Ukraine (closed; covers till August 2014)

[mirhond]

"Discipline" in the Ukrainian army.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=wwQIC37VVuI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=QQZnJ8ZinpA

Rookies have something to say to their superiors.
I could translate it, but I don't think it's neccessary, it's mostly "Get the fu(K out" ranting. Videos speak for itself.

Donbass militia claimed to capture a group SBU officers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Onoxc7E7LO0
Faces are covered, the whole thing looks like Bravo Sierra (thanks to Stan for a new mot ) but, who knows, may be these guys are real saboteurs.

[JMA]

John McCain with Charlie Rose

The first 20 odd minutes is on Ukraine.

[JMA]

Stopping Russia Starts in Syria

Anne-Marie Slaughter writes:

Obama took office with the aim of ending wars, not starting them. But if the US meets bullets with words, tyrants will draw their own conclusions. So will allies; Japan, for example, is now wondering how the US will respond should China manufacture a crisis over the disputed Senkaku Islands.

[carl]

"Discipline" in the Ukrainian army.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=wwQIC37VVuI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=QQZnJ8ZinpA

Rookies have something to say to their superiors.

Discipline or lack thereof in the Ukrainian Army isn't what Russia should be concerned about. Russia should be concerned about the enthusiasm of potential Ukrainian irregulars and insurgents, potential enthusiasm for plugging occupying Russian troops.

[kaur]

Head of pro-Russian forces in Eastern Ukraine Igor Strelkov is experienced FSB officer. This morning there was intensive discussion about Igor Strelkov's backround in Russian social media. Some active people found out that Strelkov is active member of one military history forum, where he also posted his short military career. Those military units will say nothing to outsiders, but after some search you can find that the numbers are connected to FSB subunits. One of the units has some period served also in Chechnya.

http://shgid.fmbb.ru/viewtopic.php?p...ighlight=#2983
http://russia.bestpravo.ru/fed1998/data06/tex20098.htm
http://forum.yurclub.ru/index.php?ap...ttach_id=68629

[OUTLAW 09]

Head of pro-Russian forces in Eastern Ukraine Igor Strelkov is experienced FSB officer. This morning there was intensive discussion about Igor Strelkov's backround in Russian social media. Some active people found out that Strelkov is active member of one military history forum, where he also posted his short military career. Those military units will say nothing to outsiders, but after some search you can find that the numbers are connected to FSB subunits. One of the units has some period served also in Chechnya.

http://shgid.fmbb.ru/viewtopic.php?p...ighlight=#2983
http://russia.bestpravo.ru/fed1998/data06/tex20098.htm
http://forum.yurclub.ru/index.php?ap...ttach_id=68629

kaur---all this means is that the Russian Foreign Minister, the Duma President, Putin, the Russian Defense Minster, and the FSB/GRU Chiefs cannot be lying as they all are stating there are no active duty Russian troops inside the Ukraine-(they never do mention what if they are Reservists)--or at least this is what Interfax, TASS, RIA/Novosti, Russia 24 and Russian TV is saying almost every day that they are saying---and you do understand that the Russia media and the Russian elites never lie.

But again it is the same Russian media that utters the word Nazi/Right Sector (means the same thing) more times daily than the entire German media has used the word Nazi in the last 30 years---there is an old saying---repeat something seven times and one starts to believe it---it is a left/right brain thing.

[mirhond]

Discipline or lack thereof in the Ukrainian Army isn't what Russia should be concerned about. Russia should be concerned about the enthusiasm of potential Ukrainian irregulars and insurgents, potential enthusiasm for plugging occupying Russian troops.

There are no evidences of "occupying Russian troops" in the first place.

Hardcore regime-fighter and make-believe mediator Khodorkovski is not welcome among common folk,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YlRS5ZMd6w
(the message is plain and simple: "Get out")

but local mafia boss Renat Akhmetov is not so biased.
http://24tv.ua/home/showSingleNews.d...436993&lang=ru
"We talked and his position is clear - Donbass is Ukraine" said Khodorkovski.

