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

[OUTLAW 09]

Obama golfing/vacationing and Kerry telephoning YET there is a massive war ongoing in Central Europe and they seem to not care--that is what the US foreign policy has become--nothing really.

ATO HQ: Russian forces violated ceasefire 175 times (+80) on 14/08. 19 attacks with MLRS GRAD
http://liveuamap.com pic.twitter.com/pOE5jxPvIu

05:57 #Dzerzhynsk @GirkinGirkin #Horlivka - #Dzerzhynsk artillery duel in progress since 5am in Yuzhna mine area

Alchevsk: abt 5 a hardware column has been forming, tracked vehicles & trucks were on move, roar and clatter were also heard in #Perevalsk.

Donetsk: outgoing shelling started fr/Smolyanka/Azotny tow/#Pisky since 4am, ceased at 4:50&continued fr/fields near 23th mine untill 5:15

[OUTLAW 09]

Donetsk Expo-Donbas facility used by Rus communications & Headquarters troops http://liveuamap.com/en/2015/15-augu...sed-by-russian … pic.twitter.com/b9nl82QiIh via @finriswolf

Russians staff a comms center on the top floor of this apartment building w/ new arrays on roof #Donetsk pic.twitter.com/0THZIwa5qD

48.023297, 37.803446 geo location

@finriswolf Thanks:-) surprise, surprise it's near the Arena where it's understood they keep their strela-10's, tanks etc..

[OUTLAW 09]

What open source analysis via social media is able to do that the entire US Ic cannot somewhere verify and remains extremely quiet on the shot down of MH17--

Possible truck and tanks identified that escorted the Russian BUK that shot down MH17

This blog about how the BUK had entered Ukraine on the 17th of July 2014, shows this photo:

It was a screenshot taken from the video that was shot from an apartment building in Zuhres and it was released by the SBU at that time. Yet they never released the video itself containing the truck. Only the part where the BUK could be seen on the loader.

It is a typical reinforced Ural truck, but it never got much attention.

We know from the leaked telephone calls that an escort would be arranged and we know it that Vostok battalion had it's base very close to were the BUK was waiting in Donetsk.

This movie from July 10th 2014 shows a Vostok convoy driving through Donetsk into the direction of Donetsk Airport:

Two reinforced trucks can be seen identical to the one from the BUK-video-screenshot.

TRUCK #1

TRUCK #2

Since Ural #2 has a machine gun mounted on top, that is not visible on the screenshot, it is very likely that this Ural #2 accompanied the BUK on that fatal day.

Of course there is a slight chance that they even had more of these modified Urals and that another such one accompanied the BUK. Yet that specific design was typical for Vostok battalion and thus it was Vostok battalion that accompanied the BUK to Snizhne.

Another piece of the puzzle

Another piece of the puzzle comes from this video. Three Russian T-64 can be seen driving on a road:

This is the road driving TOWARDS Torez coming from Donetsk direction. This is the location:

This Panoramio photo has been shot into the same direction, but further down the road. The buildings in the distance are the same as in the video:

Red x = approximate position of camera filming the T-64s

The shadow of the barrel can be seen on the ground (in the video it is a bit more clear than on the photo). The light is coming from the (upper) left side of the road/tank:

With suncalc.net we can now calculate the approximate time at that moment. Set the location and the date. Then slide the time-button (red encircled) until the orange line corresponds with the direction of the light/shadow:
That time is somewhere between 11:00 and 12:00, which also is the probable time the BUK was transported down this same road.

So it is very well possible that these three T-64s were part of that transport!

Another screenshot from the Zuhres-video does show exactly such a tank too:

It means it is very well possible that the BUK was filmed at this moment too! But RT left those shots unpublished for obvious reasons.

[OUTLAW 09]

Hope this helps Kerry get his focus the next time he talks with the Russian FM Larvov—or when Obama sits down with his 700 person NSC –all have simply failed at being decisive leaders on anything other than focusing on his “legacy”.

Some might in DC say it is time for a Plan B but this administration does not even have a PLAN A.

As an American I am totally embarrassed by this utter lack of a clear, concise and coherent foreign policy on anything.

