coup In Ukraine? Pictures Reportedly Show Russian Troops Taking Control In Donetsk http://bit.ly/1EG1tU3 pic.twitter.com/kGJsKPnjQK

OUTLAW 09

09-04-2015, 08:21 PM

Is the Surkov-Volodin spat within the Kremlin playing out through their proxies in "DNR"? Pushilin is a Surkov puppet & Purgin a Volodin man

Horlivka @gorlowka_kun "In [pro-RUS] Samooborona Gorlovki they delete comments on treason and Purgin, now we know what it is about"

There is also speculation as to the cause of the standoff, though at issue are two key aspects of governance -- whether or not the Russian-backed separatists feel adequately supported by Moscow, and whether or not their military should negotiate with Ukraine or continue to fight. Since the Russian military plays a key role in these battles, those issues are nearly impossible to separate.

RIA Novosti: "#Pushilin is seated as acting chairman of People's council of DNR - source" http://m.ria.ru/world/20150904/1230222993.html … https://twitter.com/loogunda/status/639885775174266880 …

There are a lot of armed people in the building of Donetsk city council

Oliver Carroll @olliecarroll
longtime donetsk no 2 Purgin def shunted aside. Source also confirms to me that leader Zakharchenko was NOT present at meeting

Was there a #coup vs. #Zakharchenko tonight?
Russian state news RIA says #Pushilin "became acting chairman of the DPR National Council".

Zakharchenko is still in Donetsk, he just left regional administration building. Bldg is still encircled. https://twitter.com/pandenik/status/639889145293316096 …

Pushilin, viewed by many "rebels" as pro-Ukraine traitor, has become "DNR parliament" speaker after a coup - sources. pic.twitter.com/xsCBjVwM7q

If this means Surkov beat Volodin, there is another problem for Putin.... https://twitter.com/olliecarroll/status/639885060989145088 …

Rus. blogger/Strelkov aide @El_Murid: Only puppets left in Donbass, Donetsk events projection of Kremlin infighting
http://el-murid.livejournal.com/2501021.html

With news of Purgin arrest, Zacharchenko missed.
And "MoD of DNR" Basurin with Russian troops -> military coup pic.twitter.com/6eIYex0ilP

WHO's really inside #Donetsk Regional Council? Donbas guys or Russian neo-Nazi paratroopers?http://novosti.dn.ua/details/259052

Info in MM that Purgin and his wife've been arrested and Zakharchenko's taken a powder.

Admin building was encircled by ~100 soldiers, AA gun was around, for parliament to agree on things faster. https://twitter.com/pandenik/status/639890021433114624 …

Oliver Carroll @olliecarroll
Apropos Donetsk infighting, am reminded DNR plan elections soon and very similar story happened with Gubarev on eve of last years elections

If Purgin is out and Zakarchenko is currently conspicuous by his absence, then Surkov just made a significant move

DNR source confirms Purgin has been replaced. Future of DNR leader Zakarchenko is under question http://liveuamap.com/en/2015/4-september-dnr-source-confirms-purgin-has-been-replaced … via @olliecarroll

Former head #Putin DNR council #Purgin in #Donetsk & may be under (house) arrest https://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?depth=1&hl=en&prev=search&rurl=translate.google.co.uk&sl=ru&u=http://ria.ru/world/20150904/1230267701.html&usg=ALkJrhg49yws89v1M7SraN51n1K4LFGnGA … #Ukraine pic.twitter.com/0WGOkgr9jy

Separatist Coup In Ukraine? Pictures Reportedly Show Russian Troops Taking Control In Donetsk http://bit.ly/1EG1tU3 pic.twitter.com/kGJsKPnjQK

Confirmed
Kremlin reshuffles its figures in the "Donetsk People's Republic" tonight.
If the entity wasn't Russian-occupied,would be "coup".

Russian paratroopers having fun at shooting range and in #Donbas. http://youtu.be/-QuzZ5DqKis pic.twitter.com/Au2wdC45nS

WHO's really inside #Donetsk Regional Council? Donbas guys or Russian neo-Nazi paratroopers?http://novosti.dn.ua/details/259052 pic.twitter.com/FxB4CVFH6q

Eduard Basurin is GRU (Russian military intelligence) and point-man for Russian Army Generals Lentsov and Serdyukov https://twitter.com/Liveuamap/status/639891573581422592 …

Russia changed one of it's puppets in #Donetsk tonight with the help of Rus paratroopers it seems. Question is, is this good or bad?

Oliver Carroll @olliecarroll
Purgin's replacement Pushilin says he was removed bc of "Improper execution of duties". Guess that means it was pretty serious.

The head of the people's Council of DNR declared wanted http://liveuamap.com/en/2015/4-september-the-head-of-the-peoples-council--of-dnr-declared …

DPR "Republican Guard" is modelled on Russian Armed Forces http://rg-dnr.info/page/parlament-dnr-prinyal-zakon-o-sozdanii-voorujennyih-sil … & staffed by Airborne Troops (VDV)

BLUF

We are heading towards annexation!

OUTLAW 09

09-04-2015, 08:28 PM

Appears the Russians are shelling again--reasons not so apparent---truce is now over----war is back on

Donetsk 20:49
Petrovka - Periodically deaf single volleys, pretty powerful.

Truce ended in #Orlivske area, volleys.
20:30 https://twitter.com/vs1310/status/639853030960197632 …

Maryinka 20:00
Now quiet. Not good news/rumours from Aleksandrivka. https://twitter.com/hyeva_maryinka/status/639850200551567360 …

Unconfirmed Reports Of Fighting Near Donetsk And Mariupol http://bit.ly/1LPqIma pic.twitter.com/Jll0xwUcyS

Maryinka @hyeva_maryinka [vk]
20:35 again it rumbles a bit
20:44 it boomed once, pretty perceptibly

Avdiivka 21:05
Shooting towards #Yasynuvata https://twitter.com/666_mancer/status/639865167707275264 …

Donetsk 23:18
Semashko - already since half hour barely audible, not thunder, but volleys https://twitter.com/kaktusjara/status/639895424753659904 …

23:34
Already since half hour deaf volleys south from #Donetsk

BREAKING: Battle intensifies in area of Mariinka http://liveuamap.com/en/2015/4-september-battle-intensifies-in-area-of-mariinka …

OUTLAW 09

09-04-2015, 09:43 PM

"Right now in DNR coal miners cannot share power with tractor drivers"

OUTLAW 09

09-05-2015, 08:43 AM

Russian artillery effectively broke the four day old ceasefire---

Maryinka @hyeva_maryinka [vk]
02:12 Incoming everywhere...
02:40 outgoing towards #Donetsk

Results of overnight shelling of Mariinka https://twitter.com/666_mancer/status/640062469147389952 …

Maryinka night shelling aftermath: Shevchenko St: #17 hit on yard, #36 hit on flowerbed, wires damaged,@666_mancer

Maryinka: Shevchenko St - #185b hit on roof, broke ceiling, #247 house on fire, #249 cookhouse burning; #7, Zelena St roof burned

Maryinka, hits: tool store near Behemot and alley from it tow/bus station, dud projectile on Voroshilova St near car shop etc

Maryinka @patriot_petya Today's shelling aftermath, hits near former Stroitel store (tool shop) pic.twitter.com/0ZZSsvntmR

Maryinka, aftermath of Sep05 impacts on Mayak café's premises @hyeva_maryinka pic.twitter.com/aGns3N7y6I

Maryinka @hyeva_maryinka [vk]
08:55 quiet, pretty many ppl in the center, minibuses en route, shops and the market are open

Maryinka @hyeva_maryinka [vk] @hyeva_maryinka
07:25 ...Just after 2am it was noise a bit,quiet as of now
08:10 quiet

OUTLAW 09

09-05-2015, 08:46 AM

Russian soft annexation of eastern Ukraine is now in full swing--so the Russian coup last night among their mercenaries actually is driving the soft annexation forward.

Maxim Tucker @MaxRTucker
#Russia's rouble now the official currency of the 'Donetsk People's Republic'. So much for autonomy within #Ukraine pic.twitter.com/cXjOUrpKvk

NOW is interesting if the eastern Ukraine is fully under the Rouble--THEN why the need for a "special zone" under Minsk 2 when Russia has in effect annexed eastern Ukraine financially speaking.

OUTLAW 09

09-05-2015, 08:47 AM

Luhansk @jyrnalist "Illegal republic LNR is going to try illegal ataman #Kosogor for forming an illegal armed group. That's it".

01:35am #Donetsk @hyeva_maryinka On Abakumova it has rumbled, before there was rumble very far away

Evidently political turmoil in Donetsk. Reports of troops. Purges. Replacements. Arrests of previous leaders. Rouble made official currency.

Cease-fire holds in the Mariupol sector for 7th day. Militants camouflage/hide heavy equipment - Sector M spox
http://m.0629.com.ua/news/950434

OUTLAW 09

09-05-2015, 08:48 AM

Reference Moldavia-----

'Having Russian 14 Army on our soil in Transnistria, we have to be ready to repel aggression" #Moldova's President. pic.twitter.com/9RUXLtCgB7

OUTLAW 09

09-05-2015, 08:52 AM

Oliver Carroll @olliecarroll

Another explanation of donetsk events: a battle betwn proponents of Kremlin Minsk position and unruly local rebels https://www.facebook.com/juchkovsky/posts/942904895748376?pnref=story …

OUTLAW 09

09-05-2015, 09:01 AM

Another Russian form of their soft annexation of eastern Ukraine--the Russian military has effectively reorganized their proxy army into the Russian military command and control structure and tied them into the Russian Southern Military District.

So you think it's all over? Think again. Occupied Donbas is now part of Russian MoD Southern Military District https://twitter.com/finriswolf/status/640065696399912960 …

They have basically now conducted a total restructure of all their occupied territories and merged them into the Russian Command and Control system.

WHY then does the eastern Ukraine need a "special zone" when it is already annexed to Russia?????

OUTLAW 09

09-05-2015, 09:05 AM

Tracking bulk transfer of armor & vehicles from bases in #Russia to #Ukraine "rebels" Part 1 http://wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=48.272747&lon=40.260102&z=18&m=b … pic.twitter.com/LsjBQilrqD

OUTLAW 09

09-05-2015, 09:07 AM

OUTLAW 09

09-05-2015, 09:42 AM

Russian soldier with Nazi views publishes pics how he fights #Ukraine in occupied #Donetsk http://censor.net.ua/photo_news/350640/rossiyiskie_desantnikinatsisty_okkupirovali_donets kiyi_gorsovet_fotoreportaj … pic.twitter.com/GpzbndoCek

The Bankova ✔ @TheBankova
Ukrainian President @poroshenko tells @VOAnews #Russia ruined the
global security order with invasion of #Crimea http://bit.ly/1OkfpTq

Operational Environment in E. Ukraine as of Sept. 5, 2015, 00:00 EET pic.twitter.com/fhVTNQY6WX

OUTLAW 09

09-05-2015, 09:43 AM

After the Russian mercenary coup from last night this is a new tone---

DPR leader admits political solution of Donbas conflict
http://www.unian.info/war/1119058-dpr-leader-admits-political-solution-of-donbas-conflict.html … pic.twitter.com/qS3MaJF1BY

New orders from #Moscow: #DPR leader admits political solution of Donbas conflict the only one
http://www.unian.info/war/1119058-dpr-leader-admits-political-solution-of-donbas-conflict.html …

OUTLAW 09

09-05-2015, 02:16 PM

Humor-----

Russian politicians have 2 things to say about USA.
1. They are evil & want to destroy Russia!
2. Why won't they give me a visa?

OUTLAW 09

09-05-2015, 02:16 PM

Russia has many construction projects like this all over Crimea. #UN silent. #Putin now midget master of the world pic.twitter.com/OhlMQSBnpi

Typically hostile #Donetsk rebel head Zakharchenko falls in line: "No alternative to political resolution," Minsk II. http://news.liga.net/news/politics/6569604-zakharchenko_zagovoril_o_politicheskom_reshenii_ko nflikta_na_donbasse.htm …

OUTLAW 09

09-05-2015, 02:18 PM

http://euromaidanpress.com/2015/09/04/poroshenko-has-cleverly-blocked-putin-while-satisfying-west-piontkovsky-says/

Poroshenko has cleverly blocked Putin while satisfying West, Piontkovsky says

With his constitutional amendments on local self-administration, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has blocked Vladimir Putin’s plan to force Kyiv to allow Moscow-occupied regions to act as part of Ukraine, Andrey Piontkovsky says, while satisfying the needs of Kyiv’s Western allies to declare that Kyiv has fulfilled the Minsk accords.

Those attacking Poroshenko for his position are either “sincerely misguided … or provocateurs who are trying to organize a third Maidan which is the dream of Putin and the Russian authorities,” the Russian commentator says.

Anyone who examines carefully what Poroshenko has proposed–within the limits of the options he has–will understand that his proposed constitutional changes do not legitimate the Moscow-orchestrated “DNR” and “LNR” as part of Ukraine but rather have the opposite effect, Piontkovsky says.

It is important to recognize that these constitutional changes do not mention either entity, speaking instead of “particular regions of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts.” Nor do the Minsk accords, and “such a terminological tussle” around either the constitutional changes or the Minsk texts is “in principle” more or less useless.

The Minsk agreements “will never be realized,” Piontkovsky points out, because “the Russian Federation will never fulfill their two key points: the withdrawal of foreign forces from the Donbas … and the transfer of the border to the control of Ukraine.” Given that, he says, he hopes “Ukraine will never fulfill” the Minsk agreements as Putin interprets them.

What the Kremlin wants is to insert “Lugandon” [slang term for the combined “LNR” and “DNR” entity – Ed.] like “a cancerous tumor into the political field of Ukraine,” both to force Kyiv to finance the Russian occupied regions and to allow representatives from those regions to sit in the Verkhovna Rada and sabotage Ukraine’s reforms and moves to the West.

In this situation, Poroshenko simultaneously has to avoid doing anything that threatens the territorial integrity of Ukraine as agreeing to Putin’s demands would while not doing anything that might cost Kyiv its Western allies who want to believe in the Minsk agreements which they helped to write.

“Ukraine is fighting with a superpower which has a much more powerful army than the Ukrainian one and also nuclear weapons and an enormous economic potential,” Piontkovsky says. “Ukraine cannot win this war without an alliance with the civilized world, with the EU and the US.”

France and Germany, “who were the sponsors of the Minsk agreements do not want to recognize that these accords are meaningless, except for the point concerning a cease fire.” And consequently, Poroshenko has had to find a formulation which keeps them happy without sacrificing Ukraine’s integrity.

The “worse expectations” of Poroshenko’s “radical opponents” have not been realized, the Russian analyst says. “The EU and the US did not put pressure on Kyiv to take real steps to include the occupied territories in the body of Ukraine. On the contrary, immediately after the Verkhovna Rada’s acceptance of [these] changes,” the West reacted by saying “’fine, Ukraine has fulfilled the Minsk agreements. Let’s now call on Russia to fulfill its promises.’”

“This is a diplomatic struggle,” Piontkovsky continues, “which Kyiv is conducting in a sophisticated and successful way.”

Ukrainians cannot expect the West to do everything they would like as shown by the West’s overly-restrained response to Putin’s Anschluss of Crimea, but over the past year, the West has moved in a positive pro-Ukrainian position, the Russian analyst says. And it is important that Kyiv not lose the West’s support.

Because of that Western support, Ukraine is in a far better position than it was a year ago, and Russia is in a far worse one. Moscow has stopped talking about “the Russian world” and “Novorossiya.” Instead, “Putin is thinking not about victory over Ukraine” but rather about how he can insert the “DNR” and “LNR” into Ukraine.

That in itself is a great victory for Ukraine and a reflection of the clever policy of Poroshenko, Piontkovsky adds.

Asked why he is so much more optimistic than he was earlier, the Russian analyst says that he is encouraged precisely because Putin has “lost this war” by his overreaching, his assertion that he is fighting not just Ukraine but the West, and his efforts at nuclear blackmail to get his way.

“NATO and above all the US has responded quietly to the Kremlin: ‘We understood your blackmail attempt. We will respond to it. We will defend the Baltic countries. [And] we are not afraid of your nuclear blackmail.’” And the West’s new course is “not simply words.” There are soldiers and tanks on the ground.

As a result, Moscow has changed its tune. Now, it is not talking about taking all of Ukraine and standing up to the rest of the world. Instead, it is talking now “only about the peaceful coexistence of the Russian Federation and the West, about saving ‘Putin’s face,’ and about how the master of the Kremlin will behave at the UN General Assembly.”

OUTLAW 09

09-05-2015, 02:37 PM

News
2 Ukrainian soldiers were injured in the ongoing Russian aggression in eastern #Ukraine on Friday.

NOTICE the date of this photo and the flag in the background---and Russia was not interested in attacking the Ukraine in 2012/2013??????

Andrei #Purgin, one of the leaders of Donetsk People's Republic and his friends in Aug 2009. https://vk.com/album-3223620_95208996 … pic.twitter.com/agoWxO9cg4

OUTLAW 09

09-05-2015, 02:42 PM

More on Russian camel drivers getting lost in the Ukraine and finding themselves NOW in Syria--man was that a heck of a right turn at the border.....

Obama, his NSC and the entire US IC needs to check in with social media about Russian troops on the ground and fighting in Syria.

Syria, Latakia. New Russian APC-82A, Slavic voice
Сирия, Латакия. Новейший российский БТР-82А, славянская речь
https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=23&v=n9jPNxHf3BI …

OUTLAW 09

09-05-2015, 04:52 PM

http://www.rferl.org/content/russia-said-recreating-soviet-spy-network-in-europe/27228034.html

Russia Said To Be Recreating Soviet Spy Network In Europe

The Czech Republic's counterintelligence agency says the number of Russian spies remains high and the Kremlin is building a spy network in Europe similar to the Soviet network before World War II.

"It is assessed that Russia is creating a structure in Europe drawing on the concept of the Comintern founded by the Soviet Union," the Czech Security Information Service said in an annual report released on September 4.

The Comintern, or Communist International -- the association of local communist parties -- was established by Soviet Russia in 1919 to protect the new regime in Moscow from outside attacks.

The report said the Kremlin is also trying to take control over Russian community organizations in the Czech Republic.

The agency said Russian spies remain particularly interested in the Czech energy sector, particularly any possible enlargement of nuclear power plants.

"Russia does not consider a fight over the Czech nuclear energy sector a lost battle," the report said.

September 05, 2015

OUTLAW 09

09-05-2015, 04:57 PM

Putin has succeeded in shifting (much) Western media and political attention from Ukraine (and Baltics) to Syria and #SyrianRefugees crisis.