[Stan]

Mirhond,

There are no evidences of "occupying Russian troops" in the first place.

I don't think Carl was saying there are occupying Russian troops, but, rather, that once there are, there would be a concern with Ukrainian irregulars involved in social upheaval.

It is in fact what sparked young Estonian irregulars from 97 to present day.

However, Vova knows how to use his miilita both at home and abroad.

This part of the world only responds to one thing.... The stick and no carrots, and vodka

[kaur]

This site claims that Strelkov's last service place is military unit 36391, which is FSB anti-terrorist unit, that should fight against international terrorism.

Последнее место службы (в/ч 36391) - это Управление по борьбе с международным терроризмом 2-й Службы ФСБ России.

http://bmpd.livejournal.com/830579.html

It seems to me that Russia is now terrorism exporter like during Soviet time. Was it called state sponsored terrorism? Defence minister Shoigu may claim that military units by the Ukrainian border have left back to barracks and it may seem that situation has been deescalated (there will be no conventional war), but my humble opinion is that special services have set up insurgency in neighboring country. Russian media has brainwashed audience, there are many weapons available, networks of people have been mapped etc. There are plenty of levers to play with violent and nonviolent methods against central government in Kiev. Intensity of operations will be dictated according to political events calendar in Ukraine.

[kaur]

FSB antiterrorist guy is involeved in kindnapping of OSCE observers with diplomatic passports. No comments.

Igor Strelkov – whom Ukraine's intelligence service describes as a wanted terrorist – made his first public appearance in the rebels' de facto capital. In an interview with Russian channels, he described the captured military representatives as "Nato spies". Strelkov said there was little prospect of them being freed unless Kiev's pro-western government traded them for jailed pro-Russian activists.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/201...ure-nato-spies

What a joke!

Lavrov said Moscow was committed to implementing an agreement struck in Geneva on April 17 between Ukraine, Russia, the United States and the European Union to ease tensions in Ukraine and disarm illegal groups but accused Washington of distorting it with "one-sided demands".

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/...A3O0I420140425

[Firn]

FSB antiterrorist guy is involeved in kindnapping of OSCE observers with diplomatic passports. No comments.

What a joke!

Pretty Putinesque, if you ask me. At least he is cutting in Russia's flesh as well as long as he continues to wound weak Ukraine. The impact on the European economy as a whole is so far obviously very limited. A giant, even if weakened, doesn't feel much if a weakling kicks a nearby dwarf.

Investors' Fear Crimps Russian Borrowing

Usually prolific borrowers on global markets, Russian companies are finding their funding lifeblood cut off by banks and asset managers who fear their investments will get caught up in the standoff between Moscow and the West.

With military tensions running high between Russia and Ukraine and a looming threat of tough Western economic sanctions, it is getting harder for companies to issue bonds or obtain loans — a situation that could eventually threaten some of them with default.

So far the balance sheet looks still fairly strong but the Russian fires of war are buring Russian capital and growth. It is still early days, early weeks. We will see how much the Russian economy will suffer.

BTW: Crimea Makes Economic Crisis Worse

Instead, it seems that authorities are competing with each other to see who can do the most harm to the economy. One top Russian official proposed selling off the country's dollar and euro reserves without explaining how they would be replaced. Perhaps he would prefer the yen and yuan. But a quick look at the currencies preferred by the central banks of other countries is enough to show that they are far less reliable. Maybe he feels Russia should keep its money in gold.

For every difficult and complex situation, leaders should respond with better and more responsible economic policy — and not just make matters worse.

Personally it seems that most of the silly threats haven't been enforced. Most likely because some of the smarter guys have been able to make their case that those threats were, well, silly. But while almost all the silly stuff hasn't materialized not much has been done to help the Russian economy.

[Fuchs]

FSB antiterrorist guy is involeved in kindnapping of OSCE observers with diplomatic passports. No comments.

Well, the Ukraine has sovereignty in the area so basically everything the guy does there is illegal.

Still, those OSCE observers were 'probably' not really OSCE observers.