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Thread: Ukraine: Russo-Ukr War (June-December 2015)

  1. #241
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    Russian paratroopers dying in Donbas each day and Ukrainians dont even attack just defend

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXkoPXYWAnQ … …

  2. #242
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    Footage
    Russian invasion forces, fighting in #Shyrokyne.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MvDSZqNQEw

    From the Ukrainian Russian Armed Forces JCCC—
    Interesting!
    Russia attributes 78% of the ceasefire violations to DNR/LC.
    Ukraine attributes 20% to its own forces.


    Here he says it !!
    MyWar
    MyMen
    MyWeapons
    (in Putinish)
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1BK_r_c51c

  3. #243
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    Shellings, ground attacks and Spetsnaz attacks all day long---


    Donetsk 20:00
    Kyivsky ds, railway station - LOUD https://twitter.com/GirkinGirkin/sta...68731454525440

    Donetsk 7:50PM
    Kalinovka - several remore volleys https://twitter.com/Serzzze/status/612663840652828672

    As of 19:30 Ukraine positions in Shyrokyne and Berdyansk are being shelled from 152mm artillery & 120-mm mortars.
    http://m.0629.com.ua/news/864472

    7:42PM
    Canonade can be heard in #Mariupol. Loud sounds of heavy artillery. https://twitter.com/EmMemvm/status/612661861482409984

    At Lebedinske and Pavlopol Ukr military repelled two Russian saboteur groups attack http://liveuamap.com/en/2015/21-june...itary-repelled
    Last edited by OUTLAW 09; 06-21-2015 at 06:52 PM.

  4. #244
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    Why do we see only Russian passports every time when POWs get captured ? https://m.facebook.com/story.php?sto...00001813520333 … pic.twitter.com/KOqBsTOTis

    Russia new strategy in #Ukraine: #Putin 19th June: No ceasefire before Russia allowed to dictate constitution. http://venajavsukraina.blogspot.fi/2015/06/russia

    DPR" militant from Mykolaiv surrendered to "Azov" servicemen. pic.twitter.com/G9rfWeyaig http://liveuamap.com/en/2015/21-june...zov-servicemen

    Nevermind the other (DPR) clowns, the staffie on the right looks/sounds like a Russian ground forces officer https://youtu.be/yawPFIFpLCI?t=2m29s … 20 Jun

    RU fascist party http://rosndp.org/ members fight in #Mozgovoy's communist Prizrak bat. https://vk.com/club91790432 pic.twitter.com/EBYNaajgIF

    Donetsk People's Republic just nationalized Rinat Akmetov's Parallel petrol stations network. New logo, new name pic.twitter.com/REzKAJxrFD

    Long wait for fuel in #Donetsk. Shortages in recent days. pic.twitter.com/6CFug4qKFf

  5. #245
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    Ukraine observers recorded evidence of militant GRAD MLRS attack on 29th checkpoint, June 18
    https://m.facebook.com/story.php?sto...23&__tn__=%2As … pic.twitter.com/jfwuwEVsxV

    youtube.com/watch?v=EgPpo7AC8Ys … 'Totalitarian' '#Ukraine has become one big torture camp.' Oh yeah, look at all the torture. pic.twitter.com/KmSsuYMrl0

    Clashes between militants and Ukrainian Army near #Donetsk_Airport (#Spartak). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qpn0oDThEGo

    VIDEO Documents of #Putin "DNR Separatists" (with #Russia(n) passport) held at #Ukraine CP https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2eQH0IFoqM … pic.twitter.com/3EOJllN0l6

    VIDEO Four #Putin created "DNR Separatists" (#Russia(ns)) held at a #Ukraine checkpoint https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVNA-_b523E … pic.twitter.com/q4SKDM3UyG

    Picture
    Remains of a #Grad missile that hit Ukrainian army #CP29 near #Zholobok.
    #Luhansk pic.twitter.com/h6R9C9wZI8

    Severe clashes between pro-Russian troops and Ukrainian forces in #Spartak, N of #Donetsk.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qpn0oDThEGo … pic.twitter.com/CTeQHXnW2n

    VIDEO #Putin created "DNR Militia" (idiotic) live fire training https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIdFb-v36cI … #Ukraine #Russia GENIUSES! pic.twitter.com/QZYEQ8xG7k