Russians mad Putin’s troops in #Syria & #Ukraine are blowing up their own cover on social media https://twitter.com/moscow_ghost/status/640196426732060672 …

Today the situation in Donbas remained stable. Militants fired at positions near Avdiivka, Mariinka and Pisky - ATO
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1060690130608459&id=820651001279041&refid=17&_ft_=top_level_post_id.1060690130608459&__tn__=%2As …

Maxim Tucker @MaxRTucker
Putin announces #Russia training and arming Assad's army in #Syria. Wondered why #Ukraine front had gone quiet http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/russia/11845635/Vladimir-Putin-confirms-Russian-military-involvement-in-Syrias-civil-war.html …

OUTLAW 09

09-05-2015, 05:15 PM

Hybrid war humour:
Russian soldier's mama: 'Son, you be careful in Donetsk'
Son: 'Don't worry, mama. I'm already in Damascus'
@MarkGaleotti

OUTLAW 09

09-05-2015, 05:23 PM

http://maidantranslations.com/2015/09/05/dmitry-tymchuk-military-update-9-03-freesavchenko/

Dmitry Tymchuk: Military update 9.03

Posted on September 5, 2015 by tilamuse

Operational data from Information Resistance:

Russian-terrorist forces in Donbas continue to refrain from using heavy weapons; however, during the last 24 hours, militants have increasingly used infantry weapons to fire at the ATO forces’ positions and to conduct armed provocations. At the same time, militants have intensified reconnaissance and subversive-terrorist activities. The enemy is increasingly employing land mines, ambushes, raids, raid-like actions in small groups, and sniper groups.

In particular, during the past 24 hours, militants opened heavy fire from small arms in the area of the Donetsk Ring [Kiltseva] Road between the settlements of Opytne and Avdiivka, as well as in the vicinity of Mar’inka and Krasnohorivka. The fire was primarily carried out from the “greenery;” the terrorists also used hand-held grenade launchers (RPGs) and automatic small arms.

The shelling of the ATO forces’ positions from small arms was also recorded in the area between Hranitne and Starohnativka. In addition, enemy observers are actively infiltrating the “greenery” in the neutral zone in this [particular] area.

Over the past 24 hours, militants conducted erratic short-lived fire from 82 mm mortars and AGS-17 grenade launchers on the Svitlodarsk bridgehead, south of Sanzharivka. The militants also fired several shots from AGS-17 between Donetsk Airport and the settlement of Pisky.

In several areas on the stretch from Orikhove to Shchastya, militants heavily fired on the positions of Ukrainian troops using infantry weapons. In addition, sabotage and reconnaissance groups have been active in this area – both those consisting of militants and of Russian Spetsnaz. In particular, a mobile group of the ATO forces that was working to combat the smuggling of goods to the occupied territory was ambushed in the vicinity of Lobacheve. During the ambush, militants deployed roadside bombs along the route of the [Ukrainian] group, and fired from several firing positions (snipers were also “working” here).

In the area of Shchastya, small groups of enemy infantry were also observed in the “greenery”; [these groups] conducted constant monitoring of the front flank of Ukrainian troops.

During the last 24 hours, terrorists in the area between Sokilnyky and Krymske have repeatedly opened heavy fire from automatic rifles and machine guns against the outpost of the ATO forces, operating from the “greenery” in the neutral zone. In the area of Novotoshkivka, militants used anti-tank hand grenades during two firefights (to no avail). In addition, the enemy employed 120 mm mortars in this area.

Maneuvers of militant armored vehicles were observed in the vicinity of Bezimenne, in the Petrovskyi district of Donetsk, in the area between Spartak and Yasynuvata, between Yenakijeve and Horlivka, towards Vuhlehirsk and Debaltseve, and between Shchastya and Stanytsia Luhanska.

The transfer of militants’ armored vehicles continues from Krasnodon to Luhansk, and through Novofedorivka (two tanks, five MT-LBs, six BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles, and two BRM-1K combat reconnaissance vehicles, moving in several groups of 2-3 vehicles in each).

In the area of Lomuvatka (south of Bryanka), a regrouping of militant forces was observed, as well as an active movement of vehicles at the front line and deep behind the [militant] lines. A terrorist tank unit was also observed changing position, while APC group (BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles) moved between Kalynove and Sanzharivka .

In several areas, instead of withdrawing heavy weapons, the militants are saturating the front line with artillery. For example, several artillery firing positions emerged simultaneously in the vicinity of Telmanove (to the south as well as north of the settlement), employing 122 mm D-30 and D-30A howitzers, and two batteries of SAU 2S1 “Gvozdika.” Some of these positions are being carefully camouflaged.

OUTLAW 09

09-05-2015, 05:24 PM

Russian troops re-deployed from #Crimea to #Syria. Investigation by @RuslanLeviev Read at http://ruslanleviev.livejournal.com/38649.html pic.twitter.com/kYYCfFPNh3

OUTLAW 09

09-05-2015, 05:50 PM

SBU accuses coal supplier to Centrenergo of financing terrorism http://uatoday.tv/news/sbu-accuses-coal-supplier-to-centrenergo-of-financing-terrorism-488236.html …

Why Russia-backed militants wanted Debaltseve so badly: Railway link now open between occupied #Ukraine and #Russia. http://m.vk.com/wall-57424472_73408 …

OUTLAW 09

09-05-2015, 06:42 PM

Roland Oliphant @RolandOliphant
Meanwhile in the DNR, Zakharchenko suddenly agrees with Merkel: "no alternative to a political solution." http://dan-news.info/politics/alternativy-politicheskomu-resheniyu-konflikta-v-ramkax-minskix-peregovorov-net-zaxarchenko.html …

Ukraine : Someone needs to ask 'Pro-Russian' commanders why they paint white ovals on top of all vehicles. Only one reason. Russian orders

White spots make it harder to hide. The only reason for it is to prevent 'friendly fire' #Russia air force expected over Ukraine

OUTLAW 09

09-05-2015, 06:55 PM

@finriswolf Novocherkassk, Rostov Oblast (Southern MD garrison town) railhead/depot https://www.google.ie/maps/place/Novocherkassk,+Rostov+Oblast,+Russia/@47.4420981,40.0975211,181m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!3m1!1s0x40e2492534227313:0xc3c03 d8f6214c8ca!6m1!1e1 … Could be red cross or aerial ID?

or avoid confusion during aerial reconn with drones?

finriswolf Google Earth timeline shows they've been marked for a while (hence maybe red cross). But... The railhead is used to load Grads

Doubt it. Geolocation is via comms systems signature IDs - gives pretty good/fast positioning. No need for UAV. @finriswolf

finriswolf Trainload of Grads bottom right; depot top left (one of many depots around/in Novocherkassk) pic.twitter.com/l31WktPjgB

finriswolf How do we know they're Grads? Fiddle around with Google Earth (lower) angles and they show up clearly as Grads with tarps.

OUTLAW 09

09-05-2015, 07:14 PM

OUTLAW 09

09-05-2015, 07:18 PM

https://cgrozev.wordpress.com/2015/09/05/comintern-2-0-a-security-view-from-prague/

“Comintern 2.0” – A Security View from Prague

Posted on September 5, 2015

The Security Service of the Czech Republic has just published its annual counter-intelligence report, and it contains some enlightening paragraphs on Russia’s intelligence activities in Prague, as well as insights into the Kremlin’s strategy to influence global public opinion by creating an international network of useful idiots, nearly identical to the “Comunist International” strategy implemented by the Soviet Union in the 1930’s. I will re-publish some of the key insights here. (the full report is available in English here, in German here, and in French here).

Emphasis in bold is mine, and so are [parenthesized comments in italic].

2. 3. Counterintelligence Activities

In 2014, based on the international and domestic political situation and threat level posed to the interests of the Czech Republic and its citizens the BIS [the Czech counter-intelligence service] focused mainly on Russian, Chinese and Ukrainian activities in the Czech Republic. [in previous annual reports, BIS had only spoken of intensive activity by Russian and Chinese spies, so Ukraine apparently has stepped up its international intelligence & counter-intelligence activity after the Russian intervention began. As can be seen in the last paragraph below, none of Ukraine’s secret activities were aimed at the Czech Republic or the EU]

As in previous years, the BIS concentrated on the high number of Russian intelligence officers living or engaging in activities in the Czech Republic. [In previous reports, BIS has referred to “an extremely high number of spies working permanently at the Russian embassy, complemented by “commuting” spies under the guise of journalists and business travelers]. Given the high numbers of Russian intelligence officers travelling to the Czech Republic and to the Czech Republic’s responsibility to secure not only its own security but also the security of its allies in the Schengen Area, the BIS aimed to decrease the number of Russian intelligence officers entering the Schengen Area via the Czech Republic.

In 2014, Russian intelligence services focused on Czech power engineering, on issues related to its further development, and on the scientific and technical sector. Russia continued in its attempts to exert influence over the Russian community in the Czech Republic, or more specifically to establish pro-Kremlin organizations and individuals as representatives of the Russian community responsible for the communication with Czech state institutions and bodies.

Intelligence has confirmed that Russia does not consider its ongoing interest in Czech nuclear power engineering as fighting a losing battle. This interest has only become less conspicuous. In 2014, Russian interests in the Czech Republic have broadened (the Temelín and Dukovany nuclear power plants, supplies of nuclear fuel) and include also the State Energy Concept and all entities even indirectly involved in fulfilling the goals of Czech energy policies. Russia started perceiving Czech nuclear power engineering in a broader Central European context aiming to make good use of investments and efforts devoted to creating, managing, stabilizing and future exploitation of networks expanding Russian influence in Central Europe. [In this context see also Russia’s €1 bn lawsuit against Bulgaria over the cancellation of Russia’s contract to build the Belene nuclear plant]

Activities of Russian intelligence officers and their associates in the Czech Republic are in direct contradiction to “expert and knowledgeable” comments claiming the Czech Republic does not have anything of interest to Russian espionage. However, Russia is greatly interested in Czech Republic’s participation in international scientific and technical projects linked to obtaining access to funds from Czech and European grants. This access could be provided by Czech middlemen working with Russia. Russia not only aims to gain competitive advantage over the Czech Republic and the EU but also strives to secure funding for its activities from the Czech Republic and the EU.

In relation to the Ukraine crisis Russia and its sympathizers engaged in white, grey and black propaganda.

Russian methods of exerting influence and spreading propaganda were based on time-tested Soviet practices, i.e. concealing or covering up own (Russian/Soviet) steps and highlighting or demonizing Western reactions1.

Russia has been creating influence and propaganda structures in the Czech Republic over a long period of time. The role of these structures is to promote and protect Russian economic and political interest to the detriment of the interests of the Czech Republic, the NATO and the EU. Russia was able to draw on these structures after the situation in Ukraine deteriorated and did not need to start creating influence structures from scratch.

Russian propaganda in the Czech Republic makes use of a number of tools: from ideologically manipulated citizens supporting Russian propaganda unknowingly, to professionals intentionally working with the Russians.

Unveiling the memorial commemorating Internationalists (March 2014) demonstrated that the Czech public is highly perceptive to [wary of] direct Russian (or other foreign) involvement in the Czech Republic. Russia is well aware of this fact; therefore, Russian-language propaganda related to the Ukraine crisis spread by Russian (state and non-state) actors did not play a major role in the Czech Republic. However, the Czech public was and is greatly influenced by Czech pro-Russian organizations and individuals using websites to present their interpretations of Russian stances. The arguments are put forward in a way leading Czech citizens to believe they are recipients of opinions held by fellow citizens, not of Russian propaganda. On the one hand, a part of the Czech public is willing to protest a memorial commemorating Soviet occupants – internationalists from 1968, but on the other hand it defends the Russian occupation of Crimea and the presence of Russian forces in Eastern Ukraine.

In general, Russian and pro-Russian propaganda in the Czech Republic and other EU member states is aimed not only against the integrity of the EU and NATO.

It is assessed that Russia is creating a structure in Europe drawing on the concept of the Comintern (the Communist International; the Third International) founded by the Soviet Union.

This structure is ideologically based on Dugin’s expansionist Neo-Eurasianism2 (which is in a way acceptable to all European political parties, from left-wing extremists and populists to right-wing extremists).

The Comintern was founded in Moscow in 1919 with the goal of protecting the Soviet Union by exporting the revolution to neighboring states, i.e. weakening potential enemies by internal disputes and creating a buffer zone of befriended (or more precisely subordinated) states around the Soviet Union. The Comintern became a tool used for promoting Soviet influence and interests beyond the borders of the Soviet Union by controlling communist parties abroad (in 1928 the Comintern had 580 000 foreign members), spreading propaganda3, covertly financing communist parties abroad4, and by serving as an important and successful espionage platform. The Comintern employed skillful Soviet intelligence officers (e.g. acting under cover as academics or journalists) [see story on prof. Georgy Gavrish in Greece] who recruited young people (especially students with the potential of pursuing a career as civil servants or politicians) helping Soviet espionage activities. The recruiters exploited the ideological naivety, zeal or activism of the young people they targeted. The recruits were not requested to spy against their country, but asked to help in the fight against Fascism (Nazism, Imperialism, etc.) – a relevant issue even today with Fascism, Nazism and Imperialism joined by anti-American, anti-NATO and anti-EU sentiments.

The current international, political and societal climate is very close to that of the 1930’s – the golden era of the Comintern5.

It is assessed that the functioning and administration of the new reincarnation of the Comintern (NRI) is not as strict (almost military-like) as in the case of the original Comintern. However, this does not mean the NRI has lesser propaganda and espionage capabilities than the Comintern. The NRI being a more liberal and activist platform is attractive for today’s Western activists (with pro-Russian stances or fighting against the system – USA, NATO, EU, globalization, multiculturalism, liberalism, capitalism, etc.). [see “Anti-fascist support center” for Ukraine, promoted by Workers’ World] Even though the NRI does not have the capability of creating a traditional espionage network (agent – handler – the center) as was the case of the Comintern, it has great potential for recruiting active informants.

In 2014, the BIS did not detect any activities of Ukrainian intelligence services aimed against the Czech Republic and its interests or with a harmful effect on the international status and good name of the Czech Republic. Furthermore, there are no indications of Ukrainian intelligence services engaging in activities aiming to destabilize political, societal and ethnic relations in the Czech Republic.

In 2014, Chinese intelligence services focused on gaining influence in Czech political and state structures and on political intelligence. These activities were actively aided by several Czech citizens, including politicians and civil servants.

OUTLAW 09

09-05-2015, 07:23 PM

21:20 #Luhansk @BanderaLife An explosion was heard from #Metallist direction and faint glow has been seen

We tried to make sense of yesterday's G̶o̶T̶ ̶r̶e̶e̶n̶a̶c̶t̶m̶e̶n̶t̶ "DNR Coup" http://euromaidanpress.com/2015/09/05/making-sense-of-the-dnr-coup/ … pic.twitter.com/DZiBfga0Fj

Ticket "to Donetsk" from already deleted instagram account of Russian soldier https://twitter.com/christogrozev/status/640242765964546048 …

Spetsnaz in Donetsk-----
Check out twitter handle of Russian spetznaz now serving in Donetsk https://twitter.com/whitepride_ Photo from yesterday pic.twitter.com/aYgw1XmL7d

@RolandOliphant But has anybody actually SEEN Mr Zakharchenko lately?
Roland Oliphant @RolandOliphant
@niktwick good question

OUTLAW 09

09-05-2015, 07:45 PM

ATO presser: Today fr 5AM-6PM all RU attacks in #Donetsk area, they fired w small arms & grenade lauchers at #Avdiivka, #Maryinka, #Pisky

OUTLAW 09

09-06-2015, 07:55 AM

Is #Russia preparing to attack #Ukraine's north flank?
https://archive.is/Dh1lv
https://archive.is/Kqo9D
pic.twitter.com/LFOxbrFCMY

And even more evidence from #Kantemirovka: https://instagram.com/ivanoffdmitry/
pic.twitter.com/0UDaj0O7vn

More evidence of RU troops amassing around Kantemirovka:
https://archive.is/sTbLv
https://archive.is/jhssl
pic.twitter.com/Por1NaQSnq

Yesterday militants violated the ceasefire 14 times and once after midnight - ATO press center
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1061016490575823&id=820651001279041&refid=17&_ft_=top_level_post_id.1061016490575823&__tn__=%2As …

Speculations that Russia tries t "exchange" anti-ISIS op in Syria for Ukraine
http://www.novayagazeta.ru/columns/69811.html … overlooks RU getting stuck w/o any deal

OUTLAW 09

09-06-2015, 11:30 AM

Why is #Putin still running circles around the West? He gets away with invading Ukraine, stealing Crimea. He gets away with helping Assad.

UN OCHA says there are 2.5 million people displaced by Russian aggression in Ukraine. That’s more than during the war in Bosnia.
An important reminder. Reference Ukrainian IDPs and refugees and civilian loses
This is Ukraine.
This is Europe.
pic.twitter.com/HKsUhAGKa8

5/09 1am - Ukraine troops in Maryinka took a battle against Russian artillery.
4 WIA, 1 KIA - volunteer. https://twitter.com/AMykhailova/status/640137275238678528 …

Ukrainian forces incurred no casualties in the last day, 5 servicemen were wounded in action - ATO daily report http://mediarnbo.org/2015/09/06/zvedeni-dani-shhodo-situatsiyi-u-zoni-ato-06-veresnya/ …

Russian #terrorist Motorola has escaped from #Donetsk with new mistress https://plus.google.com/104010886469890350976/posts/6kp5uaoNcpQ … pic.twitter.com/2aG6B9FBoj

Putler Jugend / Putler Youth - a fascist nightmare in the making (via @666_mancer) pic.twitter.com/li0Lp8GqjX

Russian occupation forces continue combat training, Luhansk region Ukraine 5 Sep #PutinAtWar https://youtu.be/g6q4zjWL98o pic.twitter.com/c1IgqwvNXd

OUTLAW 09

09-06-2015, 11:42 AM

http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/order-from-chaos/posts/2015/09/01-russia-ukraine-next-steps-kalb

Marvin Kalb | September 1, 2015 8:00am

Putin’s deceptive pause: What are Russia’s next steps in Ukraine?

A deceptive late-summer pause has settled over the Ukraine crisis. At least, in the coverage of it. For many weeks now, the war in the Donbas has slipped off the front page. Although leaders such as Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel and Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko still search for an acceptable formula to end the war, it has continued in the southeast corner of Ukraine, with casualties mounting.

Who fired first is no longer a relevant question. The point is that the war stumbles along with no end in sight. The twin rebel “republics” of Donetsk and Luhansk have slowly frozen into a Russian stronghold, effectively detached from the rest of Ukraine. They are always available to be manipulated as a pro-Russian weapon in the East-West battle for Ukraine’s future.

Warming up?

Ukraine is no longer the top priority for American diplomats. They are understandably absorbed with selling the Iran nuclear deal to a reluctant Congress. But, if Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is to be believed, there are a number of senior officials who have also been sending signals to Russia suggesting that President Obama wants to turn a page and improve his frosty relations with President Vladimir Putin. “We are already getting such signals from the Americans,” Lavrov said, “though for now not very clear.” Would Russia be open to better relations? Russia, responded the foreign minister, would “consider constructively” any such possibility.

