Topic: Donetsk, Kharkov, Lugansk - way to Russia. - page 338. (Read 734937 times)

lol.... Billary wants more sanctions. I say, bring them on!

Hillary Clinton calls for more sanctions on Putin

Glimpsing the Frontline in Eastern Ukraine

 Posted by: Andrew S. Weiss Wednesday, April 23, 2014

It seems fair to divide my perceptions of the situation in Crimea and Eastern Ukraine into two periods—before and after my first exposure to the gripping video bulletins from the conflict zone produced by Vice News reporter Simon Ostrovsky. Entitled “Russian Roulette,” Ostrovsky had completed 28 “dispatches” before he was taken into custody on Tuesday by pro-Russian separatists and the self-styled “people’s mayor” of the town of Sloviansk in Donetsk Oblast’.

Efforts to secure his release are ongoing. But the news in recent days from in and around Sloviansk is deeply disturbing. With a handful of political killings and the detentions of both journalists and pro-Kyiv activists, there are fears that the conflict may be getting out of hand.
Weiss is vice president for studies at the Carnegie Endowment, where he oversees research in Washington and Moscow on Russia and Eurasia.

This is the maelstrom that Ostrovsky and his scrappy Vice News crew have been documenting for the past few weeks. Ukraine has proven to be a perfect trial bed for new forms of journalism, and Vice News has quickly moved close to the top of the heap. That is a strong commentary on the quality of the work done by Ostrovsky, whose reporting has been aided by his team’s willingness to portray themselves to the locals as a Moscow-based (that is, sympathetic) news outfit. One hopes that their brash, risk-taking approach has not caught up with them.

Ostrovsky’s style as a journalist and filmmaker is frequently jarring. He puts himself directly into the frame, regularly blurring the distinction between observer and direct participant in the events he is witnessing. In dispatch 26, we see Ostrovsky, decked out awkwardly in flak jacket and a Kevlar helmet, standing in the middle of a provincial police station in Horlivka as pro-Russian militants ransack the place. Suddenly, the portly chief of police, carrying an automatic weapon and dressed for combat, threatens to start shooting the attackers who have trapped him on a stairwell. The camera cuts to Ostrovsky who, we quickly realize, is standing directly next to the police chief on the landing, as the latter tries to talk his way out of the building and to safely. Seconds later, the militants savagely pounce on and attack the police chief, bloodying the same man who was seen throwing a protester off the roof of the police station at the very beginning of the episode. Ostrovsky’s style makes it exceedingly hard to spot the good guys.

Perhaps the most chilling image of Ostrovsky’s recent work is nighttime footage of black-clad Ukrainian special forces personnel taking up positions in alleyways near Luhansk’s occupied city hall. Ostrovsky’s crew encounters these soldiers by accident, and we can see some of them being confronted by representatives of the separatists. The scene ends murkily, without comment, yet leaves the unmistakable impression of an impotent central government, overwhelmed by Russian pressure and unable to control events let alone assert its authority.

This is a new, and in many respects, bleaker version of Ukraine. It certainly is not what one normally encounters in more conventional media outlets. It’s a place where violence seems to erupt unexpectedly, usually in close proximity to the fearless Ostrovsky, or where a 20-something, dreadlocked and bearded Luhansk resident can chuckle when asked how he’d react to his region’s being integrated forcibly back into Russia (“I’d immigrate back to Ukraine”). At root, the viewer’s comfortable frame of reference for the conflict is constantly being challenged by Ostrovsky’s reporting and his seemingly unlimited willingness to put himself in the middle of very dangerous situations. After watching “Russian Roulette,” we know much more about Ukraine yet feel less confident in our understanding.

http://carnegie.ru/eurasiaoutlook/?fa=55410

Not "on fire", but "fired upon by persons unknown" from 5.45mm calibre.