    At a checkpoint in the Donetsk region, another "Donbass militant" detained
    https://twitter.com/Fake_MIDRF/statu...86073148350464

    Russia reinforces its "western flank" via @Defence24pl 21 Jun. Translation to English: https://translate.google.ie/translat...nke&edit-text= … pic.twitter.com/znjZjL5maV

    VIDEO Russian Mentality? Drunk Russian woman to policemen "Putin'll kill you" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8JXHfwpxCo … … pic.twitter.com/VlQaKZ4oqV

    If that is idiotic then this it the way #Putin DNR "TEST" body armor #Ukraine pic.twitter.com/Sa5eMiFNKB
    Last edited by OUTLAW 09; 06-21-2015 at 07:04 PM.

  6. #246
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    Militants have shelled ATO positions 48 times so far today. 5 servicemen WIA, 2 KIA. - ATO press service. pic.twitter.com/RQ69aPtFQO

  7. #247
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    Someone released the balloons near Pisky. on Friday, Givi's men wasted several rounds of ammunition trying to shoot them down

    Ukraine forces laugh hysterically after they intercepted radio comms. Givi came to the conclusion the balls were likey armored.


    Givi's Battalion angered after they were unable to shoot down Ukr balloons near Donetsk airp.
    https://m.facebook.com/story.php?sto...32&__tn__=%2As … pic.twitter.com/SNjgMZFJej

    Stanytsia_Luhanska town is under fire again today. The #Ukraine's 93rd brigade has 2 KIA's on Sunday.

    Putin's failure in Mariinka was the 1st significant conventional war failure, exposed Russian armed forces capabilities.

    Ukraine army to receive up to 100 Repaired T80 tanks shortly https://translate.google.com/transla...tml&edit-text= … pic.twitter.com/S7lQxO86aT

    Russia the only country in the world with an army made up of only "VOLUNTEERING SOLDIERS" https://twitter.com/en_informnapalm/...15988274720768

    Ukrainian special force unit "SOKIL" training & performance #videohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?t=88&v=0F1M9cgoMi4 … pic.twitter.com/lbOBUdL4RC

    #News
    Russian forces conducted 48 attacks on the Ukrainian line of defense between midnight and 6 pm.
    120 mm mortars, 152 mm artillery used.
    Last edited by OUTLAW 09; 06-21-2015 at 08:19 PM.

  8. #248
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    An average early morning on the Ukrainian eastern front---wonder what Obama, Hollande and Merkel will have to say about it?? Forgot silence is their mantra. Going to be a long day if this keeps up.

    07:46 #Horlivka @mihailovith A column moves towards mine #5 - SPGs, tanks, kamaz-ural trucks

    Lysychansk 3:17AM
    Sounded like GRADs, i woke up https://twitter.com/Lisichansk_UA/st...76388492427268

    Dzerzhynsk
    2:59AM Smth heavy falls, on the verge of hearing
    4:06AM Here we go, now a bit closer intense shelling https://twitter.com/blessmaster/stat...71750779162624

    Stakhanov 3:05AM
    "Howitzers work in the city, #Popasna towards you?"
    "On us pouring loudly in #Toshkovka" @NetVojne https://twitter.com/samotniyvovk/sta...73730784296960

    04:06 #Donetsk #Kyivsky ds @Shymanovski Heavy volleys far in the NW

    #Donetsk 4:05AM
    Heavy volleys somewhere far away in the north-west https://twitter.com/Shymanovski/stat...88624938127360

    06:57 #Donetsk @GirkinGirkin Hornyak settlement in Kybyshevsky ds was shelled almost at 4. Casualties

    06:44 #Svitlichne, 29th chackpoint area @pidpillia Battle, mortars, small arms, maybe tanks

    06:17 #Donetsk @hyeva_maryinka [vk] 'Kirovsky ds was awoke at 4am w/mortars'

    04:11 #Lysychansk @Lisichansk_UA 'You've got lazy separatists, our RUS shelled at 3am and went to bed'

    04:06 #Dzerzhynsk @blessmaster 'So it began, now shey shell more intense and closer'

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pEjOCt7lhw … 2 bombings rock 2 Savings Bank of #Russia outlets in #Kyiv, #Ukraine. #FSB doesn't sleep