Putin seemed more positive. As he told American former boxing champion Roy Jones, Jr. last week: “We have had different kinds of relations at different times, but whenever America and Russia’s higher interest demands it, we always found the strength to build relations in the best possible way.” One possible translation: Putin now wants to emerge from the shadows of the Ukraine crisis and restore better relations with the West.

But, Obama and his top advisers, burned once by Putin when he shocked everyone and seized Crimea in late February 2014, do not want to be burned again. They realize that Putin—once a KGB colonel, now a modern Peter the Great (with a smidgen of Stalin)—is still capable, if he chooses, of throwing Europe and the world into a Cold War-style confrontation. If left unchecked, that could quickly dominate not only newspaper headlines but also global calculations about war and peace. He has that kind of clout.

Managed instability

Though Russia is not the Soviet Union, it still remains the boss of Eastern Europe. When it sneezes, as we have learned, Ukraine can catch a bad cold. These days, everything in and around Ukraine seems to be in what one journalist called “managed instability.” Putin can bring the crisis closer to a possible solution or he can widen the war. Or, more simply, he can “freeze” it. The key question is: What does Putin have in mind? What are his plans, assuming that he has plans, and is not winging the crisis day by day?

One line of reasoning, comforting to an extent, is that for the moment Putin has a plate full of challenges, more than enough to keep him busy. This makes him less inclined to shoot from the hip and more interested in an accommodation with the West. What else explains his and Lavrov’s overtures to the United States? Putin knows (or should) that Russia’s economy is a mess, caused in part by Western economic sanctions against Russia and by falling oil prices. Official statistics show a 4.9 percent decline in gross domestic product in the second quarter of 2015, compared to the same quarter a year ago. Inflation may soar to 17 percent this year. Incomes have had to be drastically reduced, setting off mini-strikes in different parts of the country.

With respect to Ukraine, Putin’s position is hardly ideal, but it is still manageable. He now owns Crimea and controls two rebellious provinces in the southeast Donbas region. He knows Ukraine faces the possibility of economic collapse, even though it has made some progress. The more it slips toward the abyss, the better his chances, he thinks, of keeping Ukraine out of the Western orbit, which has always been one of his principal goals. Putin has the assets to throw Ukraine into further chaos at any time.

Another line of argument, much less comforting, is that Putin has merely been waiting for the right moment to widen the war in Ukraine and perhaps elsewhere. Rebel fighters in the Donetsk and Luhansk provinces, supported by Russian forces, have recently been engaged in non-stop maneuvers, perhaps preparatory to a move on the strategic port of Mariupol, still in Ukrainian hands. If Putin decided to strike, Western analysts believe that it would be a tough fight but that ultimately the pro-Russian forces would win. The Poroshenko regime would then be pushed to the edge of collapse.

How far would the West go?

But far more threatening to the West—specifically to NATO—is that Putin might launch a sophisticated hybrid attack into the Baltics, starting with Estonia, where 24 percent of the population is Russian. Because Estonia is a member of NATO, it can and would almost certainly invoke Article V, which says that an attack on one NATO member would be regarded as an attack on all. President Obama promised last year during a visit to the Baltics that the United States would honor Article V. In recent weeks, apparently concerned about expanding NATO maneuvers, Russian generals have gone out of their way to deny that they have any intention of invading the Baltics.

Would Putin really go that far? Would the United States, tired from non-stop wars in the Middle East, really roll up its sleeves and fight for Estonia? Neither is very likely. So, what now? Unfortunately, so much of the answer lies in Putin’s strategy, so murky and unpredictable to outsiders and maybe to him and his advisers as well.

OUTLAW 09

09-06-2015, 11:43 AM

Chaotic militant provocations recorded despite ceasefire
http://www.unian.info/war/1119231-chaotic-militant-provocations-recorded-despite-ceasefire.html … pic.twitter.com/LHjwzFVEy6

Ammo cache found by SBU including 40 RPGs, 2 ATGMs, dozens of grenades, 15K rounds of ammo... http://www.sbu.gov.ua/sbu/control/uk/publish/article;jsessionid=2BD25C33CD795CE389A02C52C47BC3A B.app1?art_id=157945&cat_id=39574 … pic.twitter.com/TeyiNy4IwX

Kremlin-affiliated militarist Igor Korotchenko: "DPR and LPR will never be Ukraine, so the mourners of 'sinking New Russia' can calm down!"

OUTLAW 09

09-06-2015, 12:00 PM

Russian "masked" tank division hidden in the Ukraine--info war tries to sell this unit as mercenary but in fact Russian manned and commanded.

Russian occupation forces tank group, Luhansk region, Ukraine 5 Sep #PutinAtWar https://youtu.be/9eB9cLCmkz0 contd... pic.twitter.com/FQkE4UFQhc

Note the white aerial identification marking on the turret, for avoiding friendly fire from Russian aviation pilots pic.twitter.com/TsKfIWi5eu

Note the two white stripes (painted over with green) on glacis plate contact ERA bricks (ex-UA or falseflag-UA?) pic.twitter.com/5QWwLa54Bs

Major Oleg Erchuk, Commander of the 2nd Tank Battalion, 2nd Army Corps (LPR) under Maj-Gen Nikiforov (58th Army SMD) pic.twitter.com/DS1Kcz65RP

Russian occupation forces in Luhansk like to show off one tank at a time, but in the background there are many... pic.twitter.com/nJQ6o6Wcab

Note the (newly fitted?) deepwater fording/wading snorkel (tube) stowed at rear of turret pic.twitter.com/ZZgeD2p6aL

OUTLAW 09

09-06-2015, 12:04 PM

3 #Ukrainian soldiers of 79 Airborn Brigade disappeared at bathing at the border with occupied #Crimea (allegedly kidnapped by Russian army)

New Russian weapons system –any ideas---
found this one on a Russian page, not further specified... pic.twitter.com/N96Q3vaSoh

Video----
'They have no republic. It's just a gang', said captured by @ServiceSsu Russian mercenary about #Donetsk separatists https://youtu.be/hsVCvqrMYbU

INFOGRAPHIC: The number of internally displaced people in #Ukraine totals over 1,382,000 according to @UN @Refugees. pic.twitter.com/qHoea1PxAv

Avakov’s advisor: Putin wants to "split" parliament from within
http://www.unian.info/politics/1119267-avakovs-advisor-putin-wants-to-split-parliament-from-within.html … pic.twitter.com/wIp4l1D2M0

OUTLAW 09

09-06-2015, 12:05 PM

Reference Moldavian politics----

Pro EU and anti corruption demonstration today in Moldavia—over 150,000
Thousands at pro-European rally in Chisinau, Moldova http://liveuamap.com/en/2015/6-september-thousands-at-proeuropean-rally-in-chisinau-moldova … pic.twitter.com/KOyrmpFMAj

Moldova, PM Strelets talking with the protesters, promises to set up a working group to consider their demands. pic.twitter.com/jhEVOKTTUA

OUTLAW 09

09-06-2015, 12:36 PM

http://windowoneurasia2.blogspot.de/2015/09/could-ukrainian-war-do-to-russia-what.html

Sunday, September 6, 2015

Could Ukrainian War Do to Russia What Afghan War did to the USSR?

Paul Goble

Staunton, September 6 – Yury Butusov, a protege of Ukrainian national security council secretary Aleksandr Turchinov, says the Ukrainian army need not attack but simply keep up the pressure on the line of the front so that in time, Ukraine will have the impact on Russia that Afghanistan did on the USSR – and lead to the same result.

As everyone should remember, in Afghanistan, “the USSR retained all its positions but regularly suffered losses,” Butusov continues, “and these losses for an enormous country, despite their small number, were impermissible from an economic and political point of view.” As a result, Moscow withdrew (svpressa.ru/politic/article/131126/).

The same thing can happen again, the editor of the tsenzor.net site, says, and consequently, Ukraine’s “main task is to make the occupation of the Donbas and Crimea for Russia a very expensive undertaking.” So far, Putin has been able to present it at home as “a winning project” like the Sochi Olympics.

As “Svobodnaya pressa” writer Dmitry Rodionov says in reporting Butusov’s words, others have suggested analogies between Ukraine and Afghanistan. Among them is Mustafa Cemilev, the former head of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people.”

He has said that “if in 1979 after the occupation of Afghanistan by Soviet forces, sanctions had been applied to the USSR like those which have been declared by the West against Putin and others, one would not have had to wait an entire decade for the withdrawal of forces from this country.”

“I also have asked whether we should have to wait so long again,” Cemilev says. “But they tell me: no, now events in the world are developing more rapidly and this will take place significantly sooner.”

Rodionov asked two Moscow observers for their reactions to Butusov’s suggestion of an Afghanistan analogy in the case of Ukraine, Viktor Shapinov, a Russian political observer, and Vladimir Kornilov, the director of the Moscow Center for Eurasian Research. Their comments are every bit as intriguing as Butusov’s original suggestion.

While Shapinov begins by being dismissive of Butusov, he acknowledges that what the Ukrainian analyst is saying is not beyond the realm of possibility given that a Ukrainian attack on Crimea could “drag Russia into a war on the territory of Ukraine” against NATO with all the unpredictable consequences that might have.

He further admits that “the Ukrainian army during the course of the war in the Donbas has in fact seriously improved its military qualities,” although he says it “still is not in a position to defeat even the armies of the LNR and DNR let along the army of a country like Russia.” American training will only allow the Ukrainians to retreat in a more orderly fashion.

At the same time, Shapinov says that “Russia is really suffering from sanctions. During the years of capitalism was created an export and import dependent economy. The Russian ruling class concluded that it would occupy a profitable place as a supplier of hydrocarbons and buy everything else with super profits from that.”

Now, however, “it is obvious that “this strategy already isn’t working,” even though some in Moscow “dream only that [Russia] can again become a junior partner of the West as it was in the 2000s. However, the world has changed, the crisis is intensifying, and there is no chance that things will again be ‘as they were.’”

Asked whether Putin’s departure could lead to the restoration of Ukrainian control over Crimea, Shapinin says that is “completely possible. More than that, a ‘Ukrainian scenario’ cannot be excluded for Russia. There are no reasons to think that the Russian ruling stratum is a head talker than the one which ran Ukraine under Yanukovich.”

Consequently, “the path to a Russian edition of ‘the Maidan’ is open. And then the question will be already not just about Crimea but also about the territorial integrity of Russia as a whole.”

Kornilov for his part says that “anyone in Russia who thinks that the war in the Donbas is being conducted for the Donbas doesn’t understand the obvious fact.” If Russia gives up the Donbas, then it will have to give up Crimea and then other parts of Russia as well.

“According to Russian law, Crimea is already the territory of Russia,” he continues. “The surrender of Crimea is possible only under a repetition of 1917 or 1991. Many in the West and in Ukraine, of course, hope that sooner or later this scenario will be repeated. About the disintegration of Russia dream more than one generation of Russophobes in various corners of the world.”

As far as the Donbas itself is concerned, Kornilov says, “it is well known to me that from the very beginning of the Donetsk conflict, certain circles in Moscow have insisted on the surrender of this region. Some want to offer “full Ukrainian control over the Donbas in exchange for recognition of Crimea” as part of Russia.

Others hope that “in a future federative Ukraine, the Donbas will be a restraining factor” that will prevent Kyiv from moving toward NATO. “These are naïve hopes if one is honest about it. Yes, now, Ukraine and the West can promise whatever in order to suppress the Donbas,” but in the future, one can forget about all these promises. Neither Kyiv nor the West will keep them.

“The reintegration of Crimea and Ukraine is possible only under two scenarios,” Kornilov says, “within a single Russian state or as a result of the complete collapse of Russia and a military operation against Crimea following it. I don’t know about the first scenario,” he concluded, “but over the second, someone in the West is actively working.”

OUTLAW 09

09-06-2015, 12:47 PM

http://www.jamestown.org/programs/edm/single/?tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=44339&tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=27&cHash=4b7cdf07c424cc9768d1cd747810068a#.Vew1TDYVjI X

Russia Spurns Ukrainian Offer of Constitutional Status for Donetsk-Luhansk

Publication: Eurasia Daily Monitor Volume: 12 Issue: 159

September 4, 2015 05:31 PM Age: 1 day

By: Vladimir Socor

Russian President Vladimir Putin has rejected Ukraine’s offer of constitutional status for the Donetsk-Luhansk territory as unacceptable. Addressing an international economic forum in Vladivostok, on his way back from China today (September 4), Putin dismissed Kyiv’s offer as inadequate in content; unilateral, instead of being negotiated by Kyiv with Donetsk-Luhansk; and as contraventions to the Minsk Two armistice on Ukraine’s part on both counts (Interfax, September 4).

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had rejected Kyiv’s offer on September 1, one day after the Ukrainian parliament’s approval of the constitutional amendment in the first reading. The Donetsk-Luhansk “people’s republics” were the first to spurn it, within hours of the Ukrainian parliament’s August 31 vote.

This crescendo of rejections and their scathing tone had evidently not been anticipated in Berlin, Brussels or by President Barack Obama’s administration in Washington. They had all pressured President Poroshenko and the Ukrainian parliament to appease Russia with this offer; and in the process, to put Poroshenko and his supporting coalition’s domestic political standing at risk (see EDM, August 6, 10, September 2, 3). It turns out to have been for naught.

Putin now demands a new negotiation from scratch on the constitutional status of Donetsk-Luhansk, and not only. Putin’s September 4 statement dismisses Ukraine’s constitutional amendment as “purely declarative, and not changing the essence of Ukraine’s structure of power.” This latter hint concerns Ukraine beyond Donetsk-Luhansk. The constitutional provision regarding Donetsk-Luhansk is packaged with the decentralization of Ukraine’s entire administrative-territorial system. Moscow wants to have its say in Ukraine’s entire decentralization process—a point that Lavrov made fully explicit in his own statement (see below).

President Putin listed four demands, to be fulfilled by Ukraine in this sequence (Interfax September 4):

1.) Kyiv and Donetsk-Luhansk must negotiate the terms of Ukraine’s constitutional amendment on that territory’s special status; 2.) the same parties need to work out Ukraine’s law on local elections by mutual agreement (the elections are due tentatively on October 25); 3.) the Ukrainian parliament has to grant a general amnesty (this would, inter alia, enable the Donetsk-Luhansk leaders and paramilitary chieftains to become legitimate politicians); 4.) and Ukraine must enact a new law on that territory’s special status, again by negotiation with Donetsk-Luhansk, which would crown the foregoing three steps (such a law would supersede and invalidate the law enacted in September 2014 and amended in March 2015 by the Ukrainian parliament, which attaches clear democracy criteria to any special status of that territory).

Whether Putin insists on a specific timetable for Kyiv to meet these conditions is not yet clear. They all stem from the political clauses of the Minsk Two armistice agreement (February 12), whose political clauses Ukraine is supposed to implement by the end of December; whereas Russia and its proxies are not held to deadlines on the military clauses.

Lavrov added clarifications in his speech opening the academic year at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO). Speaking at the diplomatic academy, Lavrov declared that the special status of Donetsk-Luhansk (once adopted by Kyiv and Donetsk-Luhansk in “mutual agreement”) must be introduced as such into the constitution of Ukraine. Thus, the Donetsk-Luhansk authorities’ powers (among which, Lavrov cited: creating a people’s militia, appointing prosecutors, entering into special economic arrangements, among other Minsk Two stipulations) would be permanently guaranteed in Ukraine’s constitution.

Beyond that territory, however, Lavrov alluded to the federalization of Ukraine writ large, by a consensus between the West and Russia, as a would-be corollary to the Donetsk-Luhansk settlement. Citing (without attribution) “assertions that other regions of Ukraine deserve more powers,” Lavrov suggested, “We are willing to help. We have good relations with certain regions of Ukraine. Other countries have excellent relations with Kyiv and political forces in the Verkhovna Rada [Ukrainian national parliament]. If Western countries, the United States and the European Union together, with their decisive influence on Kyiv, summon all those political forces and strongly advise them to behave, then the Minsk armistice will be complied with” (Interfax, September 2).

The Ukrainian legislature approved the constitutional amendment, on August 31, in the first reading by a wide margin—265 votes in favor, out of 368 deputies attending—amid political commotion outside the parliament building (Ukrinform, August 31, September 1). The Donetsk and Luhansk “people’s republics” (“DPR” and “LPR”), however, have dismissed the vote in Kyiv as “the Verkhovna Rada’s own internal affair,” as well as “irrelevant to the ‘DPR-LPR.’ ” Meanwhile, Donetsk and Luhansk are moving apace to build elements of “statehood” and special relations with Russia (Donetskoye Agentstvo Novostey, August 31–September 4).

The “DPR-LPR” maintain that Kyiv’s debates and enactments regarding “their” territory are invalid, if Kyiv acts “unilaterally,” instead of negotiating directly with Donetsk-Luhansk. They base their position on the letter of the Minsk Two armistice, which indeed demands mutually agreed solutions—i.e., gives Donetsk-Luhansk the veto over Kyiv.

Western diplomacy looks incoherent in attempting to deal with this matter. On one hand, US, German and other European diplomats are pressuring Kyiv into unilateral concessions, needlessly complicating Kyiv’s political situation, instead of anticipating rejection by Moscow and Donetsk-Luhansk of such “unilateralism.” On the other hand, the Obama administration ensured that the Minsk Two armistice was approved by a United Nations Security Council resolution, as Russian officials are delighted to remark from time to time. And German Chancellor Angela Merkel, in her annual end-of-summer press conference, asked Kyiv to “work out the law on [local] elections in such a way as to be acceptable to the separatists” (Bundeskanzlerin.de, August 31). Those “separatists,” however, would turn into legalized and legitimized leaders, if local elections are staged and validated in the “DPR-LPR” in October, for which Western diplomacy seems inclined to set the stage.

OUTLAW 09

09-06-2015, 12:50 PM

"Civil war" is #Kremlin's invention. „Ukrainian separatists“ are #Russia intelligence and military sent to #Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/9NtWU12vi3

New proposal on the table to tighten visa restrictions for foreign teaching staff in Russia to stop "extremism"
http://www.fms.gov.ru/press/news/news_detail.php?ID=30362 …

We don't know whose tanks, where or when... But someone might (photo via @lostarmour 6 Sep) pic.twitter.com/gcoPVyMFbJ

OUTLAW 09

09-06-2015, 02:59 PM

IMPORTANT For tenth time today, Russian Army TV has lied "Ukrainian security forces are preparing for an offensive on Donetsk" (#Minsk)

Rhetorical question: Why would Russian (hybrid) forces ("Diesel") make up story that they (RU) break ceasefire? Very strange.

