The Ukrainian ceasefire is holding across most of the nation’s east, though intermittent clashes continue to be reported around the town of Debaltseve. Each side is blaming the other for the ceasefire violations there.
That most of the country remains calm seems to be forgotten in all of this, though the question of the two sides withdrawing heavy artillery from the front line may be the real stressor on the truce.
The Ukrainian military is refusing to withdraw its artillery, as mandated by the Minsk deal, citing the continued fighting in Minsk. Rebels in the area are similarly saying they don’t intend to withdraw artillery until the military does.
Everything now seems to hinge on Debaltseve, and the 8,000 Ukrainian troops therein, who were effectively surrounded before the ceasefire. The rebels are offering to let them withdraw from the town, but Ukraine doesn’t want to cede the strategically useful town to the rebels either. Whether the battle over the town spoils the ceasefire everywhere else remains to be seen.
If the Ukraine forces refuse to leave then presumably a move will be made to break the encirclement. If that fails?
This battle is strangely reminiscent of WW ll and the great sweeping encirclements both sides used to crush each other. On a much smaller scale of course. Unless they break the encirclement Ukraine will have no choice but to surrender. If the rebels have to continue to fight and die for Debaltseve they may no longer allow the survivors of a prolonged encirclement to return. This is a very scary situation with no easy answer in my view.
Giving mercy to Ukraine fascists — Heartless creatures that they be
Nothing can go in, the food is all gone and nothing can go out save the government troops if they drop their weapons and ammunition, which some of the troops are doing as they leave by an open field.
But, how terribly brutal it would be if the fascist troops had the anti-coup rebels surrounded, for terrorists not fit to live are all those who oppose the greed of a fascist striving for supremacy.
NY Times article reports two small groups of Ukraine soldiers escaped. One group in a truck across the only heavily mined road out of Debaltseve under shell fire. However shortly after they got out rebel heavy armor was streaming towards Debaltseve on that road and a crucial bridge on the way out was now destroyed. Three more Ukraine soldiers escaped crossing a field. Dozens of wounded Ukraine soldiers are in urgent need of evacuation but Ukraine refuses to relinquish heavy weapons to rebels in return for safe passage. There are also reports by the rebels that 300 Ukraine soldiers have surrendered.
There are indeed up to 8000 troops trapped in the Debaltsevo cauldron. Apart for some conscripts Pol Pot Shenko and his gang of oligarchs couldnt care less about, most of them are the best trained soldiers the US imposed Nazi junta still has, but that's not the most important part of the Debaltsevo story
Another is why the US rushed out their €URO-parrots to negotiate a premature ceasefire they wasn´t interested in in the first place, until Washington realized that it would loose miserably and get trapped again that is.
Because a good number of those aforementioned are US/Nato mercenaries, US advisers and other military and intelligence personnel. They are certainly not prepared to die for Nudelman, Kagan & Pyatts WW3 adventure on Russia´s doorstep out on that field, but are not expected to surrender immediately either.
Eventually though, Novorossiya will arrest them, parade them in front of their victims and the TV cameras and send them to trials, you can be absolutely sure about that….
Anti-fascist rebels — In full compliance with the cease fire
If the purpose of the cease fire agreement was to end all violence, end all troop movement and allow both sides to defend their hard-fought gains, then let the fascist troops have their Debaltseve and let the freedom loving rebels have all the land around it.
Comes now a report stating that Putin tried to prevent such an enigma by having the cease fire agreement allow for a ten day battle to end the stalemate, whereupon the three Western nations refused.
So, a most deceitful West created a cease fire agreement that should be rightfully called a Perpetual War Agreement.
The rebels are not going to allow the Ukraine army control of Debaltseve. The rebels claim they now control part of the town and the battle continues Tuesday. The rebels said Monday they would allow the Ukraine forces to leave if they left their heavy weapons. Ukraine refused.
The local corporate online news for our area, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, has almost completely blanked out any news on the situation in Ukraine for 2 days. The editorial board had just last week encouraged directly arming Ukraine with "defensive weapons. Now that things are going badly for the west, with 8,000 soldiers encircled, the Strib. simply refuses to report the reality of the situation.
Militarily, a handful of troops, even highly-trained professional mercenaries cannot hold 8000 soldiers surrounded. Thus, either the number of Uurainian troops is grossly exaggerated, or there really is a huge Russian army in the area or the Ukrainians aren't actually surrounded.
What if the rebels had 80,000 volunteers and plenty of heavy weapons? From all reports the rebels are not concerned about the 8,000 Ukraine soldiers in Debaltseve as they have offered them safe passage if they leave their heavy weapons. The Ukrainians have refused. There are now reports of 300 wounded Ukraine soldiers.
Latest from Al Jazeera. Dozens of wounded Ukraine soldiers in Debaltseve. Rebels have said they can evacuate but forces must leave heavy weapons. Ukraine refuses offer.
Ny Times article: rebels claim to have captured 300 Ukrainian soldiers.