    6:44AM
    Checkpoint 29 area, Svitlychne - battle! Mortars, small arms, possibly tanks.
    Good morning #Ukraine! https://twitter.com/pidpillia/status/612828575901851648

    Around 4AM village #Hirnyk (#Donetsk reg.) was shelled, there are victims. https://twitter.com/GirkinGirkin/sta...31843717517312

    #Donetsk
    "Kirovskyi district - awakened around 4AM by mortars. When it will end!?" https://twitter.com/hyeva_maryinka/s...21793565446144

    Another Ukrainian child receives her father’s posthumous award: http://euromaidanpress.com/2015/06/2...thumous-award/
    pic.twitter.com/3Uq9Y7EeC7

    Patrushev: "We cannot prevent RU citizens" from going to Donbas, cannot close the border:
    http://kommersant.ru/doc/2752250
    Is #Russia a failed state?

    BUT when the OSCE wants to monitor the border as required under Minsk 2 Russian recently refused to allow the monitoring????
    Last edited by OUTLAW 09; 06-22-2015 at 05:16 AM.

  9. #249
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    Quote Originally Posted by OUTLAW 09 View Post
    An average early morning on the Ukrainian eastern front---wonder what Obama, Hollande and Merkel will have to say about it?? Forgot silence is their mantra. Going to be a long day if this keeps up.

    07:46 #Horlivka @mihailovith A column moves towards mine #5 - SPGs, tanks, kamaz-ural trucks

    Lysychansk 3:17AM
    Sounded like GRADs, i woke up https://twitter.com/Lisichansk_UA/st...76388492427268

    Dzerzhynsk
    2:59AM Smth heavy falls, on the verge of hearing
    4:06AM Here we go, now a bit closer intense shelling https://twitter.com/blessmaster/stat...71750779162624

    Stakhanov 3:05AM
    "Howitzers work in the city, #Popasna towards you?"
    "On us pouring loudly in #Toshkovka" @NetVojne https://twitter.com/samotniyvovk/sta...73730784296960

    04:06 #Donetsk #Kyivsky ds @Shymanovski Heavy volleys far in the NW

    #Donetsk 4:05AM
    Heavy volleys somewhere far away in the north-west https://twitter.com/Shymanovski/stat...88624938127360

    06:57 #Donetsk @GirkinGirkin Hornyak settlement in Kybyshevsky ds was shelled almost at 4. Casualties

    06:44 #Svitlichne, 29th chackpoint area @pidpillia Battle, mortars, small arms, maybe tanks

    06:17 #Donetsk @hyeva_maryinka [vk] 'Kirovsky ds was awoke at 4am w/mortars'

    04:11 #Lysychansk @Lisichansk_UA 'You've got lazy separatists, our RUS shelled at 3am and went to bed'

    04:06 #Dzerzhynsk @blessmaster 'So it began, now shey shell more intense and closer'

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pEjOCt7lhw … 2 bombings rock 2 Savings Bank of #Russia outlets in #Kyiv, #Ukraine. #FSB doesn't sleep

    6:44AM
    Checkpoint 29 area, Svitlychne - battle! Mortars, small arms, possibly tanks.
    Good morning #Ukraine! https://twitter.com/pidpillia/status/612828575901851648

    Around 4AM village #Hirnyk (#Donetsk reg.) was shelled, there are victims. https://twitter.com/GirkinGirkin/sta...31843717517312

    #Donetsk
    "Kirovskyi district - awakened around 4AM by mortars. When it will end!?" https://twitter.com/hyeva_maryinka/s...21793565446144

    Another Ukrainian child receives her father’s posthumous award: http://euromaidanpress.com/2015/06/2...thumous-award/
    pic.twitter.com/3Uq9Y7EeC7

    Patrushev: "We cannot prevent RU citizens" from going to Donbas, cannot close the border:
    http://kommersant.ru/doc/2752250
    Is #Russia a failed state?