OSCE discovered that 6 "withdrawn" Grad MRLSs of #Luhansk militants disappeared from storage site. Ukr equip is in place - National Radio

ATO press center say the reports of an attack on Aider battalion near Opytne this morning are completely false
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1061089517235187&id=820651001279041&refid=17&_ft_=top_level_post_id.1061089517235187&__tn__=%2As …

Ceasefire stands in #Luhansk and #Mariupol sectors, Rus-backed militants keep firing mostly in #Donetsk sector - ATO Staff, National Radio

OUTLAW 09

09-06-2015, 03:00 PM

Dead pro-Russian mercenary Влад Плахотин / Vlad Plahotin (callsign "Scaffold") #Cargo200 https://vk.com/id205292010?w=wall205292010_2710%2Fall … pic.twitter.com/eYDthrQNeh

Russian (hybrid) forces field exercises between Uspenka and Illyria 6 Sep (via @GirkinGirkin) pic.twitter.com/ppQtioP9lv https://www.google.ie/maps/place/Illiriya,+Luhans'ka+oblast,+Ukraine/@48.4029195,38.9931328,12z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x40e025cd7871dff5:0xc0ab94288ea5e 898 …

Hit by rocket launchers, around 1PM - info from locals.
#Avdiivka

Avdiivka
There was some shelling, houses burning on Lesnaya str #1, 3, 8 https://twitter.com/avdey777ka/status/640512069910036480 …

Again the Ukraine slowly becomes the bread basket of the world----
Ukraine raises grain crop forecast to 57 mln tones
http://www.unian.info/economics/1119259-ukraine-raises-grain-crop-forecast-to-57-mln-tones.html … pic.twitter.com/neGe6mpR59

OUTLAW 09

09-06-2015, 03:04 PM

https://euobserver.com/opinion/130065

Why the world’s last true frontier is heating up fast

By Sijbren de Jong and Lucia van Geuns

BRUSSELS, 1. Sep, 09:52

The Arctic is coming increasingly under the spotlight for reasons other than global warming.

The region, home to some of the world’s largest undiscovered hydrocarbon reserves, is becoming a new frontier for a geopolitical struggle between Russia and the West.

On 24 August, Russia kicked off a series of large-scale military exercises in the Arctic. A week earlier, Moscow informed the United Nations that it had laid claim to a staggering 1.2 million square kilometres of the Arctic shelf.

Russia also plans to reopen military bases it abandoned after the Soviet Union collapsed. Although the Kremlin insists its military moves are purely defensive, they come at a time of heightened tensions with the West over Ukraine that saw Russia increase its air patrols probing Nato’s borders, including in the Arctic.

So, why is Russian President Vladimir Putin asserting his ground in the Arctic? Is this mere bluster to conceal a position of fear? Or are the Kremlin’s latest moves prompted by sheer economic necessity?

The answer is both, and the West ought to be profoundly worried about it.

Russia in a bind

Russia finds itself in a bind over Ukraine. Contrary to the rapid takeover of Crimea, the conflict in Donbass has been fought to a standstill. Moreover, it looks unlikely that Moscow is in a position to increase the size of the land currently controlled by the separatists. It simply cannot afford it.

The collapse of the price of oil has ransacked the Russian economy, sent the Rouble into a nosedive, and ensured inflation is acting like it is 1999 again.

The Kremlin’s decision to defy Western sanctions by imposing countermeasures of its own such as banning and destroying western food imports did not go down well with the Russian population.

Putin’s approval rating – although at a level US President Barack Obama could only dream of – dipped due to the country’s sluggish economy and the Rouble’s freefall.

By way of diversion from domestic troubles, what could be better than to demonstrate your country’s might?

Although plausible, there is much more to Putin’s moves than meets the eye. The oil price rout has rocked the financial foundations of Russia’s state apparatus. Moscow’s traditional earning model, built on extensive oil and gas revenues, has come under severe stress as a result.

This situation is amplified by the financial and sectoral sanctions imposed by the West.

Major oil and gas companies, such as Rosneft and Gazprom, are deprived of invaluable technology to explore Arctic and unconventional oil and gas resources; something Russia will desperately rely on in the long term if it wishes to stay a leading oil and gas exporter.

Some commentators openly wonder whether the recession in Russia will result in social upheaval.

The pressure is certainly increasing, and recent reshuffles in the elite around Putin, such as the stepping down of Vladimir Yakunin, the powerful head of Russia’s state railways and long-time Putin confidant, may indeed suggest that changes are afoot.

Rosneft recently saw four out of five of its requests for funding from Russia’s sovereign wealth fund denied. Gazprom, Russia’s national gas behemoth, is hardly in a more enviable position.

China gas deal

Putin heralded the May 2014 gas deal with China as the pact of the century. However, given that the contract provides no protection against low oil prices, the project is already on the edge of loss-making.

With a second pipeline to China postponed, the Middle Kingdom’s economic downturn effectively hammered the final nail into the coffin of Putin’s much-coveted Asia Pivot.

The problem is that if Russia wishes to continue to be a leading oil and gas producer in the future, it must explore new oil and gas finds.

Russia’s traditional Siberian fields are aging and its liquefied natural gas plans are taking a hit, with more and more supplies appearing from competitors. And now that China’s energy appetite has stalled, the prospects of the oil price picking up soon are negligible.

If it is to survive, Russia needs other resources. These are found in the Arctic. For example, in September 2014, Exxon Mobil and Rosneft announced a major oil find in the Kara Sea, but cooperation had to be suspended due to the souring political climate.

In other words, Putin’s sabre-rattling over the Arctic is not just about diverting attention away from a troubled economy at home; it is equally about securing the country’s - and the government’s – long-term future.

Why the West should be worried

On 31 August, Obama embarked on a three-day tour of the Arctic, during which he addressed the Conference on Global Leadership in the Arctic.

“Glacier”, as the conference is known, is a policy event that brings together Foreign Ministers of Arctic nations and key non-Arctic states, as well as scientists and policy-makers to discuss climate change in the region.

Western nations tend to view the Arctic as part of the Global Commons. Given the high stakes described above, it is not clear whether Russia thinks the same. There are ample reasons as to why the West ought to be profoundly concerned about this. Moscow appears to be determined to militarise the region; something Western nations, at least for now, appear unwilling to rival.

Also, should a kind of “arms race for the North” take off, there is a genuine risk that these kinds of demonstrations of might are misinterpreted and could trigger an actual conflict.

More acutely perhaps, a Russia that is cash-strapped may ultimately decide to engage in Arctic oil and gas exploration “on the cheap” with all the associated risk for the safety of this pristine environment.

In touring one of the world’s last true frontiers, Barack Obama would do wise to keep this firmly in mind.

OUTLAW 09

09-06-2015, 03:06 PM

https://euobserver.com/opinion/130065

Why the world’s last true frontier is heating up fast

By Sijbren de Jong and Lucia van Geuns

BRUSSELS, 1. Sep, 09:52

Russia and Putin are now in a three front non linear war---the Ukraine, now Syria and now the Artic.

AND the responses to all from the West not much of anything really.

OUTLAW 09

09-06-2015, 03:10 PM

OUTLAW 09

09-06-2015, 03:44 PM

OUTLAW 09

09-06-2015, 04:21 PM

Speed responsiveness"of west #media to the obvious facts that were already known to us long ago last year.#Ukraine pic.twitter.com/HdK8mmg6fu

Social media open source analysis that is verified and geo tagged is the beating speed wise even the US intel community.

OUTLAW 09

09-06-2015, 04:25 PM

Maxim Tucker @MaxRTucker
The US is sending 10 Texas Rangers to #Ukraine to help train its police special forces http://www.mvs.gov.ua/mvs/article/1617777?annId=1617778&timestamp=1441176624000 … pic.twitter.com/LOVsThVrBB

OUTLAW 09

09-06-2015, 04:26 PM

Militants several times fired on UKR positions today (mainly Mariinka) trying to lure them into confrontation - ATO

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1061209700556502&id=820651001279041&refid=17&_ft_=top_level_post_id.1061209700556502&__tn__=%2As …

Grim life inside 'grey zone' of the East Ukraine frontline
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESPK30rkvfQ … pic.twitter.com/pdhn1LXdkQ

Novaya: "As RU military activities were reported in Syria, the Donbass conflict de-escalated. Seems we can't handle two hybrid wars"

OUTLAW 09

09-06-2015, 05:19 PM

Priyom.org @priyom_org
2015-09-06, 15:40: Two Russian Intel agencies on one waterfall; on 14387 is GRU, and on 14447 - SVR. pic.twitter.com/3wMYC5RQnu

OUTLAW 09

09-06-2015, 05:21 PM

Reference---Moldavia---

Moldavian rally is turning into an anti oligarch rally----
Chisinau: Read the resolution. Demands: resignation of President and Parliament
http://liveuamap.com/en/2015/6-september-chisinau-read-the-resolution-demands-resignation … pic.twitter.com/wM3D53YpG1 v

Chișinău: Spetsnaz relaxed, joking and smoking. Surely there will be no clashes. https://twitter.com/NewsMakerMD/status/640543021436641280 …

Chișinău, Moldova. DA declared the non-stop protest in the central square. Fundraising to support the rally. https://twitter.com/NewsMakerMD/status/640540999064911873 …

100,000 protesters in the capital of Moldova. Clashes with the police. Few arrested and 1 injured pic.twitter.com/veYAOM1ss5

Reuters: Tens of thousands rally in #Moldova against USD 1 bln bank fraud http://uatoday.tv/news/reuters-tens-of-thousands-rally-in-moldova-against-usd-1-bln-bank-fraud-488605.html … pic.twitter.com/oDO1L8Lqi4

Chisinau now @dacoromania "struggle against corrupted mafia authorities lasts, the 1st protest night" pic.twitter.com/byb30xGiMf

First night of protests in Moldova pic.twitter.com/CfMIgElrch

Protests against corruption in #Chisinau, #Moldova. 2000 people are staying overnight, there are 25 tents already. https://twitter.com/dacoromania/status/640571342367141889 …

OUTLAW 09

09-06-2015, 05:40 PM

Humor-------

One of these days I'll be denying that they are Russian soldiers in Russia.

OUTLAW 09

09-06-2015, 05:59 PM

Russian equipment being shipped to Syria---from Crimea
CORRECTION: Russian merchant cargo ship Aleksandr Ktachenko carries military URAL 4320 truck @Saturn5_ @alperboler pic.twitter.com/KcoulDv05l

20:11 #Krasnohorivka @hyeva_maryinka [vk] Skirmishes are heard from #Maryinka direction

20:05 #Donetsk @hyeva_maryinka [vk] Noisy on #Trudovski

Human rights watchgods issue list of forced disappearances in #Russia-occupied #Crimea:
http://euromaidanpress.com/2015/09/06/human-rights-watchgods-issue-list-of-forced-disappearances-in-crimea/ … pic.twitter.com/VN81qvdJB3

OUTLAW 09

09-06-2015, 06:09 PM

Personal equipt of 'Armed Forces of New Russia' fighter, 5 Sep. Note variety of insignia. http://codename-it.livejournal.com/1883209.html pic.twitter.com/WnIn33NzFU

Typical Russian "masking" concept for non linear warfare fighters-----

OUTLAW 09

09-06-2015, 06:16 PM

Russian troops launch a ceasefire breaking attack tonight----

Donetsk @axilles666 They attack #Maryinka from #Oleksandrivka...

20:07 #Donetsk @hyeva_maryinka Tank fire and assault rifle bursts [heard from] #Trudovski-#Maryinka direction

MAryinka 20:45
Some skirmish, but so far nothing serious https://twitter.com/hyeva_maryinka/status/640587807556259841 …

Donetsk - north woke up. Putilovka came to life. (Shooting) whether tank, whether self-propelled guns.
21:12 https://twitter.com/HuAdvokatos/status/640588333526220800 …

21:11 #Donetsk @HeleneHelene5 "I can hear heavy salvos, yet I don't get where from and to. We've gotten used to silence"

21:10 #Maryinka @hyeva_maryinka [vk] They still fool with [shooting], yet nothing serious so far

20:51 #Staromykhaylivka @hyeva_maryinka [vk] noisy in #Maryinka direction

CEASEFIRE being broken big time now---
21:31 #Donetsk @AkaDON12 3 single salvos of howitzers, 5-10min between them,unclear where from... maybe fr/Kuybyshevska mine

OUTLAW 09

09-06-2015, 06:25 PM

Footage
Russian army air defence battalion with SA-13 just south of #Luhansk (old air field)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-an8pSZOtw0 … pic.twitter.com/qjK3uZHA5D

OUTLAW 09

09-06-2015, 07:45 PM

OUTLAW 09

09-07-2015, 05:29 AM

News
There were 12 (pro-)Russian attacks on the Ukrainian line of defence yesterday.
0 between midnight and 6 am.

08:00 #Donetsk Kirovsky ds @ropogckou 3 loud salvos

Under small arms fire came also UAF positions at Kirov, Zaitsevo.

Around 11PM russians fired on Ukr positions south of #Avdiivka from IFV, grenade launchers and small arms.

OUTLAW 09

09-07-2015, 09:00 AM

https://meduza.io/en/news/2015/09/06/us-and-eu-threaten-russia-with-new-sanctions-over-rogue-elections-in-eastern-ukraine

US and EU threaten Russia with new sanctions over rogue elections in eastern Ukraine

13:21, 6 September 2015

The EU and the US are considering a new round of sanctions against Russia. According to foreign diplomatic sources speaking with the Russian newspaper Kommersant, the new round of sanctions may be implemented if the separatist-controlled regions of Ukraine fail to hold local elections at the same time as other Ukrainian regions.

Ukrainian elections are scheduled for October 25. Elections in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic have been scheduled by the separatists for October 18, while the leadership of the self-proclaimed Lugansk People’s Republic has planned elections for November 1.

The sources noted that sanctions “are not an end in themselves for the US or EU,” but if the Minsk deal is violated, they “won’t have any other choice.”

“If representatives of Lugansk and Donetsk continue to press this point and elections in the Donbass [eastern Ukraine] are held separately from the general Ukrainian election, do not follow Ukrainian law, and are inaccessible to international observers, this will be a serious and demonstrative blow to the Minsk agreements,” the source told Kommersant.

The government in Kiev has appealed to Donetsk and Lugansk on numerous occasions, asking for elections to be held there in accordance with Ukrainian law, at the same time as the country's general election. The self-proclaimed republics have claimed that Kiev violated the Minsk agreements by passing a new law on local elections without consulting Donetsk and Lugansk.

The topic of local elections in Donetsk and Lugansk will be addressed in September at a meeting of the Ukrainian, Russian, French, and German foreign ministers in Minsk. The topic is also expected to be addressed at a UN General Assembly meeting in New York in late September.

The conflict in eastern Ukraine between separatists and pro-government forces has been raging since April 2014. In February 2015, a peace deal was drawn up in Minsk by Ukraine, Russia, France, and Germany.

OUTLAW 09

09-07-2015, 09:01 AM

Even stranger actions are now ongoing in the Russian mercenary occupied zones---

11:16 #Donetsk @funkermanjke All separatists' channels down

More strangeness from the Russian mercenaries----
UA forces near Mykolaivka found the bodies of 5 men in camouflage with RU tricolor chevrons, "LPR" emblem, weapons
http://ato.lisichansk.in.ua/na-luganshhini-tisha-viyavleno-drg-protivnika-shho-potrapila-u-minnu-pastku-oficijne-zvedennya-stanom-na-7-09-15.html …

10:48 #Makiivka Zeleniy @666_mancer [fb] I can also hear salvos from downtown direction, some of them sound closer

11:05 #Makiivka @PVB40 [fb] "Salvos are audible, I hope they fight one another"

More 'drills' around Donetsk-Makiivka?

OUTLAW 09

09-07-2015, 09:02 AM

Reference Russian weaponization of information---

Gen. Hodges: Putin is using information like rockets - without precision&parliamentary control. We do have 2push back pic.twitter.com/ZROXqv0VZZ

OUTLAW 09

09-07-2015, 09:16 AM

http://www.newsweek.com/putins-gamble-end-nato-and-restoration-russian-might-368883

This article first appeared on the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University site.

Putin’s Gamble: An End to NATO and Restoration of Russian Might

By Stephen R. Covington 9/6/15 at 1:28 PM

In 1985, a Soviet leader came to power, leading one of the two superpowers in a bi-polar world, commanding a powerful military and leading a party mandated with changing the world.

Mikhail Gorbachev was also equipped with something far more powerful than the weapons in the Soviet arsenal—forecasts of the USSR’s future inability to compete with the United States in economic, technological and military terms. Gorbachev was convinced that the Soviet war economy and its priorities would constrain and exhaust its national capacity to compete successfully at the end of the 20th century—and that the internal system needed change for the USSR to sustain itself as a competitive, global power.

Gorbachev decisively chose economic reforms and disengagement from strategic confrontation with the West to address Soviet non-competitiveness. Internal political and economic changes to the Soviet system were intended to strengthen the USSR and renew its economic and technological base for sustained global competition in the 21st century.

He disengaged the Soviet Union from external strategic confrontation through conventional and nuclear arms reductions, changed Soviet security and defense policies and reduced arms expenditures. Gorbachev’s choice ended decades of direct military confrontation between the Soviet Union and NATO, and Eastern Europe’s political revolutions ultimately led to the geographic separation of Soviet and NATO military forces.

In 1991, Gorbachev was swept from power by the political and economic forces unleashed by his attempted internal reform of the USSR. 30 years later, another Russian leader driven by similar concerns about future strategic non-competitiveness has set this country on a path to address and reverse its non-competitive position in the world.

Vladimir Putin’s Russia today, however, is on a very different course from Gorbachev. After implementing liberal economic reforms aimed at strengthening Russia’s sovereignty in the early years of his rule, Putin has rejected structural, internal economic and political reforms, fearing that like Gorbachev he too could be swept from power.

Putin’s choice reflects a view that Russia can only address its non-competitiveness by changing the world around Russia, and most critically, by changing the European security system. In Putin’s view, any solution short of changing the European security system—including full integration, separation by erecting new walls, freezing the status quo around Russia, or partnering with other countries to counter-balance the powers in the European system—only means Russia’s inevitable loss of great power status and the loss of his personal power at home.

Consequently, Putin is rearming Russia, remilitarizing Russia’s overall approach to security, changing Russia’s defense concepts, adopting continuous destabilization strategies against neighboring states and returning to old policy formulas for internal and external security—all justified and rationalized by the perceived threat posed by the U.S./European security system around Russia.

His policy requires a changed Europe to enhance Russian strategic competitiveness and requires a changed Europe to avoid political change inside Russia. These two Russian campaigns—one external and one internal—are interfused. Success in one campaign is dependent on success in the other. More importantly, failure in one campaign is perceived as prompting failure in the other.

President Putin’s decision is influenced by Russia’s experiences since the end of the Cold War—internal coup attempts, terrorist attacks, “colored revolutions” around Russia, wars inside and outside of Russia, unfinished reforms and perceptions of Russia’s natural vulnerability to a fate similar to that of the USSR given its one-dimensional economic base and political superstructure.

However, Putin’s policy is driven mostly by concerns about Russia’s inability to compete on almost any level and in almost any sphere with the world’s greatest powers absent fundamental changes to the security, energy, economic and financial systems around Russia.