In Eastern Ukraine, Terror from Pro-Kremlin Outsiders



For three years now, I’ve been providing a small scholarship to a little girl in the city of Druzhkivka (population: 65,000) in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk Province. Her mother, G, has sent me several brief on-the-ground reports of events in Druzhkivka. They convey better than any analysis just what average Ukrainians are experiencing as a result of Vladimir Putin’s promotion of terrorism in eastern Ukraine.
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Bands of outsiders have been terrorizing the city since February 22nd, the day after the triumph of the democratic Euro Revolution in Kyiv and the collapse of the criminal regime of President Viktor Yanukovych. On Saturday, April 12th, armed pro-Russian terrorists seized the Druzhkivka district administration building. Since then, the city has been at the mercy of the pro-Kremlin extremists.

Note a few important points.

G emphasizes that the troublemakers are outsiders, and not residents of the city—a point that journalists and the Ukrainian authorities also make. It’s virtually certain that some of them are Russian intelligence agents and spetsnaz special forces.

She also states that Druzhkivka’s troublemakers, like those of many other provincial cities, enjoy the support of the local mayor. These officials, all members of the pro-Yanukovych Party of Regions, are clearly hoping to use the provocations as a means of holding on to power and escaping prosecution for corruption and other forms of wrongdoing during the years of the Yanukovych regime.

Finally, G underlines that the agents provocateurs are all invoking Vladimir Putin’s bogeyman, the long-deceased Ukrainian nationalist Stepan Bandera, who headed a Ukrainian national liberation movement, the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists, in the 1930s–1950s. Significantly, as G notes, no one has ever encountered Bandera supporters in Druzhkivka. Their absence in the rest of Donetsk Province is just as striking. In a word, the terrorists are sowing fear of a non-existent foe in order to keep an uninformed population on edge.

*

February 23, 2014 (two days after Viktor Yanukovych’s flight from Kyiv):

    Long live Ukraine, Alexander!

    I’m happy for Kyiv, proud of western Ukraine, and ashamed of Donetsk Province. What’s taking place in our city today is simply horrible.

    On February 22nd, at 12 noon, on the central square of the city, near the eternal flame, there collected several civilians and one person wearing a Don Cossack uniform. They were holding the flag of the Russian Federation. They also had the black and yellow flag of the Romanov dynasty.

    They were asked who they were, what they were doing, what sort of flags they were carrying, and what their plans were.

    The one on the Don Cossack uniform said that they were defenders of the homeland from the “Banderites.” They were, he said, all members of a Don Cossack organization that was registered in the city. Their general was the city mayor, Valery Hnatenko. They supported the introduction of Russian troops into Ukraine and the annexation of our state by Russia. 

    In the night of February 22nd–23rd, starting at 10 p.m., groups of 3–4 unknown persons trawled the city’s streets, throwing plastic bottles, causing a ruckus, and loudly shouting Long Live Ukraine and that Bandera has finally arrived. There were a few such brigades, and they were evidently drunk. It was clear that they were the little Cossacks headed by our mayor. Another 2,000 people gathered; they were disorganized, drunk, and very aggressive. Some people thought they were defending their town from western Ukrainian “gangs.” Many, mostly older people, came to honor the memory of those who had died [during the Euro Revolution in Kyiv]. They were attacked with eggs. The militia asked that they hide the Ukrainian flag, lest the aggressively inclined participants of the gathering be provoked.

February 23rd:

    Apologies for the convoluted description… The people who supported the ideas of the Maidan no longer feel safe in their own land. What a horror.

March 2nd (two days after Russian troops occupied Crimea):

    I don’t know if you have the opportunity to acquire reliable information about what is currently taking place in eastern Ukraine. As a simple person from the Donbas, I wish to inform everyone I know that unknown people have appeared in many cities of Donetsk Province. They are not residents of these cities, but enjoy the support of local mayors and their machines. They’re attempting to promote separatist ideas and to terrify the population with non-existent western [Ukrainian] extremists whom no one has ever seen.