Golfing, vacationing and telephoning when Central Europe is experiencing a major war by a large aggressor nation against a smaller neighbor indicates just how weak this administration is on it’s so called foreign policy.

THAT is what the history books will judge this President on not his so called "legacy". Did he stop it and or could have he stopped it--if so THEN why not will be what the books ask.

Obama’s clear words of “we will judge Putin on his actions not his words” will haunt Obama as it is locked in for the history books as being so stated.

VIDEO: Self propelled artillery moving in Makiivka. supposedly yesterday
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ay0UmKAqvvQ … pic.twitter.com/8iVmM5iWct

VIDEO: Dzerzhyns'k. Shells hit near the slag heap w. Artemove. August 14, 2015
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BrLEjSFwKMo … pic.twitter.com/tbBoe6a66z

Ukraine reports unprecedented shelling by militants in combat zone

Record number of truce violations on August 14.

Ukrainian military spokesmen have said that combined Russia-separatist forces on August 14 shelled Ukrainian positions in east Ukraine 170 times, the most since Russia invaded Donbas last April.

Most of the shelling took place near Donetsk, using 120 mm calibre artillery, which is banned under the psuedo-truce agreed in February with the leaders of Germany, France, Russia and Ukraine. Russian-led forces also used multiple rocket systems to fire on Ukrainian positions, according to the brief.

Militants fired on several villages near the strategic port city of Mariupol in southeastern Ukraine using 120 mm artillery.

In total, the ceasefire was broken 175 times, 25 times using artillery, 64 times by mortar fire, 19 times by multiple-rocket systems and 93 times by small arms fire.

This total of over 175 attacks seems to clearly indicate there is no ceasefire and there is no Minsk 2.

EVEN though the German FM and other EU reps recently stated --it appears the ceasefire is largely holding--just what the heck were they smoking????

[OUTLAW 09]

Hope this helps Kerry get his focus the next time he talks with the Russian FM Larvov—or when Obama sits down with his 700 person NSC –all have simply failed at being decisive leaders on anything other than focusing on his “legacy”.

Some might in DC say it is time for a Plan B but this administration does not even have a PLAN A.

As an American I am totally embarrassed by this utter lack of a clear, concise and coherent foreign policy on anything.

Golfing, vacationing and telephoning when Central Europe is experiencing a major war by a large aggressor nation against a smaller neighbor indicates just how weak this administration is on it’s so called foreign policy.

THAT is what the history books will judge this President on not his so called "legacy". Did he stop it and or could have he stopped it--if so THEN why not will be what the books ask.

Obama’s clear words of “we will judge Putin on his actions not his words” will haunt Obama as it is locked in for the history books as being so stated.

VIDEO: Self propelled artillery moving in Makiivka. supposedly yesterday
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ay0UmKAqvvQ … pic.twitter.com/8iVmM5iWct

VIDEO: Dzerzhyns'k. Shells hit near the slag heap w. Artemove. August 14, 2015
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BrLEjSFwKMo … pic.twitter.com/tbBoe6a66z

Ukraine reports unprecedented shelling by militants in combat zone

Record number of truce violations on August 14.




This total of over 175 attacks seems to clearly indicate there is no ceasefire and there is no Minsk 2.

EVEN though the German FM and other EU reps recently stated --it appears the ceasefire is largely holding--just what the heck were they smoking????

Since the WH and the NSC seems to believe Russia is not an existential threat to the US and they apparently do not talk to either DoD or the IC--here is a map indicating all the points of fighting yesterday.

Operational Environment in E. Ukraine as of Aug. 15, 2015, 00:00 EET pic.twitter.com/eZ43Fu2wtU

[OUTLAW 09]

What open source analysis via social media is able to do that the entire US Ic cannot somewhere verify and remains extremely quiet on the shot down of MH17--

Possible truck and tanks identified that escorted the Russian BUK that shot down MH17

This blog about how the BUK had entered Ukraine on the 17th of July 2014, shows this photo:

It was a screenshot taken from the video that was shot from an apartment building in Zuhres and it was released by the SBU at that time. Yet they never released the video itself containing the truck. Only the part where the BUK could be seen on the loader.

It is a typical reinforced Ural truck, but it never got much attention.