Russia does have long-standing critical views of the European security architecture. U.S. and NATO Ballistic Missile Defense programs, a variety of NATO and EU policies and actions and U.S. security and defense integration on the continent have been a few of the many points of criticism from Moscow over the years.

Dimitri Medvedev, then the President of Russia, proposed a new European security architecture shortly after the Russian conflict with Georgia in 2008 to change the European security system. While Putin’s policy is consistent with well-documented Russian criticisms of Europe’s security architecture, his actions differ substantially from previous Russian approaches.

Previous Russian approaches could be characterized as attempting to “break into” the European security system to politically divide and overrule. In contrast, Putin’s current approach attempts to “break out” of the European security system, divide Europe and establish new rules. This is a fundamental change of approach that reflects a fundamental change of policy.

Russian political and military experts also have long envied the Chinese security model. In many ways, Putin’s Russia seeks a security system in Europe that resembles the security environment China has in the Pacific.

For the Chinese, there is no real Asian-wide architecture of transpacific security akin to Europe’s transatlantic security that collectively counter-balances national power. China is able to use its economic and military strengths with a wider range of freedom, acting opportunistically, wielding its power to divide and overrule, protect territories and interests and navigate its strengths in a security environment with strategic but isolated pockets of U.S.-Pacific defense integration.

Simultaneously China has integrated economically, gained access to technology, modernized its economic system and maintained continuity in political control over the internal system.

Russian security experts also have admired the fact that China has evolved and grown into a great economic power without the political and economic turmoil Russia suffered in the 1990s—turmoil that has cost Russia time, money, energy and opportunity.

Russia’s leadership wants a Europe without strategic Alliances, without multi-national organizations and without a U.S.-Europe Transatlantic link that can through collective policies and action offset the national strengths Russia would hold over any one European nation. It would be a European security environment that would allow Russia to apply its national strengths to great effect without challenge and competition—enhancing its power abroad and at home.

This is the end-state of Putin’s strategy, and it requires changing the European security system—the rules of the game—to sustain Russia’s capability to compete with Europe and other regional powers poles outside Europe. Conversely, the policy strictly seeks to freeze the political rules of the game inside Russia, and end meaningful political competition at home. Russia’s leaders have concluded that the European system is both vulnerable and unjust.

In the Russian view, the European security system is vulnerable because it is weakened by a diffusion of global power, political devolution, sapped of economic wealth and attacked by forces of disorder in other parts of the world. Putin also has concluded that the current European security system is unjust because it confines and restricts Russia’s ability to exercise her inherent national strengths, inflicting a modern form of multi-dimensional, multi-level strategic encirclement of Russia.

Russia’s leaders claim the European security system is part of a global system whose purpose is to advance a unipolar, U.S.-dominated global order. Moreover, Russia’s leaders assert that preventing Russia from attaining its proper place in a just global order is a prerequisite to sustain the current unjust global order.

Russia’s policy seeks to change first the principles and rules upon which Europe and other countries have prospered and grounded their economic and military security, then replace them with new principles and new rules that would enhance the strengths of an unreformed, Putin-led Russia and compensate for its weaknesses.

As Russia’s campaign against Ukraine has demonstrated, this is a “rule breaker to be rule maker” strategy, and the strategy relies on a variety of internal and external means to achieve its ends. Internally, the strategy feeds nationalism, familiarity and orientation to the disempowered Russian people, offers the prospect for greater profit to the powerful rich and promises purpose, identity and resources to the power ministries (e.g., Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Interior).

Externally, the strategy relies on the use of all elements of power—including military—to discredit, devalue and delegitimize the current European security system. The roots of this strategy have many antecedents in Soviet policy, yet his policy is not that of the Soviet Union. Nor is it a policy that strictly and narrowly follows nationalist aims for redrawing borders to revive a Novorossiya or rebuild the Soviet empire.

Continued..................

I have repeated the mantra here that Putin has three distinct geo political goals in mind since Crimea.

1. discredit and damage NATO
2. discredit and damage the EU
3. disconnect the US totally from Europe

OUTLAW 09

09-07-2015, 09:46 AM

Col. Andriy Lysenko: To the north of Horlivka, enemy snipers were detected, another armed provocation occurred near Kirove village

ATO spox: Donetsk sector: Militants opened fire twice with small arms near Svitlodarsk water reservoir

Russian Spetsnaz team was eliminated---ambushed by Ukrainian SF??????
Col. Lysenko: 5 enemy saboteurs were found dead near Bolotene village: 2 weeks ago this reconnaissance group planned hostilities in UA rear

ATO spokesperson: Luhansk sector: 1 armed provocation near Shchastya town: enemy fired grenade launchers at the UA positions few times

Col. Andriy Lysenko: Military situation in eastern Ukraine remains calm. Across the contact line, heavy weapons were not used by militants

ATO spox: One more member of a so-called “DPR” militia returned home within SBU program of voluntary capitulation of militants

Col. Lysenko: SBU detained a former RU prisoner who had been recruited to fight against UA Army by Federal Security Service of Russia

ATO spox: Most strained situation remained yesterday near Maryinka: enemy executed “disturbing” fire throughout the day, enemy IFV was used

ATO spokesperson: Ukrainian Armed Forces did not incur any casualties; two servicemen were wounded in action in last 24 hours

Col. Andriy Lysenko: Yesterday, a flight of one enemy UAV was recorded within the military operation area

ATO spokesperson: Yesterday, cease-fire regime was fully observed at the frontline stretching from Horlivka to Yasynuvata

Col. Andriy Lysenko: To the north of Horlivka, enemy snipers were detected, another armed provocation occurred near Kirove village

ATO spox: Donetsk sector: Militants opened fire twice with small arms near Svitlodarsk water reservoir

Low Level Fighting Continues; 2 Ukrainian Soldiers And 1 Civilian Wounded.

OUTLAW 09

09-07-2015, 09:48 AM

Hmm.
Is man on left at August 2006 Eurasian Youth Camp Brazilian-Russian #DPR mercenary Rafael Lusvarghi (Varyag) ? pic.twitter.com/4LY18nhmYL

More Russian cyber warfare----
National Guard: @NatsGvardiya is a fake account, official info is posted at site http://ngu.gov.ua Source: http://ngu.gov.ua/ua/news/u-twitter-stvoryly-feykovu-storinku-nacionalnoyi-gvardiyi-ukrayiny …

A woman was wounded this morning after tripping a mine near Berezove checkpoint - MIA
http://www.mvs.gov.ua/mvs/control/donetsk/ru/publish/article/223969 …

Russian occupation forces 2S1 (new camo) live-firing exercises, Uspenka range, Luhansk region 7 Sep via @BuTaJIu4eK https://youtu.be/00fdW2EacdU

Russia continues to steal from the Ukraine—is their economy in that bad of a condition????
Russian fishermen plundering Ukraine's fish stocks in Azov-Black Sea basin https://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?depth=1&hl=en&ie=UTF8&prev=_t&rurl=translate.google.ie&sl=ru&tl=en&u=http://ruinformer.com/page/rosiyskie-rybaki-v-dva-raza-narastili-obem-dobychi-bioresursov-v-azovochernomorskom-baseyne&usg=ALkJrhgr XjBCAE9JS7I0xrTY3kpjfYZ2g …

OUTLAW 09

09-07-2015, 09:48 AM

Reference Moldavia----

Russian trolls need to get their story straight on Moldova. Talking about imminent "pro-Western coup". Moldova is already pro-Western.

A drone footage of #Moldova's anti-corruption protest, one of the biggest in local history
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvOpsxHws2s … pic.twitter.com/C4HT7CaASU

OUTLAW 09

09-07-2015, 10:58 AM

First time this has been done with a snap exercise--central district takes in Moscow.

Putin brings Russian Central Military District to full combat readiness
http://www.unian.info/world/1119469-putin-brings-russian-central-military-district-to-full-combat-readiness.html … pic.twitter.com/XgitJ8043q

Original (in Russian) http://arguendi.livejournal.com/1565521.html Rostov via Matveev Kurgan / Uspenka Check Point to Horlivka and back pic.twitter.com/F3MAMKKRJ4

Remember this? Full report by "Reconnaissance Horlivka" on 14 Aug supply trip from Rostov https://translate.google.ie/translate?sl=ru&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Farguendi.livejournal.com%2F1565521. html&edit-text= … pic.twitter.com/mIzLWpKJRn

Putin spending Billions on weapons but many #Russia(ns) poor & starving http://www.dw.com/en/russias-poor-i-came-here-to-eat/a-18697608 … pic.twitter.com/pbgxJ8sUeE

OUTLAW 09

09-07-2015, 10:59 AM

OUTLAW 09

09-07-2015, 12:27 PM

In the Luhansk region, police seized large cache of weapons and ammunition
http://www.mvs.gov.ua/mvs/control/luhansk/ru/publish/article/182393 … pic.twitter.com/vJUO1Sddkp

This is the Russian social media report on the eliminated Spetsnaz team two weeks ago.
RUS source: "August 24 near #StanytsiaLuhanska scout group by Ratibor perished, 6 KIA, 1 WIA" @Kit_Vasyl pic.twitter.com/D8SzfKoqjZ

Human rights watchgods issue list of forced disappearances in #Russia-occupied #Crimea:
http://euromaidanpress.com/2015/09/06/human-rights-watchgods-issue-list-of-forced-disappearances-in-crimea/ … pic.twitter.com/Kv9Wf52Cz6

Russian weaponization of information continues unabated--------
Meanwhile the Russian Embassy in the UK is becoming really vulgar in its continued spreading of blunt lies. pic.twitter.com/nBQ1fLcj9W

WW2 victim donates 2,000 euros to Ukrainian fighters: “I would give them my heart”
http://euromaidanpress.com/2015/09/06/ww2-victim-donates-2000-euros-to-ukrainian-fighters-i-would-give-them-my-heart/ …
pic.twitter.com/nsM5fJeQXO

OUTLAW 09

09-07-2015, 12:41 PM

US-Estonia drills rattle #Kremlin bosses
http://uatoday.tv/politics/us-estonia-drills-rattle-kremlin-bosses-489032.html … pic.twitter.com/UrstHNfdX0

Intriguingly, if Putin did not reconquer Crimea from Kyiv junta, Crimean draftees would have no chance to die in Syria for Assad

OUTLAW 09

09-07-2015, 01:12 PM

Putin puts troops of Russian Central Military District inc. military aviation and transport aircraft on "full alert"

http://top.rbc.ru/politics/07/09/2015/55ed3abc9a7947b38cbede6c …

OUTLAW 09

09-07-2015, 01:17 PM

http://windowoneurasia2.blogspot.de/2015/09/moscow-preparing-for-victory-in-nuclear.html

Monday, September 7, 2015

‘Moscow Preparing for Victory in Nuclear War,’ ‘Nezavisimaya Gazeta’ Says

Paul Goble

Staunton, September 7 – Over the last week, the editors of Moscow’s “Nezavisimaya gazeta” point out in an editorial today, the Russian Strategic Rocket Forces have conducted “two large-scale exercises which in essence reject the well-known thesis that in a nuclear war, there cannot be a victor.”

And that suggests, as the editors put it in the headline of their article, “Russia is preparing for victory in a nuclear war,” a shift that is undoubtedly intended in the first instance to intimidate the West but that represents a dangerous escalation of rhetoric and action in an unstable time (ng.ru/editorial/2015-09-07/2_red.html).

These exercises strongly suggest, “Nezavisimaya gazeta” says that Russian commanders no longer view an exchange of weapons of mass destruction “as the inevitable end of humanity.” And they add: “if that is so, then [the Russian military and Russian political leadership] should tell us that directly.”

Both the size of the exercises – they covered some 20 Russian regions – and their focus – practicing the decontamination of locales hit by chemical, bacteriological and nuclear weapons – suggest, the editors continue, that Russia’s Strategic Rocket Forces are thinking about fighting and winning a nuclear war.

After describing the various units involved and the actions they took, the editors conclude that “in other words, the scenario developed in the maneuvers shows that Russia’s Strategic Rocket Forces are preparing to carry out military tasks after an attack by an opponent on our country” involving the use of “nuclear weapons.”

“More than that, they write, what the Russian military is practicing is to launch a counter strike even after such an attack, an action which in the past has been called “’a shot from the grave’” and that many analysts have suggested is an important part of deterrence against a first strike by suggesting that no first attack could prevent a response.

OUTLAW 09

09-07-2015, 01:18 PM

Donetsk @BertaBerta234 unconfirmed: "Purgin's assistant Aleksandrov met with and accident trying to flee from DNR..."

Donetsk @666_mancer "I was given 2 images, they say yesterday ones, don't know exactly" pic.twitter.com/xGwQoGKiJ1

OUTLAW 09

09-07-2015, 01:19 PM

Reference Moldavia-----

Correspondent of Russia Today was forbidden to enter Moldova

http://liveuamap.com/en/2015/7-september-correspondent-of-russia-today-was-forbidden-to …

OUTLAW 09

09-07-2015, 04:13 PM

Militants preparing tanks for offensive pic.twitter.com/Fm9RdA2LLn http://liveuamap.com/en/2015/7-september-militants-preparing-tanks-for-offensive …

A trilateral meeting of Ukraine , Russia and the EU ended prematurely, an hour after the start http://liveuamap.com/en/2015/7-september-a-trilateral-meeting-of-ukraine--russia-and-the …

Meeting was in reference to the EU Association Agreement---
Trade issue RU-UA-EU should be severe RU trade sanctions against UA, not imagined DCFTA impact on RU. http://www.eurointegration.com.ua/rus/news/2015/09/7/7037949/ …

Major bomb attack averted in Odessa pic.twitter.com/90BnrUhA3K http://liveuamap.com/en/2015/7-september-major-bomb-attack-averted-in-odesa …

Ukraine cease-fire allows time to regroup http://24today.net/open/520887 pic.twitter.com/67XKmNkaz2

Now UA-held Volnovakha is reporting that only DNR TV channels are live... https://twitter.com/Volnovakha/status/640891648923279360 …

Markings on a captured TBG-7 thermobaric grenade for the RPG-7 #Ukraine pic.twitter.com/DHHKaY8zI4

OUTLAW 09

09-07-2015, 05:34 PM

The biggest military drill in Russia since February 2014 before Crimea Invasion where 90.000 soldiers were involved.

If Russia can rapidly deploy 95,000 troops and 7,000 pieces of hardware, shouldn't NATO be able to at least match it? http://tass.ru/en/russia/819367 …

A.Lysenko:no use of heavy weapons observed along the frontline, Ukrainian troops incur no loss
http://uacrisis.org/33048-andrij-lisenko-90 … pic.twitter.com/NOVwA1ggK9

Ukrainian-Russian border'll be equiped with 8 modern radar systems from US company Aerocraft http://24today.net/open/520936 pic.twitter.com/y2EVH5AsYf

RU FSB recognized detention of 3 Ukrainian paratroopers for "illegally crossing of border with Russia (UKR Crimea)" http://www.kommersant.ru/doc/2805213

RU MFA: "In countries.. like the Baltics.. Nazism is rearing its head and thus they present a threat for their neighbors" I AM NOT KIDDING

Uh-oh: #Russia SledCom Markin compares #Ukraine leaders with Nazi leaders hanged after Nuremberg trials. In RU http://sledcom.ru/news/item/964113 …

OUTLAW 09

09-07-2015, 06:37 PM

Pushilin denies that Purgin has been arrested, as claimed by DNR "lawmaker" Ellada Shaftner earlier today http://www.kommersant.ru/doc/2805184

Russian 9th Independent Motor Rifle Brigade in Rostov region nr Ukraine border June-Sep 2014 https://vk.com/album-26250088_217294104 … pic.twitter.com/RAm4POP8gF

9th Inde' Motor Rifle Brigade (military unit в/ч 54046) now in process of moving garrison from Nizhny Novgorod to Boguchar, Voronezh region

Jun-Sep 2014 9th Motor Rifle were near Bakay, Chertkovsky district 8km from Ukraine border https://vk.com/photo-26250088_371036944 … pic.twitter.com/52lVuXMBz9

Photos show 9th Motor Rifle Brigade being deployed by railway to Rostov region pic.twitter.com/nLXq2qmAP7

9th Motor Rifle Brigade building positions hidden in woodland cover near Ukraine border (Jun-Sep 2014) pic.twitter.com/zChGTYrikb

9th Motor Rifle troops emerge from woodland edge to recce Ukraine border (Jun-Sep 2014) pic.twitter.com/0H8xwCWnMz

Russian Navy disrupts civilian ships in Lithuanian waters http://fb.me/4LIcFWr4m

Putin held an operational meeting with the permanent members of the Security Council of #Russia in #Moscow, Monday
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmCRgUBj4lc …

OUTLAW 09

09-07-2015, 07:39 PM

New Anonymous International leaks show the grim reality of life in ‘Donetsk People's Republic’

http://globalvoicesonline.org/2015/09/07/russia-ukraine-donetsk-peoples-republic-leaks/ … pic.twitter.com/G9i5nhStOx

OUTLAW 09

09-07-2015, 07:56 PM

Russia's leadership wants a Europe without strategic Alliances... & without a U.S.-Europe Transatlantic link"

http://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/natosource/putin-s-gamble-an-end-to-nato-and-restoration-of-russian-might …

OUTLAW 09

09-08-2015, 05:12 AM

Video w interrogation of kidnapped UAF soldiers appeared, uploaded by Graham Philips (independent journo, of course)
http://24today.net/open/521274

This UK journalist first worked for RT UK and then for the Russian military news in the Russian occupied zone and was supposedly on vacation in Crimea.

OUTLAW 09

09-08-2015, 05:20 AM

Russian military and her mercenaries are once again attempting to mask a offensive begin by a slow but steady slow step up in SAF and Spetsnaz attacks---

In #Maryinka at night and early morning skirmishes reported, small arms.

22:40 #Staromykhaylivka @hyeva_maryinka Noisy [=skirmish sounds]

23:05 #Donetsk @PVB40 [fb] "Fr/Petrovka one attacks intermittently #Maryinka and/or #Krasnohorivka w/mortars&machine guns" "or fr/Abakumova"

3:58AM
"#Donetsk center what was that? Powerful bang..." https://twitter.com/ludmilka1906/status/641053072475750400 …

Donetsk 3:55AM
Powerful explosion, in city center heard it well. https://twitter.com/papandopoolo/status/641052264044589056 …

07:11 #Donetsk ludmilka1906 "Who has heard and knows what the explosion was there in downtown at 4am?"

OUTLAW 09

09-08-2015, 05:21 AM

Two attempts by Russian Spetsnaz teams to find a break through point in UAF defensive lines-

ATO presser: #Maryinka was hit by 82-mm mortars at 11PM. At #Syze around 1:40AM there was a second attempt by RU DRG unit for breakthrough.