    BUT when the OSCE wants to monitor the border as required under Minsk 2 Russian recently refused to allow the monitoring????
    "Interestingly ruscists posted the news before all others"
    (about the Sberbank blasts tonight in #Kyiv)
    https://twitter.com/fhntv29/status/612764518951878656

    UPD: 07:46 #Horlivka @mihailovith A column moves towards mine #5 - about 10 SPGs/tanks, 4-5 kamaz-ural trucks

    07:58 #Horlivka @ahab7822 Tanks & BMPs along #Lenina Ave out of the city

  10. #250
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    FSB hound @SimonOstrovsky out of #Russia & deny journo papers 4 RU, after Selfie Soldiers doc!
    http://www.npr.org/2015/06/21/416208...nce-in-ukraine … pic.twitter.com/5e0SrriVil

    Clearly @SimonOstrovsky has done a +1 job of exposing that #Russia sends it's military stripped of insignia to #Ukraine to act as Partisans!

    RussiaLies nonstop. Here is yet another #propaganda #fake disseminated by @RT_com, @lifenews_ru, @GazetaRu & others. pic.twitter.com/w2S8KdT41P

    Russian Lie: US paid $5 bln for the #Maidan.
    #Truth: US spent $5 bln over 22 years in #Ukraine, incl to help remove nukes
    pic.twitter.com/bN0CZf4kFu

    Mistranslation as a #Propaganda Weapon?
    Great examples here in Michele Berdy's article.
    http://www.themoscowtimes.com/opinio...ar/515105.html … pic.twitter.com/sINvgAVx0P

    Butter 1 of few remaining #Ukrainian products in #Donetsk. Shoppers unhappy w/ high prices accuse #Kiev of genocide pic.twitter.com/JuDbN9Zr2E

    Video's called: Sending goodies to Russian invaders.
    Taken from insideof the self-propelled artillery https://twitter.com/UVivat/status/612987223668097025

    Seems like somebody at @BoschGlobal is using the Bosch GmbH IP 139.15.235.64 for russian propaganda and trolling. https://twitter.com/RobPulseNews/sta...82425472339968
    The owner of that website appears to have scraped the IP's from the trolls visiting their site. Trolls are stupider than dumb.

    15:57 #Svitlodarsk @hu_svetlodarsk #Luhanske is being heavily shelled

    17:15 There are casualties - 4 ambulances going there are reported. UKR arty started to reply

    12:22 #Donetsk @666_mancer [fb] Putilovka can hear volleys half-day, now ceased then started over, for now have just shelled

    17:12 #Avdeevka @JuZolyshkaLia It seems to me, landings are in 9th block area,it was the 2nd one

    16:33 #Avdeevka @tiamat007 "It feels like Severne-Vodyane is being wiped off the map"

    16:26 #Donetsk @666_mancer 'like landings in the north, Kuybyshevsky ds' 'rumbles fr/#Yasynuvata & #Pisky directions'

    16:30 #Donetsk @Serzzze A tank & a minibus went via Kalinovka eastwards

    VIDEO: Pisky - Terrorists completely ignore peace agreements
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UsXI9b8lgls&sns=tw … pic.twitter.com/UNi34jglHO

    Ukraine asks OSCE to check level of radiation in Donetsk reg controlled by Russia due to concerns over possible damage to nuclear waste site

  11. #251
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    Just when you think Russia cannot get any stranger THEN this happens---

    The RU Consumer Protection S'ty warned that due to this view (of #Crimea as occupied), some countries might deny Russians Schengen visas.

    Holy cow (see #PT + following):
    Russian Consumer Protection Society issued a note stating some countries consider #Crimea to be occupied.

    In response to this travel advisory, Russia has CLOSED the site of the Consumer Protection Society for extremism!!http://top.rbc.ru/politics/22/06/201...7947e5d508a88b

  12. #252
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    Top "leader" of the Russian occupation force in #Ukraine accuses Jews in masterminding Maidan: http://www.jpost.com/Diaspora/Top-re...olution-406729 … pic.twitter.com/cuHdWKFN6d

  13. #253
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    Shellings and troop movements are on the go early this evening----

    17:05 #Donetsk center @givch_saragos Double outgoing fr/Scherbakova park direction, repeated many times

    20:00 #Horlivka @GirkinGirkin 4 more tanks passed tow/Kocheharka mine [along Lenina Ave]

    Now that fewer are buying Kremlin's #Ukraine narrative, Putin lets Yanukovych boost it? Desperation.. https://twitter.com/ggatehouse/statu...91150916509697

    19:45 #Donetsk @Serzzze Buses full of Ruscists are going in column for celebrating German invasion 1941, 20 buses passed for now.

