Tensions are on the rise between Ukraine and the eastern rebels again, with the city of Donetsk, the de facto rebel capital, seeing the worst shelling its had in over a month as Ukrainian military forces move into the area.
Not that the Ukrainian military were the only ones fighting. The rebels were quick to start shelling the airport on the outskirts of down, which lies in ruins, but still in government hands.
Over a month into the ceasefire, what fighting there’s been has been in Donetsk, though whether this latest escalation actually means a resumption of the war or not yet remains to be seen. The Ukrainian military sent additional troops into the area after the easterners held a vote they objected to.
The White House blasted the rebel moves against the airport as a “blatant violation of the Minsk agreements,” but was mum on the government shelling of Donetsk itself.
That's what happens when you trust scum like Poro and Yuk. Forget agreements, these chimps only understand brute force.
The "rebels" rejected the deal of participation in the election in return for temporary autonomy. References to supposed oil and gas revenues indicate tat they intend to use military force to seize part of the coast. At that point, the Ukrainians have nothing left to lose by seeking to crush them by force. If that provokes Putin into sending his whole rickety conscript army into Ukraine, so much the better from their point of view.
Thank you for you permanent reporting about inside-beltway rightthink.
> At that point, the Ukrainians have nothing left to lose by seeking to crush them by force.
They have to lose everything east of the Kharkov-Dnepopetrovsk line, actually.
Thank you for restating fo us, the lesser informed, the neocon thinking. Kiev has much to lose, but they are doing what they are told. For example, they have already lost besides Lughansk and Donyets, other regions of the southeast, like Kharkov, Zaporozhje, Mykolaev, Odessa, Dnyepropetrovst, and efen Kerson. The voting in these regions shows that the pro-Russian United Opposition and the Communists won high percentage of the vote, as compared to American candidate Yatsenyuk, or European Porosenko. Example, in Kharkov, pro-Russian vote was 41%, as opposed to 8% for Yatsenjuk and 15% for Poroshenko. Along Azov Sea, Zaporozhje — in spite of attrocious oppression of Russians in Mariupol, and closure of voting sites in predominantly Russian villages, pro-Russian vote was 32% as opposed to Yatz 11%, and Porosenko, 17%. Dnyepropetrovsk did not even have a proper vote — Kolomoyski closed voting places in most pro-Russian cities and towns, as well as specific voting districts. He banned Communist Party. Even so, pro-Russian vote was 23%, while Yatz got 12% and Poroshenko 19%. The voter abuse in Odessa did not prevent pro-Russian vote to be 27%, while Jatz got 19% and Poroshenko 19%. The near blackout of south Kerson (border with Crimea) should have eliminated prorussian vote, but it did not entirely. Still, 19% were pro-Russian, and 16% Yatz. None of this matters to the "democratic" West. OSCE is acting deaf, blind and dumb. They somehow "missed" mass graves, closed polls, and now are just "not sure" who is firing into Russian civilians. Must be Martians.
When Minsk agreement was signed Yatseniuk said that Kiev will receive some arms from western countreis,reconstruct its forces and reatack again.The recent parlementary elections introduced more fanatic nationalists in the Rada (naive western journalists call them pro european).Everything is happening in accordance with Kiev scenario.If Obama,Cameron do not understand that they are or naive or very bad guys : they probably want a WW3
Last I heard, the airport was in Novorussiya hands, except for a handful of Ukies who were hiding in the underground tunnels, periodically popping out and then being sent back down by suppressive fire. This was proven by videos showing the Ukies shelling the airport – if it was in their hands, why would they be shelling it?
Since when is the airport in Ukie hands again?
As for "rickety conscript army", that clearly describes the Ukies forces, not Russia's. The Ukie forces had barely 5-6,000 combat-ready troops six months ago. They've had at least THREE conscription drives on pain of imprisonment since then, provoking a significant number of public demonstrations by family members against their sons being sent to die in the east under incompetent military leadership. The Ukies have lost at least several thousand troops to the Novorussiya forces and hundreds have deserted, some to Russia.
The Novorussiya forces, in contrast, started out with a few score militia members at the beginning, and subsequently have increased to nearly 20,000, most of whom are highly motivated to defend their homeland against neo-Nazis and who are led by a number of Russian soldiers experienced in the urban warfare in Chechnya.
The incompetence of the Ukie military is clear: they repeatedly advanced against the militia, over-extended themselves, got cut off and surrounded, then pounded with artillery until they were forced to surrender or break out in retreat, suffering heavy losses. That went on for months, causing the Ukies to lose most of their initially vast armor and artillery superiority and thousands of casualties.
If the US and Kiev manage to provoke Putin into open invasion – which is highly unlikely – the Ukies won't last a week before Russian tanks are in Kiev. And NATO won't be able to do a damn thing about it.
I reread russian history.I did not know that Novorussia was a territory under Turkish control in 1700 period.When Katerina the second defeated Turks, a lot of Russian came to leave in that region.The cocept of Ukraine didi not exist.It is why all these region are pro russian.I did not know either that in that time many western people served in Russia.The future cardinal de Richelieu has been a succesful gouverneur of Odessa !