We know from the leaked telephone calls that an escort would be arranged and we know it that Vostok battalion had it's base very close to were the BUK was waiting in Donetsk.

This movie from July 10th 2014 shows a Vostok convoy driving through Donetsk into the direction of Donetsk Airport:

Two reinforced trucks can be seen identical to the one from the BUK-video-screenshot.

TRUCK #1

TRUCK #2

Since Ural #2 has a machine gun mounted on top, that is not visible on the screenshot, it is very likely that this Ural #2 accompanied the BUK on that fatal day.

Of course there is a slight chance that they even had more of these modified Urals and that another such one accompanied the BUK. Yet that specific design was typical for Vostok battalion and thus it was Vostok battalion that accompanied the BUK to Snizhne.

Another piece of the puzzle

Another piece of the puzzle comes from this video. Three Russian T-64 can be seen driving on a road:

This is the road driving TOWARDS Torez coming from Donetsk direction. This is the location:

This Panoramio photo has been shot into the same direction, but further down the road. The buildings in the distance are the same as in the video:

Red x = approximate position of camera filming the T-64s

The shadow of the barrel can be seen on the ground (in the video it is a bit more clear than on the photo). The light is coming from the (upper) left side of the road/tank:

With suncalc.net we can now calculate the approximate time at that moment. Set the location and the date. Then slide the time-button (red encircled) until the orange line corresponds with the direction of the light/shadow:
That time is somewhere between 11:00 and 12:00, which also is the probable time the BUK was transported down this same road.

So it is very well possible that these three T-64s were part of that transport!

Another screenshot from the Zuhres-video does show exactly such a tank too:

It means it is very well possible that the BUK was filmed at this moment too! But RT left those shots unpublished for obvious reasons.

BTW --two items of interest;

1. the Vostok commander was the previous Ukrainian Alpha Special Police commander and he stated in a major interview conducted shortly after the shot down that he was mad as heck as it was the mercenaries' in his opinion who shot down the civilian aircraft using a Russian supplied BUK and he was embarrassed as a Ukrainian for the mass killing of civilians and children.

THEN suddenly he recanted his publicly recorded stated and has said nothing since then.

2. Appears that social media now has a copy of the RT video and they are just waiting to see how Russia/Putin respond before releasing the entire RT video containing the BUK

[OUTLAW 09]

TC---your question is an interesting one---IMHO he has and still is pouring in more efforts--his financials are at an estimated 40M USD per day up from August 2014 of 20MUSD per day---he has run his 34 "aid convoy" in which are basically a rearm and refit supply run with a little food for the civilians--the captured Russian MAJ is indicating 2K Russian "advisors" assigned to the mercenary units and the last estimate of actual Russian boots on the ground varies from the steady state 9K to up to now 13K so he is increasing at a steady pace.

The Russian military has injected just about every new piece of equipment and munitions they have in their inventory especially on the cluster, themobaric, guided munitions side and their Spetsnaz presence is up from 3 Bdes to now 4.

So he has in fact upped the game from an aggression point of view.

The real question in my opinion is with all of this just why has the Russian military not been able to take more territory??

Even under the massive shelling of last night with 175 shelling and ground attacks he has gained no new village or town.

AND if the OSCE is correct in their observation of 21 +200 semi trailer trucks heading to Rostov---200 indicates KIAs just in the last month--their loses are high as well.

What is surprising and it has even surprised the Russia military is the tenacity and resilience of the UAF and their volunteer BNs--remember the volunteers have been fighting with no pay from the government and have actually saved the Ukraine until the UAF could rearm and refit. Recently a highly decorated UAF tank commander said "they fight with a glow in their eyes" and have been from the very beginning--much like our own Minutemen in the early part of our war for independence.

During the August 2014 fighting the UAF had only a total of 6K troops available and yet with this rag tag group they were almost ready to finish off the mercenaries until the Russian Army stepped--in a major defeat where they suffered high loses and POWs they were facing over 4K-6K regular Russian army troops--some estimates had them surrounded by a 18 times larger force.