    20:10 #Toshkivka @lis_ukrop Today I visited Toshkivka, Tsuprika block - no water services for 3 days,

    Toshkivka @lis_ukrop afternoon #Zolote was shelled many times. In the night #Nyzhne was shelled - recreation facility

    Toshkivka @lis_ukrop [Locals told] about dead civilians unofficially

    Terrorists fired mortars at Avdeevka. There are wounded civilians. http://www.62.ua/news/865889

    20:27 #Lysychansk @lis_ukrop Now #Zolote shelling can be heard, dull sounds

    Maryinka @BylByleva
    19:40 Abt 5min ago in #Novomaryinka direction a machine gun fired a bit
    19:47 something massive boomed

    20:54 #Avdeevka @SerjWTS It started over

    21:04 #Makeevka Vostochny @Serzzze [fb] Few min ago there were several sullen heavy volleys in the west, now quiet

    21:13 #Donetsk @666_mancer [fb] Landings in 117th school area
    Last edited by OUTLAW 09; 06-22-2015 at 06:31 PM.

  14. #254
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    Revelations of Russian war criminal, soldier of 28th mechanized rifle brigade of Russia http://24today.net/open/450885 pic.twitter.com/Jw6kx1UwYP

    Ukraine separatists showing off freshly delivered sniper rifles only available in Russia https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1YyTdVIw7o … pic.twitter.com/0OUeih3QC8

    .@SimonOstrovsky has been denied Russian accreditation, possibly, as a result of his recent "Selfie Soldiers" report https://twitter.com/SimonOstrovsky/s...67530836197376

    Ostrovsky, Pomeranz, Womack...lots of visa "issues" over the last couple of days. https://twitter.com/ASLuhn/status/613000840094334976

    Crimea, #Voloshyne village, #Russian howitzers @erranta2_andrij
    pic.twitter.com/0UTbObLBgA

    Then there is this.
    Some very familiar twitter a/c's:
    http://kremlintrolls.com/t/20150616-ri3m.html … pic.twitter.com/261QVVRpOH

    Russia's Putin tells Hollande, Merkel Ukrainian forces must stop shelling in East Ukraine http://bit.ly/1H6L7ST
    What else?

    Minsk II very fragile but, if it collapses, hard to see how Kyiv, Moscow & separatists in eastern #Ukraine get to Minsk III

    In 1999, Russian 'mind readers' claimed the West wants Siberia; now cited as historical fact by Putin http://nyti.ms/1C5M9wG
    Last edited by OUTLAW 09; 06-22-2015 at 06:32 PM.

  15. #255
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    Ukraine's justice minister accuses Russia of trying to delay consideration of Crimea cases at ECHR

    http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukra...hr-391751.html …?

    Ukraine's justice minister on Monday accused Russia of seeking to delay litigation over Crimea-related issues at the European Court of Human Rights
    Last edited by OUTLAW 09; 06-22-2015 at 05:48 PM.

  16. #256
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    Quote Originally Posted by OUTLAW 09 View Post
    Just when you think Russia cannot get any stranger THEN this happens---

    The RU Consumer Protection S'ty warned that due to this view (of #Crimea as occupied), some countries might deny Russians Schengen visas.

    Holy cow (see #PT + following):
    Russian Consumer Protection Society issued a note stating some countries consider #Crimea to be occupied.

    In response to this travel advisory, Russia has CLOSED the site of the Consumer Protection Society for extremism!!http://top.rbc.ru/politics/22/06/201...7947e5d508a88b
    But maybe Russia just felt like closing down the Consumer Protection Society anyway. Why should consumers have rights? Why should anyone?

    RU may criminally prosecute Consumer Protect'n S'ty for saying might be hard to get Schengen visa after #Crimea visit pic.twitter.com/9Hpgnr9EYU

    tvrain.ru/news/roskomnadzor_rasporjadilsja_zablokirovat_sajt_obsc-389724/ … Acting on police orders, @roscomnadzor goes about blocking rights group that warned tourists against visiting Crimea.