#Luhansk region, #ATO presscenter: "At 1:40am in #Syze area enemy tried to breach our defensive line again"

2/X after 6pm in #Syze area #Luhansk rgn a DRG up to 7 persons tried to pass UKR strongpoint but was repelled

4/X Abt 11pm positions near #Maryinka were mortared w/82mm.
There were 3 ceasefire violations in total within last 24 hours.

3/X At 18:25 UKR positions in #Mayorsk, #Artemivsk area, were attacked with small arms.

OUTLAW 09

09-08-2015, 05:24 AM

Humor-----

Roskomnadzor blocks 11 #porn sites in #Russia after #Putin's latest workout video appears on @GayTube pic.twitter.com/dbmWKmkFQy

OUTLAW 09

09-08-2015, 09:10 AM

Spetsnaz led three attempts yesterday to break through Ukrainian defense lines--clear violation of the so called ceasefire and an indicator of the Russian starting again of their slow stepped offensive.

2 Ukr servicemen of 128th brigade were KIA, 2 WIA in engagement w/ militant subversive group nr Bolotene, Luhansk reg http://www.loga.gov.ua/oda/press/news/2015/09/08/news_67937.html …

OUTLAW 09

09-08-2015, 09:11 AM

Russia promises to fine and return abducted Ukrainian paratroopers
http://www.unian.info/war/1119825-russia-promises-to-fine-and-return-abducted-ukrainian-paratroopers.html … pic.twitter.com/ddJn0DDLfS

Russia Detained 3 Ukrainian Soldiers Who Vanished Near Crimean Frontier On Saturday. http://www.interpretermag.com/ukraine-live-day-567-low-level-fighting-around-donetsk-and-gorlovka-continues/#9855 … pic.twitter.com/gvOkDd53w7

Footage
Regiment #Azov's upgraded T-64BM1M tank pool.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m26xCF1GrKQ&feature=youtu.be …
pic.twitter.com/ZWQigUAtyN

Spetsnaz led attacks--
Two Attempts To Break Through Ukrainian Defenses Near Syze Repelled
http://ukraineunderattack.org/en/33843-two-attempts-to-break-through-ukrainian-defenses-near-syze.html …

News
After calm until 6pm yday, Russian militants opened fire at several fronts during the evening.
2 Ukr KIA, 2 WIA in Stanytsia Luhanska.

OUTLAW 09

09-08-2015, 09:13 AM

From the Russian realm of weaponization of information---

Suddenly Mouthpiece of Kremlin Kiselev, who'd turn USA into radiactive ash & burn hearts of gays, wants into EU. LOL pic.twitter.com/jMqTmjI3wM

OUTLAW 09

09-08-2015, 09:31 AM

SBU detained undercover “DPR” terrorist group in Zaporizhia region. https://twitter.com/ServiceSsu/status/641148352411889664 …

Has anyone noticed how timing of unplanned Russian combat readiness alerts coincides with Minsk talks on DPR/LPR "special staus" today?

separatists media reporting on "drills" in time before Minsk meeting today... http://objdonbass.com/2015/09/08/v-preddverii-minskoj-vstrechi-v-donecke-slyshny-vzryvy/ …

a lot of FAKE reports of russians leaving DNR territory... don't fall for it...

So you think Russia's Syrian expedition will weaken capacity to invade Ukraine? Less than 0.01% of Russian Armed Forces committed to Syria.

OUTLAW 09

09-08-2015, 10:19 AM

The 165th Artillery Brigade's Serviceman Is Disclosed Near Novoazovsk: https://en.informnapalm.org/5281-the-165th-artillery-brigade-s-serviceman-is-disclosed-near-novoazovsk/ … pic.twitter.com/f3QDjP5A95

Russian economy continues to be in free fall---
Russia mulling currency purchase restrictions and price freeze
http://www.unian.info/economics/1119923-russia-mulling-currency-purchase-restrictions-and-price-freeze.html … pic.twitter.com/1q2w2UKvHz

OUTLAW 09

09-08-2015, 10:54 AM

http://www.iiss.org/en/research/russia-s-and-s-eurasia/a-useful-stalemate-in-ukraine-467f#.VewXAObPWZE.twitter

Elizabeth Pond:

A Useful Stalemate in Ukraine

Date: 04 August 2015

Russian President Vladimir Putin's undeclared war on once-fraternal Ukraine has destroyed Moscow's influence on Kiev, forged genuine Ukrainian identity in resistance and ended in a roughly stable stalemate in the eastern 3% of Ukraine that Russia now controls. However bitter that stalemate is to Putin, to Ukraine, and to the West, the least bad option may now be to prolong gridlock while diminishing casualties in Ukraine's Donbas coal region.

This could lock into place Putin's tacit admission of the rising costs of his misadventure, Kiev’s tacit cession of half of Donbas to Moscow and the West’s tacit adaptation of twentieth-century containment of the Soviet Union to twenty-first-century containment of revisionist post-Soviet Russia.

All three players have sought to limit the conflict on their own terms. Ukrainians have always had the inherently limited goal of defence. Putin started his war of choice confident that – in a theatre where Russia enjoys escalation dominance – he could restore the historical predominance of Russians over their Ukrainian ‘younger brothers’ in an operation that would be limited by the quick triumph of his own strong will over the hesitant West’s war fatigue. The West, which has scant geopolitical interest in Ukraine, has given Kiev moral support but has conspicuously restricted its military aid to a minimum in order to avert retaliatory Russian escalation up the chain to, as Putin has threatened, potential use of nuclear weapons.

At the same time, all the players have established their red lines. A year ago, when Ukraine's ragtag army and start-up militias gathered strength and came close to defeating Putin's proxy separatists in Donbas, Putin sent Russian airborne troops into battle (while denying that any Russian soldiers were there). They broke the Ukrainian siege in a matter of days and signalled that Putin would not allow his local proxies to lose. Kiev understood the message and initiated the first Minsk truce, but maintained its own red line in keeping Donbas de jure part of Ukraine.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel set out the West's red line that Russia's violation of international law and seven decades of peace in the European heartland was unacceptable. NATO mounted modest military exercises in the member states Putin was threatening – Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland – and announced plans to preposition heavy weapons there. Yet in Ukraine itself the West skirted the risk of triggering Russian escalation by avoiding direct military engagement and instead imposing financial sanctions on Russia to raise the long-term costs of Moscow's forcible land grabs.

Stalemate in Donbas is now testing these red lines. Harbingers suggest that President Putin may be the actor who feels the most pressure in finally beginning to admit to himself the damage to Russia from his misjudgements in Ukraine.

He first squandered his initial total influence over Ukraine by prodding his protégé, Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich, to rout pro-European demonstrators at ‘Euromaidan’ by violence that turned protesters into martyrs. He annexed Crimea, believing that German businessmen were too dependent on Russian oil and trade for Europe to resist this breach of international law. He then proclaimed a crusade to take over the eastern third of today's Ukraine, expecting Russian speakers there to rise up against Kiev and expecting the paltry Ukrainian armed forces to disintegrate before Russia's military behemoth.

He miscalculated. Chancellor Merkel led Germany and the whole European Union to join the US in imposing the sanctions that, together with low oil prices, are already pushing Russia into a major recession this year. Russian speakers in eastern Ukraine never rebelled en masse. The Ukrainian army and militias, despite being vastly outgunned, proved to be formidable fighters and raised the spectre for Moscow of the quagmire of a long guerrilla war. And Putin's war resuscitated NATO and turned ever wider circles of apolitical Ukrainians against Russia.

In the face of these serial tactical defeats Putin is now displaying less ardour for the fight in Ukraine. Lately he has seemed bored with Donbas and exasperated by the feuding criminals and mercenaries who are his separatist proxies there. He is conspicuously not moving to annex that war-ravaged rustbelt. He no longer speaks of ‘Novorossiya’, Catherine the Great's term for the part of Ukraine he was claiming. He reportedly sent his top Ukraine adviser, Vladislav Surkov, to the Donbas last month to tell the separatists to stop murdering each other and to cool their zeal for launching a new offensive. He has not repeated recently his earlier threats to escalate confrontation up to the nuclear level. He has been at great pains to hide the deaths of the Russian soldiers he swears are not in Ukraine from their wives and mothers.

By now there are rumblings of Russian military overstretch, concerns about a revival of anti-Russian rebellion in the North Caucasus through veterans returning from Ukraine, and worry about illegal weapons flowing into Russia across the Donbas border. And despite Western fears of an imminent Russian attack on Ukraine this summer, the 50,000-plus Russian troops massed on and over Ukraine's eastern border have so far done little more than join in the relatively low-level shelling across the Donbas truce line.

Does Putin's softer line hide from the West Moscow's preparation for a new assault in Ukraine? Or do Putin's build-up of troops on Ukraine's borders and menacing military exercises with nuclear-capable aircraft in the region hide from rabid Russian nationalists (as they suspect) a quiet retreat from belligerence by the Russian president? It's hard to tell.

Enshrining stalemate in a formal or informal agreement would by no means ensure a lasting peace in Ukraine. But it could at least reduce casualties and provide some measure of whether the strategic patience Chancellor Merkel has counselled from the beginning is finally dulling Putin's hubris. And it could give Kiev the space to get on with its Sisyphean efforts to rescue the moribund economy, reduce corruption, sideline Ukraine’s nastier oligarchs, and harness the private militias that have saved the country.

OUTLAW 09

09-08-2015, 12:11 PM

http://windowoneurasia2.blogspot.de/2015/09/moscow-seeking-to-create-illusory.html

Tuesday, September 8, 2015

Moscow Seeking to Create ‘Illusory Maidan’ in Mensk to Set Stage for Russian Intervention, Kirillova Says

Paul Goble

Staunton, September 8 – Russia is currently seeking to raise the prospect of an “illusory” Maidan in Belarus to set the stage for Russia to intervene militarily in that country, depose Alyaksandr Lukashenka and install as Belarusian president a more pliant figure who would eventually agree to the absorption of Belarus by Russia, according to Kseniya Kirillova.

Last week, Kirillova reported that two Mensk experts, Arseniy Sivitsky and Yury Tsarik, had suggested that Vladimir Putin has adopted this strategy. (See “Moscow Preparing to Destabilize Belarus if Lukashenka Refuses to Allow a Russian Base, Two Mensk Experts Say” at windowoneurasia2.blogspot.com/2015/09/moscow-preparing-to-destabilize-belarus.html.)

Now, the US-based Russian journalist offers additional evidence from the Russian press that the predictions of Sivitsky and Tsarik are correct and that Moscow is actually laying the groundwork for the creation of such an “illusory” Maidan and for a subsequent Russian intervention (ru.krymr.com/content/article/27230781.html).

Nothing that she or they point to is as yet irreversible, but even if the Kremlin does not carry them out immediately, the possibility that Moscow will do so eventually has the effect of creating serious problems within Belarus for the opposition as well as the government even as it raises the stakes for the West about a country long treated as an international pariah.

First of all, if some in the opposition conclude that Russia is behind efforts to organize a Maidan in Mensk, they will be less likely to participate in it, thus helping Lukashenka retain power – a consequence Moscow has certainly pointed out and that the Belarusian leader understands perfectly well.

Second, the possibility that Russia may do so creates problems for the West as well because however sympathetic it would be to the replacement of Lukashenka, few Western leaders would want to see his departure become the occasion for Russian military intervention and the projection westward of Russian power.

And third, the prospect of such an “illusory” Maidan would create problems for the West more broadly on the post-Soviet space by calling into question such actions even when they are a genuine expression of the popular will and thus giving a new lease on life to the authoritarian regimes in many of these countries.

Among the Russian articles Kirillova cites is one by Moscow commentator Eduard Birov who suggested last April that Minsk needs to decide whose side it is on, Moscow’s or the West’s, and that if it makes the wrong choice, it will be “liquidated according to the ‘Ukrainian’ scenario” (vz.ru/opinions/2015/4/7/738010.html).

More recently, in another example of Moscow accusing the West of what it has itself done or is planning, Aleksey Pushkov, head of the Duma’s foreign relations committee, said Washington and Brussels are planning to organize a Maidan against Lukashenka in order to remove him (versia.ru/polsha-i-ukraina-gotovyat-v-belorussii-gosudarstvennyj-perevorot).

And last week Moscow announced the beginning of joint exercises of Belarus, Russia, and Serbia, which it declared were intended for “the preparation and application of the join grouping in a special operation for uncovering and destroying a center for the preparation of illegal armed formations” (charter97.org/ru/news/2015/8/31/166938/).

Such exercises, of course, might have many targets, but the possibility that Belarus might be among them is suggested by an article, not cited by Kirillova, but that appeared on the Regnum news agency today. It argued that the Belarusian military was not as significant as Mensk thinks, an indication of Russian calculations (regnum.ru/news/polit/1964893.html).

But even more important than these moves, the journalist says, are other signs that Moscow is preparing to move in Mensk. “Now it is already no secret,” Kirillova continues, “that Russia prepared for its aggression against Ukraine in advance,” organizing separatist groups in the Donbas and preparing Russian public opinion with the idea that “’Nazis’” would come to power in Ukraine if Moscow did not act.

She points to the appearance of a new dystopian novel in Moscow, “The Belarussian Tocsin” by Aleksandr Afanasyev. Set in 2020, its cover announces that six years after the Ukrainian Maidan, “the world has not become more secure” and that Western special services are moving to destabilize Belarus (nn.by/?c=ar&i=149943&lang=ru).

And she notes that writers like the Eurasianist leader Aleksandr Dugin, who is influential in the Kremlin, has been quite prepared of late to threaten countries that do not go along with Russia with Moscow-organized destabilization campaigns and even total destruction (ridus.ru/news/192123).

Summing up her article, Kirillova says that “even a rapid survey shows that the Kremlin media are actively preparing public opinion in Russia and neighboring countries for war, destabilization, coups, and ‘color revolutions’ – and that as a result, there will be a need to introduce forces into these countries under the pretext of ‘restoring the constitutional order.’”

This means, she suggests, that there is a great risk that Moscow will act on its “imperialist fantasies” and that other countries, in this case, Belarus, and the West must be thinking about how to block or counter such actions.

OUTLAW 09

09-08-2015, 02:01 PM

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/putin-won-in-ukraine/2015/09/07/02a0283c-5341-11e5-933e-7d06c647a395_story.html?postshare=7941441719806909

Putin won his war in Ukraine

By Marvin Kalb September 7 at 7:48 PM

The war in Ukraine has slipped off the front pages. Eighteen months ago, when Russian President Vladimir Putin seized Crimea and then instigated a pro-Russian rebellion in the Donbas region, Ukraine was hot news. Putin was roundly denounced, and Russia was hit with damaging economic sanctions. East-West relations soured badly, and diplomats wondered whether they were witnessing the beginnings of another cold war.

Now Ukraine, as a European crisis, has lost its urgency. One reason is the rush of other news, from global economic jitters and the flood of desperate Arab and African migrants to Europe to the preoccupying nuttiness of the U.S. presidential campaign. But there is another equally important reason. Putin seems to have won his little war in Ukraine, and his Western critics watch from the sidelines, sputtering with helpless rage.

Roughly a year ago, Putin faced one of the biggest decisions of his presidency: whether to strike a compromise deal with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko or openly commit his troops and tanks to the war. Much to the surprise of many observers, the Ukrainian army and militias seemed a battle away from defeating Putin’s rebels. Putin, facing defeat, doubled-down and ordered his forces to cross the border and turn back the Ukrainian advance. He clearly wanted to prove to Poroshenko and his Western backers that in a war between Russia and Ukraine, Russia would win.

Within a few weeks, Putin and Poroshenko reached agreement on a rickety cease-fire, which predictably did not hold. Early this year, German Chancellor Angela Merkel rushed to negotiate another cease-fire, but she knew, as did President Obama, that it depended in large part on whether Poroshenko and his Kiev colleagues would extend recognition (a form of legitimacy) to rebel leaders in Donetsk and Luhansk and grant them autonomous status within Ukraine. This was and remains a bitter pill for Poroshenko to swallow. He faces violent opposition from right-wing extremists, and he runs a fragile country in serious economic and political trouble. More important, perhaps, he knows by now that neither Germany nor the United States will fight for Ukraine. Yes, they will offer warm words of support, modest financial and military assistance, of course — but apparently little more.

In this environment of caution and retreat, Putin has, slowly but surely, “frozen” the conflict, much as he did in 2008 in the former Soviet republic of Georgia. Far more than Western leaders, Putin can now influence and, when necessary, control the flow of economic, political and diplomatic developments in Ukraine.

For this “victory,” Putin has had to pay a heavy price. His economy has floundered, his reputation has suffered and Russia has experienced a return to domestic disorder and discontent that is real, even spreading. But as yet this has not had any discernible effect on his position within Russia. He seems perfectly capable of retaining his almost dictatorial grip on political power.

I sometimes dream an impossible dream — that somehow we could magically transport Ukraine into Western Europe, where it would prosper as a Western democracy with a vibrant economy. It deserves such a future. But we cannot. Ukraine will always share a common border with Russia in much the same way that it shares a common culture, language and religion with Russia. For most of its existence, Ukraine has been a part of Russia, separating itself as an independent nation only in 1991, when the Soviet Union disintegrated. Ukraine lives uncomfortably in Russia’s “near abroad,” its backyard, its “sphere of influence.” Whether we like it or not, Russia is the dominant power in Eastern Europe, and no solution to the current crisis can realistically emerge unless and until Russia and Ukraine work out an acceptable modus vivendi between them.

Putin’s attitude toward Ukraine is similar to that of other Russian leaders. He is not breaking new ground. His definition of nirvana is a Slavic confederation consisting of Russia, Belarus and Ukraine — all, as he puts it, “historically Russian land.” Kiev, the Ukrainian capital, he labels “the mother of all Russian cities,” and he speaks of the “aspiration of the Russians, of historical Russia . . . of ancient Rus,” as Russia and Ukraine bound together by a common history of more than a thousand years.

Putin can tolerate an independent Ukraine so long as it is “friendly” to Russian national interests, and, as any good despot, he trusts only himself to define this friendship. Down the road, he has hinted that he would like to convene a Yalta-type conference, at which he and other world leaders would redraw the map of post-1991 Europe. It’s not a very likely possibility, but Putin thinks he has time. He has Ukraine squirming in the palm of his hand, and he sees his Western adversaries as weak, divided, corrupt and, maybe, in this circumstance, ready to strike a deal to his liking.