Since that defeat it is almost as if they now have a battle cry of never losing again to the Russians --they took another beating in Debaltseve when again they were surrounded by 8K Russian troops and her mercenaries led by Spetsnaz--yet pulled off an interesting fighting withdrawal losing relatively few (2.4K were pulled out of the pocket) in the process much to the surprise of Putin himself who had announced in Budapest their surrender to just "truck drivers and miners".

They have fought, learned and adapted and right now have positioned themselves for a defense in depth following suggestions by former officers who had served with the US in AFG and Iraq.

This the key reason for success--they have learned to rotate entire units every four weeks with the outgoing unit doing excellent handoffs thus allowing the units to recover from the constant shelling and then the same unit goes back in so they fully understand the combat environment in front of them--while Russia is constantly sending in conscripts for three months and then out the same for Spetsnaz.

The UAF and the Ukrainian defense industries have been able to rehab over 12K military vehicles ie tanks, trucks, artillery and MLRSs that were rotting away in depots for 25 to 30 years--has made a big difference. While they are not as modern as Russian equipment they still in fact kill and wound just as effectively --the counter battery radars that the US gave while the older models have given the UAF a strong counter battery ability which they have been using selectively the last few days. They are even using the CBRs to spot and shot down UAVs which they are getting good at lately.

Putin has agitated in Georgia in the last few weeks but it has gone largely unnoticed by the mass media--first a 1km land grab declaring a new border and then last week another 800m for a total of 1.8kms and nothing said by the international community.

He has as well actually annexed a massive new area in the Artic with little to no push back by the US so I would not say he has been inactive--active yes-- just in new places attempting to distract from the Ukraine.

UAF resilience comes down to something that the Iraqi military never had --the UAF and the volunteer BNs fight for a nation/flag and it's civil society and that civil society is doing everything possible to assist the UAF---it has molded the Ukraine into a nation with it's own distinct identity in a way Putin will never understand. The more he pushes the more they reform and head West and the less they identify with Russia.

Again your question is worth a doctorial thesis when this is over as the open source social media has side has provided a wealth of information on the topic that needs to be mined.

TC--this goes to the tenacity and resilience of the UAF and their volunteer BNs.

1. in a major Russian infantry/IFV attack three days ago that they themselves filmed thinking they were going to win the battle--they were advancing behind two BTR-80s when suddenly out of a tree line defilade came a UAF T64 that raced up popped several smoke grenades to conceal it and then promptly damaged one 80 with a shell round and the other with the turret MG still hidden in their smoke grenade and basically single handedly beat off the attack before disappearing again into the tree line and going back into defilade.

2. yesterday was the highest number of heavy arty 122 to 152mm fire strikes with MLRS and 120mm mortar attacks AND YET only two UAF WIAs.
There is an estimation of over 200 tons of munitions having been fired at them starting yesterday evening into this morning.

They have learned how to sustain themselves while under heavy arty fire--something our own Army would not be able to do.

[OUTLAW 09]

TC--this goes to the tenacity and resilience of the UAF and their volunteer BNs.

1. in a major Russian infantry/IFV attack three days ago that they themselves filmed thinking they were going to win the battle--they were advancing behind two BTR-80s when suddenly out of a tree line defilade came a UAF T64 that raced up popped several smoke grenades to conceal it and then promptly damaged one 80 with a shell round and the other with the turret MG still hidden in their smoke grenade and basically single handedly beat off the attack before disappearing again into the tree line and going back into defilade.

2. yesterday was the highest number of heavy arty 122 to 152mm fire strikes with MLRS and 120mm mortar attacks AND YET only two UAF WIAs.
There is an estimation of over 200 tons of munitions having been fired at them starting yesterday evening into this morning.

They have learned how to sustain themselves while under heavy arty fire--something our own Army would not be able to do.