April 14th (two days after terrorists seized the building of the Druzhkivka district administration):

    Alexander, they will kill us…

*

I haven’t heard from G since that last note. Although I’m sure she and her family are safe, I still shudder at the thought of how terrified she must have been to have expected death—for nothing more than her identity as a Ukrainian in the unremittingly hostile environment created by Putin’s deliberate attempt to create havoc in her country.

    Alexander J. Motyl's blog

http://worldaffairsjournal.org/blog/alexander-j-motyl/eastern-ukraine-terror-pro-kremlin-outsiders

An Mi-8 Hip of the Ukraine Army on fire in the sky near Kramatorsk, no victims according to military analyst D.Tymchuk.

https://www.facebook.com/dmitry.tymchuk/posts/487532738042053

BREAKING The helicopter Mi-8 of Armed Forces of #Ukraine was fired at near #Kramatorsk. https://www.facebook.com/dmitry.tymchuk/posts/487532738042053 //

And a very thorough reader comment at the end, which I think should be re-printed here:

NYT Retracts Russian-Photo Scoop 

http://consortiumnews.com/2014/04/23/nyt-retracts-russian-photo-scoop/#Sloviansk

Plans to forbid Skype, gmail and facebook in Russia...
Stalinism is here again - in the face of Putinism. And it is so stupid. It shows their level of thinking: as if you can ban modern information technology. maybe Putin should talk to Erdogan who also made that mistake and quickly realised what a fool he was making of himself. Or talk to the Vietnamese leaders, who banned Facebook but are themselves on Facebook via a VPN, just like the rest of the country ))

http://www.bbc.co.uk/russian/russia/2014/04/140423_russia_internet_law.shtml

Um, I haven't seen such demands from Russia. Where did you read it? I know that Russia would like to see Ukraine (as a whole) in the Customs Union, and that was one of the triggers for the whole circus, when Yanukovich did a 180* degree turn from EU to Customs Union, seeing more trading potential there.

On another note, a retelling a dialogue from the 12th of April meeting of the leader of Radical Party Ljashko with electorate in Lugansk:



Herein lies the problem to the Ukrainian split. Distilled.

In Slovyansk ruSSians continue to rob minority of gypsies  http://www.blackseanews.net/read/79397

It's clear that this people are killed by ruSSian nazis. ruSSians always do massacres and says, that is job of opponents.

Funeral ceremony at the Churchof the HolySpirit centre, Slovyansk for the three people who were killed by the Right Sector nazis.

Journalist: the councillor of Gorlovka was brutally tortured before he was killed

http://inforesist.org/journalist-the-councillor-of-gorlovka-was-brutally-tortured-before-he-was-killed/?lang=en

Tally of persons kidnapped by Russian-backed insurgents in Ukraine’s east grows to 13 (UPDATE)

http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/tally-of-persons-kidnapped-by-russian-backed-insurgents-in-ukraines-east-grows-to-13-update-344778.html

Russia want the eastern provinces of Ukraine to join the Eurasian customs union (which includes Belarus and Kazakhstan in addition to Russia). I don't think that Kiev will agree to that demand.

Members of diversion group operating in E #Ukraine identified: not all of them Russians, many are Rus neo-nazis. http://inforesist.org/insurgents-identified-the-green-men-of-vkontakte/?lang=en

Insurgents Identified: The Green Men of VKontakte



Ukrainian intelligence produced and presented a dossier of photographs to the OSCE last week. The images, and official accusations, point to Russian “sabotage-reconnaissance groups” being involved in the recent armed insurgency in eastern Ukraine – Donetsk region specifically. According to a New York Times article, the photos and their descriptions were “endorsed by the Obama administration,” but who are these men? With the power of crowdsourcing, but mostly with the power of social networking and public profiles, the identities of a series of Russian insurgents in Donetsk have been uncovered. Men have been comparing the size of their guns since the invention of gunpowder, and thankfully these few decided to flaunt just that. Publicly. On the internet.