OUTLAW 09

09-08-2015, 02:18 PM

After being arrested during the Russian mercenary coup---
Andrei Purgin Released In Donetsk http://bit.ly/1QlXqgP

A day after Putin defended his medical reforms to the country, a whole region says it can't pay its doctors. https://meduza.io/en/news/2015/09/08/facing-budget-shortfalls-officials-in-the-trans-baikal-region-suspend-salaries-to-staff-at-hospitals …

Russian #FSB continues terrorizing #CrimeanTatars
http://khpg.org/index.php?id=1441719471 …

Moscow Exchange down due to "abnormal situation" http://russia.liveuamap.com/en/2015/8-september-moscow-exchange-down-due-to-abnormal-situation …

OUTLAW 09

09-08-2015, 02:30 PM

Crimea Tatar leadership is calling on UA patriots to enforce Crimea blockade, stop food supplies to the occupiers https://twitter.com/krymrealii/status/641252851319242753 …

Journal of Soviet & Post-Soviet Politics & Society 1:1 - Russian Media and the War in Ukraine http://www.ibidemverlag.de/Series/Journal-of-Soviet-and-Post-Soviet-Politics-and-Society/Journal-of-Soviet-and-Post-Soviet-Politics-and-Society.html … pic.twitter.com/VNmiibeR6l

Russia weaponization of information using western median they purchased with black money----
Who owns the Evening Standard BTW? A Kremlin oligarch by any chance? @standardnews = Putin's "useful idiots" https://twitter.com/standardnews/status/641249705398145025 …

Maybe we should drop off some Daesh AND some Russian 'hybrid' forces at @standardnews offices, see which you prefer? https://twitter.com/standardnews/status/641249705398145025 …

OUTLAW 09

09-08-2015, 07:39 PM

Russian weaponization of information warriors are really running wild today

Ukrainian twitter this evening after Bastrykin's fantasies about @Yatsenyuk_AP looks like this pic.twitter.com/KsnI6Y7khm

Russia's top investigator accuses Ukraine PM @Yatsenyuk_AP of killing Russians in Chechen War in 94 http://liveuamap.com/en/2015/8-september-russias-top-investigator-accuses-ukraine-pm-yatsenyukap … v @ChristopherJM

Russian archives & LifeNews. Ukrainian PM Yatsenyuk fought against communist junta in Hanoi during the Vietnam War. pic.twitter.com/SiIWtvw2tq

UN report documents cases of killings, torture, sexual violence in self-proclaimed DNR/LNR #Ukraine @hrw @NBCNews http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/Media.aspx?IsMediaPage=true&LangID=E#sthash.n3QlQ7dM.dpuf …

OUTLAW 09

09-08-2015, 07:45 PM

Oleh Chepelenko, teacher of informatics, 28 years, blew up himself and a terrorist when captured by Russians. https://twitter.com/24todaynetua/sta...35208247480320 …

Latitude 67N SIGINT @Sigint67n
VHF comms consistent with RUAF Su27 fighter active in Baltic Sea

Putin #Ukraine Propaganda "Queen" Maria Tsypko is now a #Syrian "LOCAL" https://twitter.com/Sputnik_Intl/sta...43203106033665 … pic.twitter.com/Efq8IY3h7J

Ukraine Déjà vu? #Syria(n) LOCAL CITIZENS ask #Putin to send weapons (troops) to help them https://twitter.com/Sputnik_Intl/sta...43203106033665 … pic.twitter.com/Pqw8X0O4Lc

Negotiations on the withdrawal of weapons of less than 100 mm and tanks in Minsk failed - RIA source http://liveuamap.com/en/2015/8-september-negotiations-on-the-withdrawal-of-weapons-of …

In the Urals launched the biggest military exercises of the Russian armed forces pic.twitter.com/Jb04hRv6yC http://liveuamap.com/en/2015/8-september-at-the-urals-launched-the-biggest-military-exercises …

OUTLAW 09

09-08-2015, 07:55 PM

http://www.unian.info/economics/1120160-russia-threatens-to-derail-ukraines-eu-trade-pact.html

Russia threatens to derail Ukraine's EU trade pact

08.09.2015 | 22:09

Ukraine's FM Pavlo Klimkin says Russia is trying to obstruct Ukraine's EU integration plans and is likely to use economic blackmail as Ukraine has ruled out changing its EU free-trade pact, according to Ukraine Today

"January 1 is the final date [for entry into force] of the pact,” It's an ultimate decision taken jointly by Ukraine and by the European Commission. There's no chance to influence this by the Russian side or any other side … there's no chance of changing the agreement," said Klimkin following the trilateral talks between the EU, Ukraine and Russia aimed to address Russia's claims the FTA would damage the Russian economy, Ukraine Today reports.

Russia has indicated it would introduce a trade embargo against Ukrainian products on the same day as the EU-Ukraine FTA is due to kick-in in its current form.

OUTLAW 09

09-08-2015, 08:07 PM

Humor-----

After years of studying with #FSB, Patriarch #Kirill is awarded his own lightsaber, joins the dark side pic.twitter.com/N8VV6Vyucq

President #Putin redecorates #Kremlin conference room pic.twitter.com/RuL5xxWG92

Putin posed for 2016 calendar with Patriarch Kirill pic.twitter.com/KK7gysCoL9

Peskov was late for work today cos he couldn't decide which car to take #Decisions pic.twitter.com/3zPgqgQH5L

US tries to pressure #Sweden into joining #NATO by drowning the locality of Hallsberg pic.twitter.com/bAh4ycHcTc

Russia finds substitute for sanctioned Pringles #RussiaBan pic.twitter.com/hmHQkeSOqh

OUTLAW 09

09-08-2015, 08:26 PM

Spectacular collection of photoshops in response to Rus claim Yatsenyuk fought in Chechnya http://www.svaboda.org/content/article/27233910.html … pic.twitter.com/ZUDpZkQZtY

Can anyone ID this Russian system? pic.twitter.com/1wkc5Jjb06

Pushilin: no progress on DPR/LPR elections and special status at Minsk (Political Affairs WG) Next meeting 15-16 Sep http://dan-news.info/politics/v-politicheskoj-podgruppe-peregovory-proshli-bez-oshhutimogo-progressa-pushilin.html …

Russia has fenced itself off from "Luhansk People's Republic" terrorists. http://en.censor.net.ua/photo_news/350950/russia_fenced_itself_off_luhansk_peoples_republic_ terrorists_photos … pic.twitter.com/4LlRS1O3PY

Minibus with sign "cargo 200"(KIA) at Izvaryne on the way to Russia http://liveuamap.com/en/2015/8-september-minibus-with-sign-cargo-200kia-at-izvaryne-on … #Ukraine pic.twitter.com/BYGqco0ALF via @InfoResist

OUTLAW 09

09-08-2015, 08:34 PM

Ukraine : Same location as PT - this imagery is from last week pic.twitter.com/92oRbgZYkG

PT Consensus seems to say it is a Murmansk-BN . I'll try to get another angle. Thanks everyone!

Russians have reactivated/rearmed #Sevastopol South S-300 defence base http://wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=44.544262&lon=33.431590&z=16&m=b … pic.twitter.com/ClFtxvZwoi

They haven't gone away, you know.
Russian Federation occupation forces in Donetsk region, Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/n4V7UMSXfP

OUTLAW 09

09-09-2015, 04:45 AM

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/opinion/article/kremlins-shadow-power-tarnishes-its-image-op-ed/529678.html

Kremlin's 'Shadow Power' Tarnishes Its Image (Op-Ed)

By Mark Galeotti

Sep. 08 2015 20:37
Last edited 20:37

Russian "hard power" is evident in regular Kremlin parades and the highly irregular war in the Donbass. Its "soft power" is distinctly limited: Surveys show that the country is generally neither liked nor trusted worldwide and certainly not seen as a model to follow except by a handful of would-be "strong men" admiring Putin's macho poise and tight grip on power.

But there is another kind of power, covert and negative, but this "shadow power" is something Moscow still possesses.

This was highlighted last week by the release of the annual report of the BIS, the Czech security service. It notes the continued high levels of Russian intelligence activity throughout the country. (Western nations pretty unanimously report intelligence activity and penetration at Cold War levels.)

However, according to the BIS, these spies and networks are not so much gathering intelligence as using agents as active instruments of policy, from continuing to fight for a share of the Czech Republic's power industry through to spreading propaganda.

The BIS warns that "Russia continued its attempts to exert influence over the Russian community in the Czech Republic, or more specifically [tried] to establish pro-Kremlin organizations and individuals." To this end, it claims "Russia is creating a structure in Europe drawing on the concept of the [Soviet] Comintern (the Communist International)."

The Comintern was essentially a tool of ideological power, an instrument to spread propaganda and recruit agents, allies and convenient dupes. While Stalin's empire was hardly a genuine expression of Marxist-Leninist ideals, it was able to veil itself enough in the red flag to be able to claim to be an exemplar of its brave new world.

What, by contrast, can today's "Putintern" offer? The first, and most obvious answer is money. The Re:Baltica group of investigative journalists spent a year tracking the payments in the Baltic region made by Rossotrudnichestvo — the federal agency responsible for ethnic Russians abroad — and other Kremlin-funded organizations.

To be fair, some of the money supported genuine cultural interchange and measures such as translating Estonian laws into Russian that help the local population. However, according to Re:Baltica, the majority went to supporting individuals campaigning for supposedly downtrodden local Russians and niche media outlets likewise pushing a Kremlin-convenient line.

If the Putintern cannot win Russia many firm friends, it can at least divide, distract and dismay its enemies. With no real ideology the Putintern can become an axis of the unhappy, a place for Westerners to work on their grudges and conspiracy theories. It is noteworthy that the BIS report cites both left- and right-wing extremists as coming under Russian influence.

After all, it doesn't matter if you are a right-winger unhappy with multiculturalism and LGBT rights, a leftist suspicious of globalization and modern capitalism, an anti-Semite, and Islamophobe, or that contradiction in terms, a "9/11 truther," there is a place for you in the Putintern.

Much of this is fostered by Russian media sources, but there is also a role for the spooks in generating what the BIS call "influence and propaganda structures." They provide cutouts, for example, to fund those useful groups with whom the "overt" Russian agencies can't be seen in bed or who might not like to know they are getting Moscow's gold.

However, the intelligence services also seek to develop Russia's "shadow power" in even more insidious ways. For instance, many security services, especially in Central and Northern Europe, warn that they are trying to recruit, corrupt and compromise rising young politicians and opinion-formers at a local and national level. The scope for other "active measures," from provocations to subversion, is considerable.

Of course, there is little room for the dewy-eyed innocent in geopolitics. Every country spies on everyone else, including its own allies. Misinformation, disinformation, spin and subterfuge will always be part of the game.

However, perhaps precisely because its hard power assets are already deployed to their fullest and its soft power all but absent, Moscow seems especially prone to seek this "shadow power" somewhere in between, the power not to force, nor to inspire, but to manipulate and disempower.

That can be a useful asset, to be sure, but only in the short term and only at a cost. The cost is not so much in rubles — so far, there's no evidence the economic crisis is also affecting the spies — but in credibility and legitimacy. The more the Kremlin relies on such methods, the more toxic it makes its own brand.

Mark Galeotti is professor of global affairs at New York University

OUTLAW 09

09-09-2015, 04:46 AM

First footage of #Russia new #Armata T-14 Main Battle Tank firing 125mm smoothbore main gun https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2iANCObfHs … pic.twitter.com/MDGnpOh9Nu

Maybe Russia is right that they were just forced by Donbas Oligarchs to intervene in Donbas war. These Oligarchs wanted to save Business.

ATO presser: Only 4 ceasefire violations yday in #Donbas. From #Spartak RU fired on UAF pos. from BMP, AGL, heavyy machine guns, small arms.

youtu.be/h193fmlut6w
Zacharchenko guards SSU building against 'anti-Kiev' protestors. (March 2014) Another tool for sale or rent.

OUTLAW 09

09-09-2015, 07:33 AM

http://maidantranslations.com/2015/09/09/dmitry-tymchuk-military-update-9-08-freesavchenko/

Dmitry Tymchuk: Military update 9.08

Posted on September 9, 2015

Operational data from Information Resistance:

The relative calm in the ATO zone persists. Militant infantry groups were observed repositioning in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions, near the settlements of Pervomaisk, Popasna, Orikhove, Krymske, Olenivka and Starohnativka; militants also opened fire in three instances in the Donetsk, Luhansk, and Artemivsk directions of operation.

The new battalion of Russian-terrorist troops, recently moved to the Luhansk area continues receiving reinforcements (the IR group reported on this troop movement previously). Arrival of two armored fighting vehicles and three fuel tanker trucks was observed. New firing positions equipped with 122 millimeter D-30A howitzers have been identified south of the settlement of Stanytsia Luhanska.

Militants continue concentrating forces and resources near the settlement of Starobesheve. Army trucks with three trailer-mounted 120 mm mortars were observed arriving. In the same area, an armored group of three tanks and two APCs was spotted on the move. Russian-terrorist troops are equipping army field depots between Telmanove and Starobesheve; the delivery and stacking of ammunition crates is currently underway.

Four tanks moved towards Yasynuvata from the direction of Donetsk. Two ZU-23-2 mobile anti-aircraft guns arrived in the Petrovskyi district of Donetsk, accompanied by armed personnel dressed as “Cossacks.”

In the coastal areas, a terrorist armored group consisting of five tanks and three BMP-1 and BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles has transferred towards the settlement of Oktyabr.

OUTLAW 09

09-09-2015, 07:33 AM

Russia-backed militants fired 4 times upon Ukr troops on 8 Sep. Attacked in Luhanske, Shchastia, South of Avdiivka - #ATO press center

Evidence of #RussiaInvadedUkraine: #Russia’s Participation in the War in #Donbas
https://en.informnapalm.org/russian-invasion-into-ukraine-the-presentation-of-the-evidence-of-russia-s-participation-in-the-war-in-donbas/ …
#PutinAtWar pic.twitter.com/FpAqWRT84d

OUTLAW 09

09-09-2015, 07:52 AM

More new Russian troops are flowing into eastern Ukraine during the so called ceasefire---

07:30 #Donetsk @UrriKara4en On Universytetska and Artema many fresh RUS troops seen in brand-new uniform, mostly unarmed

OUTLAW 09

09-09-2015, 11:49 AM

OSCE refuses to monitor pseudo-elections in DPR and LPR
http://www.unian.info/politics/1120383-osce-refuses-to-monitor-pseudo-elections-in-dpr-and-lpr.html … pic.twitter.com/qiw1TnFYEY

Yesterday 6 enemy drone flights were recorded. All in the Mariupol area - State Border Guard Service
http://dpsu.gov.ua/ua/about/news/news_8522.htm …

During the last 24 hours 1 Ukrainian soldier was killed, none wounded - ATO spokesperson

OUTLAW 09

09-09-2015, 12:36 PM

http://euromaidanpress.com/2015/09/09/putin-cant-annex-donbas-two-russian-analysts-say/

Putin can’t annex Donbas, two Russian analysts say

Vladimir Putin not only doesn’t want to annex the Donbas but can’t do so, according to Yevgeny Ikhlov; and that means the region will become another edition of Transdniestria, creating ongoing problems for both Russian and Ukraine but opening the possibility Kyiv will be able to follow the Baltic path to the West, according to Dmitry Oreshkin.

Ikhlov points out today that Putin faces a very different situation in the Donbas than he did in Crimea. Crimea was annexed as a whole, but the Moscow-controlled forces of the “DNR” and “LNR” do not control all the Ukrainian oblasts of which they form a part, thus leaving the Kremlin with no good choices.

If Moscow simply annexed what the “DNR” and “LNR” now control, “for the first time, the Russian border would become undefined for hundreds of kilometers,” creating a bureaucratic, political and security nightmare for the Russian state, Ikhlov suggests.

He argues that Moscow would in fact have to do one of two things if it wanted to pursue Putin’s original policy of “reuniting the Russian world with Holy Rus.” Either it would “have to consider both oblasts entirely the subjects of the Old Russian Federation which would mean the official lodging of territorial demands against Ukraine.”

Or, he continues, it would have to “take a decision about the voluntary reducing the territory of these ‘peoples’ republics’ in half and about giving February 12, 2015 ceasefire line the status of a state border, which would mean not only Russia’s withdrawal from the Minsk accords but also the complete destruction of the mythology about ‘supporters of federalization’” in Ukraine.

Doing either would undercut Russian policy in Ukraine, exacerbate relations between Moscow and the West which would beyond any doubt impose even more serious sanctions, and create problems at home not only among Russian nationalists who would feel betrayed but also among those who have been fighting in the Donbas and would not return home.

Meanwhile, Oreshkin points out that because Putin cannot either force Kyiv to take the territories of the “DNR” and the “LNR” back into Ukraine in a way allowing Moscow to have an effective veto over Kyiv or annex them, his only alternative is “a second Transdniestria.”

“Russia does not have real political, diplomatic or economic resources to annex these territories,” the Russian analyst continues. “The naïve peasants in the Donbas supposed that first in Russia everything is good and it will be glad to take them in and second that Vladimir Putin is a real guy and will not surrender them.”

“But it has turned out,” Oreshkin says, that “in Russia everything is bad and there is no money, and that Vladimir Putin is indifferent to the fate of the Donbas peasants: he needs an instrument to influence Kyiv, and the ideal instrument [or at least the best available to him] is a constantly smoldering conflict like those in the style of the Karabakh or Transdniestria.”

Putin in no case “will take the Donbas into the Russian Federation.” He can’t afford it at home or in terms of his policies toward Ukraine. Thus, the Kremlin leader will continue to try to force Kyiv to take responsibility for them and to get Western governments to support him in that in the name of territorial integrity.

That is because, Oreshkin argues, “the worst nightmare of Russia is a Ukraine” will be able to form a normal economy and a democratic state as the three Baltic countries and thus become part of the West.

Of course, he says, “it is possible to continue to tell lies about the Baltic countries being a fascist nest; but the people living there, including the [ethnic] Russians understand very well that they live better than their counterparts in Moscow. The average monthly pay in the Baltic countries is approximately 1,000 euros.” In Russia, it is just over a third of that.

And that situation exists, Oreshkin continues, despite the fact that “in Russia, there is gas, oil, gold, timber, diamonds and other things, and in the Baltic countries, there are not any of these things.”

“If something similar occurs in Ukraine, that would be a catastrophe for the Kremlin because while one can still tell lies about the Baltics and their oppression of [ethnic] Russians, it is far more difficult to lie about Ukraine – there are too many links and it is too close a country.” And that is yet another reason Moscow is trapped and cannot annex the Donbas.

OUTLAW 09

09-09-2015, 12:38 PM

OUTLAW 09

09-09-2015, 12:55 PM

Another Spetsnaz attack---

On 8 Sep 1 Ukr serviceman was KIA as militant subversive group tried to break thru nr Syze http://mediarnbo.org/2015/09/09/zvedeni-dani-shhodo-situatsiyi-u-zoni-ato-09-veresnya/ … pic.twitter.com/8FYjkjwzHz

Reference Moldavia------
RFE/RL ✔ @RFERL
WATCH: The #Moldova crisis in 75 seconds http://bit.ly/1O0B6uC pic.twitter.com/wWX4kfoa9w

Reference Russian cyber warfare/cyber crime----
Found by Kaspersky. > @Info_Activism Russian Spy Gang Hijacks Satellite Links to Steal Data http://www.wired.com/2015/09/turla-russian-espionage-gang-hijacks-satellite-connections-to-steal-data/ … pic.twitter.com/OYqs8HuoSH

OUTLAW 09

09-09-2015, 01:14 PM

For those that do not believe there is an ideology to Putin’s actions TAKE note-------

http://debateolavodugin.blogspot.de/2011/07/dugins-conclusion.html
Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Dugin's Conclusion Against Post-Modern World

I would like, at the conclusion of this debate with Mr. Carvalho, to sum up the most important points:

Now I see that he was rather right in the beginning stressing that the asymmetry in our respective positions would eventually damage the whole task. So it was. I don’t see any use in continuing the mutual critics because it doesn’t help understand anything at all (for us and for the readers). I can now sincerely confess that I find the position of Mr. Carvalho too personal, idiosyncratic and irrelevant. So I would like to concentrate myself on other theoretical points that seem to me of real importance for the cause of the Tradition, of anti-imperialist and antimodern struggle that is my first and only concern.