    The police are pressing criminal charges against the rights group, saying its warning was an act against Russian territorial sovereignty.
    Last edited by OUTLAW 09; 06-22-2015 at 06:27 PM.

  17. #257
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    "We have 70000 Russian troops training at our border and 7 US tanks in Tallinn and der Spiegel writes about provoking Russia"

    Putin’s war: the Ukraine cease-fire that never was http://bit.ly/1ftIVuv pic.twitter.com/r39ZmSJDMx

    Fascinating account on Russian returnees from #Donbas and surging crime rates in Southern #Russia. https://meduza.io/feature/2015/06/22...schalis-boytsy

  18. #258
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    http://www.kyivpost.com/opinion/op-e...wn-391718.html

    Paul Niland

    At an economic summit in St. Petersburg, Russia, last week, President Vladimir Putin made a shocking statement that warrants analysis.

    Quote: “Before the army units and the so-called battalions – armed nationalist units – appeared on those territories, there were no weapons there; and there still would have been none had they tried to resolve the situation by peaceful means right from the start. Weapons appeared there only after they started killing people using tanks, artillery, multiple rocket launch systems and aviation. That gave rise to resistance. Once an attempt is made to resolve the issue by political means, the weapons will be gone.”


    There are several problems with this, not least of which is that this statement is demonstrably false, a lie. In and of itself that is not surprising as Putin's relationship with the truth has grown ever more tenuous, but the biggest problem is the possible underlying purpose or meaning of such pronouncements.

    The truth

    It is ridiculous and illogical to suggest that the army units and battalions (isn’t the selective use of the phrase “so-called” very interesting?) simply went to eastern Ukraine PRIOR to their being an armed situation in that part of the country. What happened in Sloviansk is recorded history, that this early stage was staffed by armed Russian citizens is also a documented fact. Suggesting anything to the contrary is a crass attempt to rewrite history. We don’t know the identity of all of the masked gunmen that seized the town halls and police stations across eastern Ukraine, but we know they were led by Igor “Strelkov” Girkin and Igor Bezler. It is fair to say that without those Russian citizens the conflict that became a war and has now killed well in excess of 10,000 people would never have started. It is not only fair but absolutely completely factual to state that the actions of Ukraine’s armed forces in eastern Ukraine were in response to and not the cause of the sudden, heavily armed, Russian led, seizure and occupation of towns and cities across eastern Ukraine.

    Analysing the statement

    Why would Putin say such things? Here we have to speculate, but none of the potential answers I have found are good.

    One of the prerequisites to war is a dehumanizing of the enemy. Ordinary people have to be conditioned to hate and to believe that the loss of life on the other side is justified, or, at a minimum, can be silently accepted. By painting Ukraine as the aggressor, and making an accusation that Ukraine “started killing people using tanks, artillery, multiple rocket launch systems and aviation” simply just because, without provocation, out of the blue; this is an attempt to dehumanize the enemy. To pretend that they are barbaric animals slaughtering the innocent, is part of an ongoing and concerted attempt to build a convenient war narrative. For many many months it was common in Moscow to refer to the “so-called” anti-terrorist operation as a “punitive” action, punitive means as punishment, the story was that Kyiv’s “junta” were punishing people for making a choice against Ukraine, a complete fallacy.

    Another possible explanation for Putin’s remarks is that he is just about to do another “dah dah!!” moment by admitting, as he did regarding Crimea, that in fact those are and always were Russian troops. A softening up of the long held li(n)e that there are no Russian troops there, until all of a sudden, well, yes, they were and are there, but it was necessary to protect the free choice of the people. And the previous lies and denials will all be forgotten (domestically) because, well, his heart was in the right place. He appears to be very strongly indicating both that he supplied the weapons and also that he can remove them at any time too. That is very significant.

    A third possible interpretation for this statement is that it is simply a naked threat. In much the same way as the horribly corrupt Yanukovych kept doubling down during the revolution that ousted him, is Putin just doubling down now? In Yanukovych’s case he and his cronies threw gangs of thugs on to the streets of Kyiv to beat and intimidate people, when that wasn’t enough on January 16th of 2014 his rigged parliament introduced a package of draconian laws to attempt to legislate an end to democracy. In each case when Yanukovych doubled down, raising the stakes, the resistance to him and the resilience of the people only grew. He doubled down, but he was bluffing, playing an ace hand while holding a pair of twos. The threat that is coming from Putin now is plain to see: “Once an attempt is made to resolve the issue by political means, the weapons will be gone.” So he is saying that weapons will be removed when there is a political solution, turn that on its head, weapons will remain and fighting and death will continue until there is a “political” solution. And a political solution on terms dictated by Putin through his armed proxies at that.