From the identified militants, a few notes can be made from the following gunmen who appear to be connected to the raids in Sloviansk and Kramatorsk . For one, not all are from Russia. While some may be local radicals, others appear to come from Belorechensk in Russia, or have connections to related neo-Cossack groups. This does not necessarily exonerate Russian state involvement, however. While it’s been known that military veterans and Russian ‘tourists’ have been actively involved for some time, the presence of Registered Cossacks of the Russian Federation connects Russia officially to the ongoing crisis. Registered Cossack organizations enjoy financial and organizational support from the authorities, including monthly salary as police auxiliaries. This, of course, isn’t the first controversial deployment of Cossack forces, who made a name for themselves on the world stage enforcing the law in Sochi.
Another point of interest is the insignia seen on a number of the gunmen. For clarity’s sake, the symbol is that of Andrei Shkuro‘s ‘Terek Wolf Company’, a detachment of White emigre Cossacks who fought for Nazi Germany during the second world war.
So who is involved in the Ukrainian invasion? Let’s take a look.

Evgeny “Dingo” Ponomarev

Ponomarev is a 39 year old native of Belorechensk, Russia, in the Kuban region. Pictured above, he is a Registered Cossack with full police badge. He is active in the Terek Cossack community, and featured in many of the photos recently presented by CNN and the BBC detailing the same group of insurgents appearing in Kramatorsk and Sloviansk.
Profile: Eвгeний Пoнoмapeв http://vk.com/dingo31

Alexander Ganchev

While Ganchev’s profile is littered with cat pictures and memes, in 2013 through to January 2014 there are many photos of him in combat training, including with sniper rifles, assault rifles, heavy machine guns, and rocket launchers. Recent photos from April show him with members who seized buildings in Donetsk. Groups he is a member of include Berkut support, The Supreme Council of the people of Ukraine and Russia (which asks for “practical” assistance in imposing referendums), Crimean “self-defense” groups, and airsoft rifle groups in Crimea (which appears to be a front to gather militants and buy weapons). His current city is listed as Horlivka, Ukraine, and he appears to be from Makiivka.
Profile: Aлeкcaндp Гaничeв http://vk.com/spets80

Igor Georgievsky

His hometown is listed as Simferopol and photos show him in Sevastopol, and in group shots with other self-defense militants. Above he is seen at the Sloviansk airfield in Donetsk region (here’s video of the airfield with the same helicopters ). He’s in the ‘People’s Liberation Movement in Ukraine‘ (which calls to ‘liberate’ the ‘western occupied colony’ from ‘invaders’), Russian Spring, and another group which calls to retake Odessa from ‘fascism’. He is seen with the Terek Wolf Company insignia.
Profile: Игopь Гeopгиeвcкий http://vk.com/garry_san

Tikhon Karetniy

Like Ponomarev, Karetniy is a member of the Belorechensk Cossack community in Russia. A photo posted on the community page details the group involved in the seizures in Sloviansk called “Terek Wolf Sotnia“. His profile is relatively new (registered in February, active more recently) so it cannot be confirmed that his identity is real, however, he does have the social connections with other members involved with a higher degree of authenticity. It’s likely this is him pictured with Ponomarev.
Profile: Tиxoн Кapeтный http://vk.com/id243374106

Zheka Kovalyov

Kovalyov is another from Belorechensk, Russia. His photo albums contain many swastikas and neo-Nazi or ultranationalist imagery. Photos dating back 2 years show him in paramilitary garb, while his profile picture appears to be  ‘self-defense’ force paramilitary in Crimea. In another photo he appears with Karetniy while wearing the ‘Terek Wolf Company’ badge, who is also an insurgent in Donetsk with a Russian Cossack connection.
Profile: Zheka Kovalyov http://vk.com/id152172063