TC—this is a perfect example of just how crazy it has gotten on the Russian/mercenary side—they have not successfully beaten the UAF on anything since they were forced out of Debaltseve and having thrown an average of 150 tons of munitions every night for the last four weeks at the UAF and launched any number of ground attacks led by Spetsnaz NOW this---

Maxim Tucker @MaxRTucker
"It's the height of madness" - Rebels challenge #Ukraine to tank race. My story: http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/w...cle4527740.ece … pic.twitter.com/9T07s0nmhQ

Well done Max. You're very observant: not many folks noticed that "spirit of brotherhood" gauntlet being thrown down. Bizarre

[OUTLAW 09]

OSCE ✔ @OSCE
A Russian 49-vehicle convoy crossed into Ukraine and returned through Donetsk Border Crossing Point. Spot report: http://bit.ly/1INMju6

SBU detains terrorist group in the act of planting bomb under railroad track in Kharkiv https://www.facebook.com/freedonbas/...type=1&theater …

Donetsk sector: 2 civilians killed, 1 wounded in Dzerzhynsk; 2 wounded in Sladke in overnight militant shelling http://novosti.dn.ua/details/257602/

1st logistical center for ppl from occupied areas to be opened in #Donetsk reg btwn blockposts Mayorsk/Zaitseve 22Aug http://donoda.gov.ua/?lang=ru&sec=02...%24_exclude:46 …

Rus proxies fired upon Andriyivka #Mariupol sector where no Ukr troops are stationed. 4 civilians wounded @0629ComUa pic.twitter.com/kvbx7SC50v

[OUTLAW 09]

Plotnitsky threatens LPR will (re)take northern Luhansk region, currently controlled by Ukrainian security forces http://dnr-news.com/dnr/24130-plotni...erritoriy.html …

Front line reports: Russian Grad rocket attacks on Ukrainian positions and towns have significantly increased in the last 48 hours.

[OUTLAW 09]

More light humor after 175 attacks is needed…..

Russia built a bigger bulldozer that can destroy up to six banned frozen geese at the same time pic.twitter.com/tD7QWwfM4L

Kremlin published a previously unseen picture of last year's #G20 Brisbane summit pic.twitter.com/q5KE6ENT6d

Alexandr Dugin was supposed to get married today but he was stood up pic.twitter.com/3d7IcDNoKj

Putin personally tasting all sanctioned food before destroying it, 'Quite good, especially the meat' pic.twitter.com/CLEMwQ1Yay

[OUTLAW 09]

It seems there is an explosion at the Donetsk Chemical plant again... https://twitter.com/UKRINFORM/status/632494026541957121 …
pic.twitter.com/ZEbXSxU0Ki

This is where there is a 300 ton nuclear waste site.

A "quiet" Donetsk's night ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AFbfK1f5Rg …
August 14, Kyivskiy District. Very loud ...((

[OUTLAW 09]

What open source analysis via social media is able to do that the entire US Ic cannot somewhere verify and remains extremely quiet on the shot down of MH17--

Possible truck and tanks identified that escorted the Russian BUK that shot down MH17

This blog about how the BUK had entered Ukraine on the 17th of July 2014, shows this photo:

It was a screenshot taken from the video that was shot from an apartment building in Zuhres and it was released by the SBU at that time. Yet they never released the video itself containing the truck. Only the part where the BUK could be seen on the loader.

It is a typical reinforced Ural truck, but it never got much attention.

We know from the leaked telephone calls that an escort would be arranged and we know it that Vostok battalion had it's base very close to were the BUK was waiting in Donetsk.

This movie from July 10th 2014 shows a Vostok convoy driving through Donetsk into the direction of Donetsk Airport:

Two reinforced trucks can be seen identical to the one from the BUK-video-screenshot.

TRUCK #1

TRUCK #2

Since Ural #2 has a machine gun mounted on top, that is not visible on the screenshot, it is very likely that this Ural #2 accompanied the BUK on that fatal day.

Of course there is a slight chance that they even had more of these modified Urals and that another such one accompanied the BUK. Yet that specific design was typical for Vostok battalion and thus it was Vostok battalion that accompanied the BUK to Snizhne.

Another piece of the puzzle

Another piece of the puzzle comes from this video. Three Russian T-64 can be seen driving on a road:

This is the road driving TOWARDS Torez coming from Donetsk direction. This is the location:

This Panoramio photo has been shot into the same direction, but further down the road. The buildings in the distance are the same as in the video:

Red x = approximate position of camera filming the T-64s

The shadow of the barrel can be seen on the ground (in the video it is a bit more clear than on the photo). The light is coming from the (upper) left side of the road/tank:

With suncalc.net we can now calculate the approximate time at that moment. Set the location and the date. Then slide the time-button (red encircled) until the orange line corresponds with the direction of the light/shadow:
That time is somewhere between 11:00 and 12:00, which also is the probable time the BUK was transported down this same road.