    The political solution requires 45 million strong independent Ukraine to give up the freedom to make sovereign choices. To be a subject to and vassal of Moscow. The “political” solution being demanded is to have autonomous entities, clearly directed by Moscow, who would have a veto on Ukraine’s foreign policies and association choices. There are maybe 2.5 million people in those occupied areas, a significant number for sure, but this is 5% of Ukraine’s population on 4% of Ukraine’s territory, and the actual local population, sick of war, are not making any such demands or articulating any such requirements through legitimate and recognized community leaders. Just men with guns. Is Vladimir Putin indicating that this is his demand? Ukraine must capitulate and allow a structure that achieves what has been demanded by Moscow from the outset (remember when it was called “federalization”?) or the death and destruction continues.

    There is a fourth possible explanation, and these are not mutually exclusive, it could be a combination of all or none of these things, and that is simply that Vladimir Putin has reached the very dangerous stage of believing his own lies.

    The way out

    In response, several measures are required.

    World leaders have to make it abundantly clear to Putin that his demand for control over Ukraine’s foreign policy is a non-starter. It is not on the table for discussion, it is not a point of negotiation and never will be. How they do this, well, people smarter than I (who have the tools at their fingertips in the form of further and more meaningful sanctions) can figure out the “how” part.

    In acknowledging the aforementioned, that Russia’s goal for Ukraine can never be realized, it is essential to start to dismantle this manufactured conflict. The Minsk agreements are a road map to achieve this. It is of the utmost importance that the whole border between Russia and Ukraine is monitored by the OSCE. All convoys of materials entering Ukraine must come through recognized border control points and must be inspected by an organization such as the Red Cross. In the territories that are currently the site of death and destruction on a daily basis the fighting must stop, now. The legitimately elected authorities in Ukraine must do much more to communicate effectively with their citizens in eastern Ukraine. The OSCE Special Monitoring Mission for Ukraine must expand their mission so that they can more thoroughly oversee events in the present conflict zone, an area to which it must be insisted that they have absolute and unfettered access.

    This combination of measures cannot reasonably be refused by any person who genuinely wants to see peace in Ukraine. Any person who creates an obstacle to any one of these provisions, and in fact any person who seeks to crassly rewrite the history of this conflict, is not an agent of peace. But this is not enough alone. The Minsk agreements also have a requirement for local elections to take place in eastern Ukraine, the measures suggested will allow that to happen, but at the same time the genuine leaders of the communities affected by this conflict need to step forward and lead. With a backdrop of peace they must stand up and participate in the process of gaining the trust of local citizens and promise to represent them in an honest and hard-working manner if the people will elect them to represent their wishes in Ukraine’s expanded genuine democratic structure.

    A series of doubled down bets, backed not by a winning hand but by a threat of more violence, did not work for Victor Yanukovych and it will not work for Putin either, if the world gets serious about insisting on ending this conflict right now. The time for talk is over, the time for action is now, the war must end, the people of eastern Ukraine have to have peace installed in their lives and their real leaders installed in Ukraine’s Parliament where currently vacant seats await them – they will be welcomed with pleasure.

  19. #259
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    Seems the Russian mercenaries' are still in their "altered state of reality"--and have not it appears READ the Minsk 2 Agreement they signed.

    Donetsk rebel spokes E.Basurin: Minsk talks to deal with #Ukraine's "temporary" occupation of rest of Donetsk region pic.twitter.com/4ZfQa1iUvI

    To Kiev, Minsk talks (new round tmrw) are about realising an already-signed deal that sees ALL of #Donetsk region staying part of #Ukraine

  20. #260
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    Quote Originally Posted by OUTLAW 09 View Post
    World leaders must make clear to Putin #Russia's demand for control over #Ukraine foreign policy is a non-starter. https://twitter.com/bsbonner/status/612965209305665536

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