First of all I insist that the current world is unipolar with the global West in its centre and with the United States as its core. The opposite arguments of Mr. Carvalho didn’t convince me at all.

This kind of the unipolarity has geopolitical and ideological sides. Geopolitically is the strategic dominance of the earth by North-American hyperpower and the effort of Washington to organize the balance of forces on the planet in such a manner to be able to rule the whole world in accordance with its own national (imperialistic) interests. It is bad because it deprives other states and nations of their real sovereignty.
When there is only one instance to decide who is right and who is wrong and who should be punished we have a kind of the global dictatorship.

I am convinced that is not acceptable. So we should fight against it. If someone deprives us from our freedom we have to react. And we will. The American Empire should be destroyed. And at one point it will be.
Ideologically the unipolarity is based on the Modernist and Post-Modernist values that are openly anti-traditional ones. I share the vision of Rene Guenon and Julius Evola who considered the Modernity and its ideological basis (the individualism, the liberal democracy, the capitalism, the comfortism and so on) to be the cause of the future catastrophe of the humanity and global domination of the Western attitudes as the reason of final degradation of the earth.

The West is approaching to its end and we should not let it push all the rest with it into the abyss.
Spiritually the globalization is the creation of the Grand Parody, the kingdom of the Antichrist. And the United States is in centre of its expansion.

The American values pretend to be “universal” ones. That it is new form of ideological aggression against the multiplicity of the cultures and the traditions still existing in the other parts of the world. I am resolutely against the Western values that are essential Modernist and Post-Modernist ones and promulgated by the United States by force or by the obtrusion (Afghanistan, Iraq, now Libya, tomorrow Syria and Iran) .

So, all traditionalists should be against the West and the globalization as well as against the imperialist politics of United States. It is the only logical and consequent position. So the traditionalists and the partisans of the traditional principles and values should oppose the West and defend the Rest (if the Rest shows the signs of the conservation of the Tradition – partly or entirely).

There can be and there are really men in the West and in the United States of America who don’t agree with the present state of things and don’t approve the Modernity and Post-Modernity being the defenders of the spiritual tradition of the Pre-Modern West. They should be with us in our common struggle. They should take part in our revolt against Modern World and Post-Modern world. And we would fight together against a common enemy.

Unfortunately that is not the case of Mr. Carvalho. He shows himself partly critical of the modern Western civilization, but partly agrees with it and attacks its enemies. It is a kind of “semi-conformism” so to say. It is frankly irrelevant and of no interest to me. There are friends and there are foes. Only that matters. All the rest is without any importance. Mr. Carvalho is neither. It is his choice. His anti-soviet and anti-Russian pejorative myths, stupid conspiracy theories, implicit cultural Western racism, the ressentiment to his own native country are not even worth of critics. No comments.

The other question is the structure of the possible anti-globalist and anti-imperialist front and its participants. I think that we should include in it all forces that struggle against the West, the United States, against the liberal democracy, against Modernity and Post-Modernity. The common enemy is the necessary instance for all kinds of political alliances. The Muslims, the Christians, the Russians and the Chinese, the leftists or the rightists, the Hindus or the Jews who challenge the present state of things, the globalization and the American imperialism are virtually friends ands allies.

Let our ideals be different but we have in common one very strong thing: the present reality that we hate. Our ideals that differ are potential (in potentia). But the challenge we are dealing with is actual (in actu). So that is the basis for new alliance. All who share negative analysis of the globalization, westernization and post-modernization should coordinate their effort in creation of new strategy of the resistance to the omnipresent evil. And we can find the «ours» in the United States also – among those who choose the Tradition against the present decadence. Mr Carvalho doesn't belong to such kind of persons. He has convincingly explained that during the debate.

At this point we could raise a really important question: what kind of ideology should we use in our opposition to the globalization and its liberal democratic capitalist and Modernist (Post-Modernist) principles? I think that all anti-liberal ideologies (the communism, socialism as well as fascism) are not anymore relevant. They tried to fight the liberal-capitalism and they failed. Partly because in the end of time it is evil that prevails; partly because of their inner contradictions and limitations. So it is time to make the accomplish deep revision of the antiliberal ideologies of the past. What is their positive side? -

The very fact that they were anti-capitalist and anti-liberal, as well as also anti-cosmopolite and anti-individualist. So these features should be accepted and integrated in the future ideology. But the communism doctrine is Modern, atheist, materialist and cosmopolite. That should be thrown out. On the contrary, the social solidarity, social justice, the socialism and general holistic attitude to the society are good in themselves. So we need to separate the materialist and Modernist aspect and reject them.
On the other hand in the theories of Third way (dear up to certain point to some traditionalists as Julius Evola) there were some unacceptable elements – first of all racism, xenophobia and chauvinism. That is not only moral failures but also theoretically and anthropologically inconsistent attitudes.

The difference between the ethnos doesn't mean superiority or inferiority. The difference should be accepted and affirmed without any racist appreciation. There is not common measure dealing with the different ethnic groups. When one society tries to judge the other it applies its own criteria and so commits the intellectual violence. The same attitude is precisely the crime of the globalization and Westernization, as well as the American imperialism.

Continued---and it goes on.

OUTLAW 09

09-09-2015, 01:19 PM

More Russian weaponization of information lies----

http://euromaidanpress.com/2015/09/09/russian-media-report-on-odesas-secession-from-ukraine/

Russian media “report” on Odesa’s secession from Ukraine

2015/09/09 • News

Russian media have been circulating a statement allegedly made by Odesa Oblast Governor Mikheil Saakashvili on Odesa’s imminent secession from Ukraine, reports Radio Svoboda, September 8.

Over the past several days Russian TV channels and online media have been reporting on the supposed “statement” by Odesa Oblast Governor Mikheil Saakashvili about the possible secession of Odesa from Ukraine. However, the original source for these statements is not provided, and the quote that is cited is from a speech in which Saakashvili speaks of tensions in the Ukrainian Bessarabia and not in Odesa.

The “news” appeared on the website of the Russian Zvezda (Star) TV channel and also the Russian REN-TV channel. This “quote” about “Odesa’s secession” has also been actively circulated in social networks and posted on several sites, including Russkaya Vesna (Russian Spring), Antifashist, PolitRussia and Ukraina.ru.

The various media sources refer to the RosInfo portal, which has posted materials titled “Prophet Saakashvili predicts Odesa’s exit from Ukraine.”

However, RosInfo does not provide source information but posts only the following quote:

“Ukraine’s Bessarabia region is quite unstable,” Saakashvili said. “The dangerous political and social situation can be exploited here. A repetition of the Donbas situation is taking place here. The Ukrainian government is not well represented and there are practically no Ukrainian media or TV broadcasts. The debate is dominated by Russia and the separatists. Odesa is sending National Guard groups and several other units here, but it would be impossible to call them government representatives,” he acknowledged.

The same quote appears on the video broadcast report by channel 112 on Mikheil Saakashvili’s presentation at an expanded meeting of the governors of the oblast regional state administrations.

In this speech Saakashvili is not speaking about the possible secession of Odesa but is commenting only on the situation in the southern part of the Odesa Oblast — on the territory of Bessarabia.

Saakashvili had made similar statements about the tense social and political situation in this region in other interviews, including on channel 112 and News One.

Saakashvili believes that in the Ukrainian part of Bessarabia in the southern Odesa Oblast many problems have accumulated that are being exploited by anti-Ukrainian forces in an effort to create separatist attitudes in the region.

When asked to comment on the reports by Russian media regarding Odesa’s secession from Ukraine, members of Saakashvili’s team said the statements were so absurd they did not require any denials.

OUTLAW 09

09-09-2015, 01:19 PM

Russia's number one TV propaganda man wants back to Europe after getting himself sanctioned http://www.interfax.ru/world/465226 pic.twitter.com/XOqs0Nn2lp

OUTLAW 09

09-09-2015, 01:37 PM

Reference Russian cyber warfare and cyber crime—as part of their non linear warfare---

Inside the Red #Web:#Russia's back door onto the #internet – extract:http://gu.com/p/4c3qm/stw pic.twitter.com/xwI4aSqTGN

What spawned #Russia's'#troll #army'?Experts on the red web share their views:http://gu.com/p/4c6mn/stw pic.twitter.com/AaRcmVYhyz

A very quiet #Ukraine situation map. Perhaps the calmest Donbass has been since the start of the war. pic.twitter.com/BnmGKm41iW

Maxim Tucker @MaxRTucker
Here's #Russia's London Embassy appearing rather slow to wake up to independence of its former satellites https://twitter.com/russianembassy/status/641544404881285120 …

OUTLAW 09

09-09-2015, 02:11 PM

OUTLAW 09

09-09-2015, 05:57 PM

Exclusive: Russia building major military base near Ukrainian border http://reut.rs/1NijHMn

My source says,Russia is doing this to "keep them happy" as it wants calm in Eastern Ukraine now but its "hybrid army" want to cont fighting

I have intel reports that Russian troops sent to #Syria now took part in the #Ukraine offensive before.
So "semi-regular" hybrid forces.

Russia cannot control its own Custom officials now---they are trying to out Putin Putin----
Russian Customs Officials Destroy Cargo of U.S. Goods That Weren't Sanctioned http://tmt-go.ru/529767 #news

OSCE records #Putin troops removing dead #Russia(ns) (soldiers) from #Ukraine http://www.osce.org/om/180786 #Donetsk pic.twitter.com/zCZ9sxaWZk

The coup that removed #Purgin in #Donetsk got #Motorola scared into leaving area https://translate.google.co.uk/translate?hl=en&sl=ru&u=http://news.bigmir.net/ukraine/931391-Boevik-Motorola-bezhal-iz-Donecka---SMI&prev=search … #Ukraine pic.twitter.com/o5gS4nUWhQ

OUTLAW 09

09-09-2015, 06:29 PM

New details of the abduction of 3 Ukrainian soldiers into Russian-occupied #Crimea by the Ukr army via @OSCE_SMM. pic.twitter.com/ILqSlEMVSM

Today (00:00-18:00) militants twice violated the ceasefire. Firing on ATO pos. near Shchastya & Novomar'ivka - ATO
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1063791336965005&id=820651001279041&refid=17&_ft_=top_level_post_id.1063791336965005&__tn__=%2As …

Next target Kharkiv ? pic.twitter.com/ewTr3LbguO

Russia building major military base near Ukrainian border, Reuters reporter called "spy". http://goo.gl/GG3y19 pic.twitter.com/mHNqkrOBen

The base near Soloti will have 9 barracks for 3,500 soldiers, warehouses for rockets etc, training facilities pic.twitter.com/xBg3oouAsu

The base, when completed, will even have its own swimming pool, skating rink and barber shop...

Ukraine absent from front pages, but good to remind, still Russian soldiers taking selfies (& fighting) in Donbass. pic.twitter.com/CA55CImVzY

OUTLAW 09

09-09-2015, 06:35 PM

Eastern Ukraine under Russian occupation is awash with manpads---a form of WMD for civilian aircraft anywhere in Europe if they cross the borders via the weapons black market which has expanded greatly since the Russian invasion in August 2014.

ПЗРК "Ігла" http://goo.gl/nbCJUo pic.twitter.com/nN4PKnAum8

Ukraine security services, #SBU, found a cache of "Igla" MANPADS in #Luhansk
http://www.sbu.gov.ua/sbu/control/uk/publish/article?art_id=158541&cat_id=39574 …
TT @ServiceSsu pic.twitter.com/3v8cNlO2pU

OUTLAW 09

09-09-2015, 06:36 PM

youtube.com/watch?v=05YqhVtPvMY … Guys in #Luhansk giving off the vibe of 'we're packing all this stuff & leaving #Ukraine'? pic.twitter.com/jirVZlxSz8

SBU detained two administrators of #Russia|n-backed websites In #Zaporozhye
TT @ServiceSsu
http://goo.gl/SDWqqb
pic.twitter.com/bL5F73nsXD

OUTLAW 09

09-09-2015, 07:11 PM

Reference Moldavia----

Transnistria war veterans guarding tents camp in center of Chisinau http://liveuamap.com/en/2015/9-september-transnistria-war-veterans-guarding-tents-camp … #Ukraine pic.twitter.com/8uUHZdRZ8L v @dacoromania

OUTLAW 09

09-09-2015, 07:21 PM

Andrei Purgin was released Tuesday: http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/east-ukraine-rebels-arrest-leader-amid-infighting/529613.html … "I haven't figured out what they wanted." Well, you build a Kafkaesque state...

UNHCR Ukraine @UNHCRUkraine
#Ukraine: 1,415,000 people displaced - See the latest UN @Refugees Agency Update http://unhcr.org.ua/externalupdate pic.twitter.com/LC5I0FTdJL

22:00
#Spartak-#Optyne battle, small arms, AGL shooting https://twitter.com/UkraineSuper1/status/641688476430286848 …

Footage
Russian army in #Luhansk communication equipment training.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0U27GIwqzU8 …
pic.twitter.com/KFJLvlO0lV

OUTLAW 09

09-10-2015, 05:22 AM

Some confusion among Russian info warriors it appears----

RT bimbo at #IranNuclearDeal rally said RT doesn't stand for Russia Today & that RT is just a "bunch of young people" w/no Russia ties.

This is the #RT propagandist at today's #IranNuclearDeal protest in DC who denied any RT ties to #Russia. pic.twitter.com/F33UFESfmk

OUTLAW 09

09-10-2015, 05:23 AM

Civilians who support Ukrainian Army get executed in Russian-controlled Donbas - UN Report http://24today.net/open/523460

1 militant attack was registred between 6pm & midnight on 9Sep. Militants used grenade launcher, small arms S of Avdiivka - ATO press center

The night was quiet in #Krasnohorivka, in #Maryinka there was occasional shooting with small arms. https://twitter.com/hyeva_maryinka/status/641834719269793792 …

OUTLAW 09

09-10-2015, 10:24 AM

Reference the debate on the high Russian loses in the Ukraine that many do not believe—maybe graveyard size might be helpful---

During the past year, Militant cemetery in Donetsk has grown 3 times bigger
http://www.segodnya.ua/regions/donetsk/kladbishche-boevikov-v-donecke-territoriya-razrastaetsya-a-svezhie-mogily-bez-cvetov-i-svechey--648162.html … pic.twitter.com/lOOd6gKZVm

OUTLAW 09

09-10-2015, 10:24 AM

A Russian soldier's mother visited #Maidan & apologised to an Ukrainian army nurse:"Sorry for what my boy did. We can't stop our president."

OUTLAW 09

09-10-2015, 10:25 AM

OSCE: Three Ukrainian soldiers abducted by 10 people in military uniforms in two cars
http://www.unian.info/politics/1120736-osce-three-ukrainian-soldiers-abducted-by-10-people-in-military-uniforms-in-two-cars.html … pic.twitter.com/NVkr1VVdl4

More images of #Russia new military base under construction near #Ukraine border pic.twitter.com/tl6uNOu6B2

construction started on #Russia military base near #Ukraine Border workers erecting fencing http://www.ibtimes.com/russia-ukraine-conflict-moscow-building-large-military-base-near-ukraines-border-2089428 … pic.twitter.com/cM9pbwJ4gI

Col. Motuzyanyk: Arsenal was found in Shchastya town: 20 grenade launchers, grenades, TNT & more than 2,000 rounds were confiscated

ATO spox: SBU detained militants` informant: working as an electrician in the Donetsk region, he was collecting intel of UA Army movements

ATO spox: 2 former members of militants were detained: one of them was serving as a tanker in the ranks of a so-called “DPR Army”

Col. Oleksandr Motuzyanyk: Mariupol sector: no single hostile armed provocation was recorded

Col. Motuzyanyk: 1 UA serviceman was wounded to the east of Maryinka as a result of hostile attack with grenade launchers and small arms

ATO spokesperson: Donetsk sector: 2 episodes of cease-fire violation by militants were recorded in last 24 hours

ATO spox: Hostile bomb wounded a woman living in Stanytsia Luhanska

OUTLAW 09

09-10-2015, 11:31 AM

http://joinfo.com/world/1008311_revolution-in-dpr-means-that-kremlin-gives-up-on-donbas-and-conflict-will-be-frozen-expert.html

Revolution in DPR means that Kremlin gives up on Donbas and conflict will be frozen – expert

Russia does not need the Donbas, but the return of the so-called DPR and LPR to Ukraine is not profitable, too. The conflict will be frozen, says the Donetsk blogger and journalist Denis Kazansky.

According to Kazansky, for Ukraine it will be profitable to freeze the conflict in the Donbas, Joinfo.ua reports with reference to the channel 24.

“For us, the conflict freeze is profitable. It is not profitable for us to take these territories back to Ukraine and pretend that we control them. They are occupied, it is possible to seek their return only by means of international diplomacy,” he said.

The journalist also said that the return of the unrecognized republics to Ukraine can be compared with a transplantation of the appendix in the body of a healthy person: they will get sick and die. “Russia’s plan has long been known, it was discussed by the speakers of the Kremlin. For example, Starikov believes that the Donbas is a weight on Ukraine’s leg. That is, Russia can keep Ukraine on a leash in such a way,” said the blogger.

Commenting on the developments of the so-called coup d’etat in the DPR, Kazansky said that there was a version that the ex-head of the “People’s Council” Andrey Purgin did not serve the Moscow curators’ turn, and Denis Pushilin himself could not arrange such a scandalous event.

“There is a version that Purgin wanted to organize a referendum in the DPR for accession to Russia. They say that ballots were already printed. He traveled to Russia to negotiate with the ‘hawks’ who are supporters of accession of the ‘DPR’ to Russia. And this was at odds with the policies of the Kremlin,” Kazansky said.

According to the journalist, Russia does not need the Donbas, this issue has been resolved a long time ago.

“There is another problem – Purgin was sick with the idea of the LPR and DPR and their accession to Russia. He was planning to create this republic back in 2005, when no one was even paying for it. He promoted the idea when it was considered as schizophrenia. As for Pushilin – he is a petty crook, who is far from separatism, he came only when he realized that he can make money at it. It is a perfect doer, because he does not discuss the orders, ” the blogger added.