So it is very well possible that these three T-64s were part of that transport!

Another screenshot from the Zuhres-video does show exactly such a tank too:

It means it is very well possible that the BUK was filmed at this moment too! But RT left those shots unpublished for obvious reasons.

Moreover... RT_com filmed Vostok/BUK convoy from THIS car. Maybe somebody can trace it down? @noclador @Nessie43 pic.twitter.com/fGXO3V1VAO

[OUTLAW 09]

Outlaw,

Been a while since I have checked in. I am curious what your thoughts are on why Putin has not put more effort into this, or opened up another front somewhere else along the border? Or even reengaged in Georgia?

TC--another set of indicators that he has not given up---he needs a victory to save his face and the UAF is denying him that---even Obama and Nuland both who forced unilateral appeasement moves on the Ukraine in order to help Putin have not achieved much.

There is an ever growing feeling in the Ukraine that Obama sides more with Putin than against him based on those unilateral moves taken on Putin's recent Normandy Four demands.

http://windowoneurasia2.blogspot.de/...ttacks-as.html

Saturday, August 15, 2015

Putin Will Launch New Attacks as Ukrainian Independence Day Approaches, Portnikov Warns

Paul Goble

Staunton, August 15 – Nine days from now Ukrainians will mark their Independence Day, and during that period, Vladimir Putin is certain to be especially aggressive in their country given the Kremlin leader’s desire to punish Ukrainians for an action that constituted the effective death of the Russian imperial project, according to Vitaly Portnikov.

Putin “will do everything possible” to spoil the holiday, and “of course, [his] bandits very much want that as many Ukrainians as possible won’t live to see it, in particular those who are defending Ukraine. This is the classic logic of criminals: we simply are its witnesses” (rus.newsru.ua/columnists/14Aug2015/record.html).

For the Russian leader, “Ukraine’s independence day is a special holiday.” It killed off any chance for “the re-incarnation” of the Russian empire in any form “feudal, Bolshevik, or Putinist.” Indeed, Portnikov argues, “the independence of Ukraine is a guarantee” that sooner or later Moscow will have to give up its imperial projects.

Other Ukrainians are warning of more Russian attacks in the run-up to their country’s independence day. Pavel Zhebrivsky, the chairman of the Donetsk oblast military-civil administration, says that “Ukraine must be prepared for an attack of the militants on August 24 (nr2.ru/video/ZHebrivskiy-Den-nezavisimosti-Ukraine-sakralnyy-dlya-Putina-VIDEO-103908.html).

“For [Putin], an independent Ukraine is something anomalous,” and consequently, he is especially exercised as its independence day approaches. Last year, Zhebrivsky recalls, Putin ordered the attacks at Ilovaysk, “and in this year” already there has been “an increase in shelling” attacks.

A confirmation of this is provided by Ukrainian officials who report that yesterday the pro-Moscow militants in the Donbas established “a new record” in terms of the number of shells fired against Ukrainian positions. See nr2.ru/hots/Vojna_na_Donbasse/Boeviki-ustanovili-novyy-rekord-po-kolichestvu-obstrelov-sil-ATO-103904.html.

Putin clearly wants to undermine the spirit of Ukraine by inflicting defeats, staging provocations, or doing things like parading Ukrainian prisoners in Russian-controlled areas of the Donbas on August 24 as has just been announced (nr2.ru/News/Ukraine_and_Europe/Kreml-dal-zadanie-boevikam-provesti-24-avgusta-parad-plennyh-v-Donecke-103903.html).

Zhebrivsky expressed his conviction that Putin would not succeed: “today,” he said, “the Ukrainian army is already not what it was a year ago.” But “we must be prepared” for a new round of attacks in the coming days, adding “if you want peace, you must prepare for war."

