Ukraine (closed; covers till August 2014)

[Steve Blair]

Since folks seem to be making some less than optimal decisions here, I'm closing this thread for the time being. We will reopen it once we feel there's been enough time for folks to cool down. I'm doing this in preference to handing out infractions, but that's my individual choice. For now.

[davidbfpo]

After a review by the Moderators this thread has been unlocked to enable SWC members to return to the discussion on this continuing crisis.

This thread has had to be locked before, with disciplinary action taken when SWC rules were breached several times and was locked a few days ago to enable a cooling down period. A number of posts have - again - been deleted and others edited to remove references to the breaches.

As Kaur has stated (on the Info Ops thread) and is cited now (in part):

Moderators, I don't understand why you closed the "Ukraine" thread. There is going on war that should be covered by this site. Am I wrong?

The Moderators repeat we are here to ensure SWC continues to be a useful place for members and readers. The RoE are clear. We are a "broad church" of opinions and viewpoints.

[mirhond]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPNyfruTJEw#t=104

Separatists from Lugansk seized a border guard outpost. Good move to secure supply line from Russia.

http://edition.cnn.com/2014/06/03/wo...iref=allsearch

Airstrike kills 8 civilians in Lugansk. Mundane stuff of the civil wars, but I'am amazed that even CNN admit it.

[kaur]

Ukraine admits that there are serious problems controlling borders.

Meanwhile, the situation along Ukraine's border with Russia appeared to be increasingly deteriorating on Thursday. The State Border Service said it had shut down all of its bases in the Luhansk region that weren't on the border because they had become increasingly cut off by separatists who had laid siege to several of them.

Ukraine has repeatedly accused Russia of allowing fighters and arms to filter across the border to join the separatists in the east, an allegation Russia has denied.

The border service closed three crossings in Luhansk entirely early on Thursday after they came under heavy fire. The service said it had requested that the government in Kiev consider closing several more checkpoints.

"It is now extremely difficult to control the state border in some areas," the service said in a statement. "Border guards continue to perform their duties, but the real problem is the withdrawal of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, National Guard and local law-enforcement agencies, which leaves the rear approaches to the state border undefended."

http://online.wsj.com/articles/russi...ine-1401971825

Pro-Russian rebels in Ukraine's east have conducted a string of successful attacks on checkpoints in recent days, forcing Ukraine border guards to abandon a 130-kilometer stretch of its border with Russia, former Ukrainian Interior Minister Yury Lutsenko said Thursday on his Facebook page.

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/article/501647.html

One nice article was published this Monday by Russian MP Ponomaryov. He wrote also about Russian hand in Ukraine.

Hand of Moscow

Actually, there are a few Russians - according to the "Commander of the forces of DNR" Strelok/Girkin (FSB anti-terrorist officer himself), no more than 10%. Their role is very important. According to the people I trust, FSB was present in Slovyansk. I have not personally seen no currently serving GRU officer, but many militias have service experience there and went through Afghan and Chechnya. According to my sources, military advisers from Russia in the first month of the conflict were regularly seen in Kramatorsk and Artem - where they had communication centre, where they coordinated the action Strelok/Girkin groups. The absolute majority of the forces of protest - that local people with drive, which, in fact, now and killed by bullets Ukrainian Army and National Guard.

http://www.newtimes.ru/articles/detail/83081

Russian politician asks question from FSB.

“Dozens of killed in Ukraine men were transferred back to Chechnya and Kadyrov still claims that they are volunteers and he has NO relation to them. Volunteers, you say? Those who on the 27th of May broke through Ukrainian-Russian border whilst not facing any resistance from the Russian border guards. So, I address the FSB and RIC (Russian Investigative Committee – ed.) where are the opened criminal cases on this fact? If there are no cases, then these are Kadyrov’s Special Forces and servicemen of the MIA of Chechnya. If there are cases then why Bastrikin and Bortnikov (heads of the RIC and FSB respectively – ed.) are quiet,” – wrote Nemtsov.

http://inforesist.org/nemtsov-asked-...onbas/?lang=en

Considering above it is funny to read this EU COM raport about common steps for visa free regime between EU-RU.

http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/home-affairs..._regime_en.pdf

[kaur]

Last night battle on the Ukraine-RF border. Ukrainians managed to stop this small group.

http://twower.livejournal.com/1320479.html

[Firn]

So after the non-Russian Russian soldiers invading Crimea we had the non-existing Russians in the East, followed by just-Russian 'volunteers' and now only a 'few' Russian FSB and kind controlling and training the partly terroristic speratists.

Great doc find about the visa regime, kaur. Comedy gold...

[mirhond]

http://economics.unian.net/transport...ey-kryimu.html

Oh my gawds, Ukrainian administration is going to close Crimean ports! We are busted! Or may be it's just a side of a bureaucratic reality we live in?

Great doc find about the visa regime, kaur. Comedy gold...

@Firn

Read carefully the title of the cited doc.

EUROPEAN COMMISSION
Brussels, 18.12.2013
COM(2013) 923 final

someone here lost the sense of time