Evgen Zloy

Photos show him carrying an automatic rifle in front government buildings in Slovinansk. His profile lists him as being a Simferopol native, and is a member of a Simferopol Don Cossack group. Photos also show what appears to be a swastika pendant, and Russian ultra-nationalist graphics.
Profile: Eвгeн Злoй http://vk.com/id229685502

Anton Morozov

From Irkutsk, Russia. His main profile shows him in military fatigues in what appears to be barracks. Photos include neo-Nazi imagery (burning an Israeli flag) and Eurasian symbols. He is pictured with Zloy, above.
Profile: Anton Morozov http://vk.com/panzerrrfaust

Edvard Pitersky

Pitersky lists himself as residing in Kharkiv and a member of the Oplot fight club and ‘Polite People of Kharkiv‘ (a reference to the ‘Green Men’ from Russia). He is ironically a member of the ‘Anti-fascist movement of the South-East‘ as well as the ‘White Legion‘ neo-Nazi community.
Profile: Edvard Pitersky http://vk.com/id248595935

Dima Kharkovsky

Current city is listed as Sloviansk. He appears to be a local and a member of Gubarev’s militia.
Profile: Dima Kharkovsky http://vk.com/afgan777

Ignat “Topaz” Kromskoy

Topaz is a sort of celebrity in internet circles. He was placed under house arrest on March 29 for his involvement in the March 1st raid on the Kharkiv Regional State Administration building. On April 7, Topaz fled house arrest, cutting off his monitoring bracelet. Topaz has since given interviews with the Russian channel LifeNews, and spoken about the current ‘guerrilla struggle’ and need to use firearms to capture buildings. Pictures with assault rifles, BDU, and St. George ribbon indicate it’s likely he has been involved in the current insurgency in Donetsk or Luhansk since his arrest.
Profile: Ignat Kromskoy http://vk.com/johnrichmond2014

Sergey Anastasov

This profile is less straightforward, but the photos appear to sync up. Anastasov is from Simferopol. Photos include him with various firearms. The above photo makes no indication on which building he is in, so it’s possible he was only involved in Crimea, so we’re including him last.
Profile: Sergey Anastasov http://vk.com/anastasovserg

http://ukrainianpolicy.com/

I agree with your assessment there, Paya, taking it even one step further. Lavrov was very outspoken right from the moment it became obvious that a state coup has taken place in Ukraine, that Ukraine should move en-route to federalisation if it is to remain a single state. Each such initiative was talked down by US/EU, or ignored outright. At times it bordered on absurdity.

Russia is not interested in split Ukraine. It does not need a fringe lawless state with conflicting ragtag bands, as it was in 1918. What Russia needs is an independent neutral (with possibly a slight bias towards Russia) stable Ukraine, which can act as a trading partner and a buffer zone with regard to cancerous NATO expansion.

And to that end, an interesting article on RT outlining Churkin's (Russia's envoy to UN) speech:
Churkin: US behind Ukraine crisis after investing $5bn in 'regime change'
http://rt.com/news/154112-churkin-ukraine-eu-us/

I can see many. Donetsk is home to some 4.5 million people, of whom 97% are Slavs and 2% Greek. Gaining extra hard working people who are ethnically similar to the Russians is much better than importing the same number of Muslims from Uzbekistan or Azerbaidzhan. Also, there are a number of large scale industries in Donetsk.

I think that the plans for annexation of Donbas (if there were such plans whatsoever) are scrapped, it's the peaceful federalization which Moscow is trying to push through in near future. But I do agree that this message, perhaps, hasn't been made loud and clear enough to Russian ethnic minority in the east Ukraine, where many are still dreaming about joining Russia. This is indeed a potentially hazardous situation: Russia cannot afford the price of absorbing these regions but if Ukrainians do something stupid, like launching massive attack on rebels, most likely followed by dozens or hundreds of dead, Putin will have no choice but to react and use army to protect his people. It's the worst case scenario for everyone there and I truly hope that all sides are going to be smart enough to avoid it at all costs.