[OUTLAW 09]

Ukrainian scouts also discovered BTR-82 in Novolaspa, which is only in service with the Russian Federation - Sector M spox


Today Ukrainian scouts discovered in Novoazovsk, 6 militant tanks painted with Ukrainian markings - Sector M spox
http://m.0629.com.ua/news/926310

[OUTLAW 09]

Donetsk & #Luhansk pro-RU terrorists will try to destibilize situation on the eve of #Ukraine's Independence Day Aug 24 - Gen. Kremenetskyj

Cases against chief of Russian General Staff, Russian troops to be handed to intl courts – official http://liveuamap.com/en/2015/15-augu...-staff-russian …

DNR" do not want to see Poland at the negotiations in Minsk http://liveuamap.com/en/2015/15-augu...e-negotiations …

Polish President suggests new format of Ukraine peace talks
http://www.unian.info/politics/11119...ace-talks.html … pic.twitter.com/vNcSMw4qfN

Russian (hybrid) forces, near Markyne, Novoazovsk District, Donetsk Region, Ukraine 15 Aug pic.twitter.com/QowWbP2K95 via @GirkinGirkin

Russia used newest T-90 tanks against Ukraine. PHOTOS http://24today.net/open/501449 pic.twitter.com/CeW1YqGluZ

OSCE SMM, #News:
Despite jamming, SMM UAV managed to observe signs of shelling in #Starohnativka & report on it. (http://www.osce.org/ukraine-smm/177221 …)

ATTENTION: "Spy gadget" was found at the #Chernobyl nuclear power plant gate
http://www.ukrinform.ua/ukr/news/na_...t_foto_2084991 … pic.twitter.com/4mC21KpBvM

Footage
The Ukrainian line of defence in #Dzerzhinsk is under heavy Russian attack.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1M5VUTjPyLY …
pic.twitter.com/1HPyDBSFLX

Rozdolne, Aug 14, DNR tanks https://twitter.com/GirkinGirkin/sta...45432728678400 …

[OUTLAW 09]

http://windowoneurasia2.blogspot.de/...its-roots.html

Saturday, August 15, 2015

Current Crisis in Ukraine has Its Roots in Stalin’s Terror Famine and Ethnic Engineering

Paul Goble

Staunton, August 15—The current crisis in Ukraine has its roots in Stalin’s terror famine in the 1930s because the Soviet government in an act of genocide exploited its destruction of the peasantry of eastern Ukraine to change the ethnic mix of the region by sending in Russians and Belarusians to what had been Ukrainian areas.

Not surprisingly, most attention has been directed at the murderous effects of Stalin’s war against the peasantry generally and in Ukraine in particular, as in the late Robert Conquest’s now classic study, Harvest of Sorrow. That was one aspect of the genocide the Soviet conducted, but the other aspect, exploiting these deaths to change the ethnic mix, has received less attention.

That is now being redressed by an exhibit at Kyiv’s Holodomor Museum, in which the curators have put on display documents showing that Moscow artificially resettled Russians and Belarusians on territories where Ukrainians had been wiped out (zn.ua/UKRAINE/v-muzee-golodomora-pokazali-dokumenty-o-zaselenii-donbassa-russkimi-v-1930-e-176212_.html).

Those documents, according to Radio Liberty, had long been classified to hide what the Soviet state did. Museum officials are convinced that this Soviet policy of forcible assimilation “can partially explain separatism in the east of contemporary Ukraine,” which would have been far more Ukrainian had there been no famine or forcible transfer of people.

According to the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences, approximately 4.5 million people died in Ukraine in the Golodomor of 1932-33. The number of Belarusians and Russians moved in was less, but as a result of Stalin’s actions, the share of those two Slavic groups in the Ukrainian population increased from 9.5 percent in 1926 to 14 percent in 1939.

[OUTLAW 09]

http://www.businessinsider.com/putin...#ixzz3iu1PDoDU

Putin calls an emergency defense meeting as tensions mount in Ukraine

Clark Mindock, International Business Times

Aug. 15, 2015, 10:50 AM

Russian-backed rebel forces in Ukraine are building up to "full combat readiness" after an urgent meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and some of his top military advisers.

The announcement that the rebels were getting prepared in eastern Ukraine came hours after Putin called the defense meeting.

The situation on the ground in Ukraine has been tense lately. Violence has surged in recent months.

Ukrainian officials have claimed that the pro-Russian forces have violated a peace treaty signed in February and have targeted Ukrainian troops with heavy weaponry.

The head of Ukraine's national security and defense council has said that the "shelling is carried out around the clock using large-calibre artillery and multiple launch rocket systems, prohibited by the [peace agreements]. During the day, the enemy carried out 153 artillery attacks."

War, apparently, is imminent and soldiers in the area had their August vacation leave taken away following concerns that the violence might escalate more and result in an all out confrontation.

Also on Friday, it was reported that Russia and Finland might be preparing to go to war with one another. The two countries share over 800 miles of border. The reserve units in Finland on active duty jumped from 6,000 to 18,000 from last year to this year as tensions between Helsinki and Moscow have become increasingly strained.

Meanwhile, pro-Russian forces have begun claiming that the Ukrainian troops are fighting back with lethal weapons acquired from Italy and Poland. The allegations have been denied by Kiev, which has said that its efforts to unblock the flow of lethal weapons from its allies in the last 18 months have so far been thwarted.

[OUTLAW 09]

Donetsk & #Luhansk pro-RU terrorists will try to destibilize situation on the eve of #Ukraine's Independence Day Aug 24 - Gen. Kremenetskyj

Cases against chief of Russian General Staff, Russian troops to be handed to intl courts – official http://liveuamap.com/en/2015/15-augu...-staff-russian …

DNR" do not want to see Poland at the negotiations in Minsk http://liveuamap.com/en/2015/15-augu...e-negotiations …

Polish President suggests new format of Ukraine peace talks
http://www.unian.info/politics/11119...ace-talks.html … pic.twitter.com/vNcSMw4qfN

Russian (hybrid) forces, near Markyne, Novoazovsk District, Donetsk Region, Ukraine 15 Aug pic.twitter.com/QowWbP2K95 via @GirkinGirkin

Russia used newest T-90 tanks against Ukraine. PHOTOS http://24today.net/open/501449 pic.twitter.com/CeW1YqGluZ

OSCE SMM, #News:
Despite jamming, SMM UAV managed to observe signs of shelling in #Starohnativka & report on it. (http://www.osce.org/ukraine-smm/177221 …)

ATTENTION: "Spy gadget" was found at the #Chernobyl nuclear power plant gate
http://www.ukrinform.ua/ukr/news/na_...t_foto_2084991 … pic.twitter.com/4mC21KpBvM

Footage
The Ukrainian line of defence in #Dzerzhinsk is under heavy Russian attack.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1M5VUTjPyLY …
pic.twitter.com/1HPyDBSFLX

Rozdolne, Aug 14, DNR tanks https://twitter.com/GirkinGirkin/sta...45432728678400 …

Here in Russian is an excellent open source analysis of the Russians working with the T90A inside eastern in the August 2014 timeframe----

http://sled-vzayt.livejournal.com/3367.html

[OUTLAW 09]

Smoke over Donetsk pic.twitter.com/DnJb23v3q9 http://liveuamap.com/en/2015/15-augu...e-over-donetsk …

Although 11 months old still confirms the Russian Army’s newest tank the T90A in the Ukraine---
Pictures
"Ukrainian separatists" received the latest #RussianArmy T-90A, pictured driving through #Luhansk region. pic.twitter.com/bZrDUpnbXN

MLRS Grad, Tanks, Military trucks on the move in Kerch pic.twitter.com/sOcLVnBFdx http://liveuamap.com/en/2015/15-augu...on-the-move-in …

Moldova's Transnistria is the biggest military depot in Europe with Russia's 14th Army based there.

Russian (hybrid) forces (DPR "Diesel" tank unit) at Rozdolne, Donetsk Region, Ukraine 14 Aug pic.twitter.com/OcD89vP4SG via @GirkinGirkin

Eastern #Ukraine right now.
Russian invasion forces getting resupplies by the Russian regime.
#Illegal "aid convoy". https://twitter.com/062_Region/statu...60961513869312 …

13K blank #Ukraine passports were seized by #Russia in '14 #Crimea occupation; being used 4 #terrorism etc. #АТО https://twitter.com/HromadskeTV/stat...81299304308736 …