Ukrainian officials have made conflicting claims about a series of blasts at a Russian air base in Crimea that, according to Crimean authorities, killed one person and injured 14 more. Russia has downplayed the incident, saying it was caused by an accidental ammunition explosion, and is investigating the cause.
On Tuesday, Mykhailo Podolyak, an advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, denied that Ukraine was behind the blasts. “Of course not. What do we have to do with this?” he said when asked if Ukraine was responsible.
But on Wednesday, an anonymous Ukrainian government official told The Washington Post that the explosions were an attack carried out by Ukraine’s special forces, which, if true, would mark a significant escalation in the war. The official didn’t offer any details of how the attack was carried out, and at this point, nothing is confirmed.
Ukraine has not officially taken credit for the blasts, and Russia continues to downplay the incident. In his nightly address on Tuesday, Zelensky didn’t mention the explosions, but he did discuss Crimea, which has been controlled by Russia since 2014. “Crimea is Ukrainian, and we will never give it up,” Zelensky said.
Not long before the blasts, Ukrainian officials said they were preparing to launch attacks on Crimea and suggested they could use US-provided weapons. On July 31, a small drone hit the headquarters of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, but the damage was minimal, and it’s still not clear who was behind the attack.
The fact that all sides are including Russia are trying to be ambiguous strongly implies a long range US rocket, in which case Russia would face the decision to hit bases inside NATO.
Why would Russia face that “decision?” Does everyone else face the “decision” to hit bases in Russia every time a Russian-made rocket lands anywhere on Earth?
Yes, but the only serious threat is Washington.
What about…? …Nothing wrong with what you said, Robert. Just practicing “whataboutism” to keep you on your toes for no reason whatsoever.
You have been in the army and you seem to sympathize with the UkroNazi’s, so why don’t you call Zelensky’s thugs and make yourself useful?
I’ve never been in the army (I was a Marine Corps infantry NCO), and I “sympathize” with none of the regimes involved in the war.
Equivocation and “both siderism” is effectively and objectively pro USA, pro NATO, pro Neo Nazi Kiev regime, and pro war. A true antiwar position always “sympathizes” with those who resist fascist, racist, imperialist aggression. The issue is not really the “regime” doing the resisting, which might well be unsavory, as Putin’s is, IMO, in many respects. Instead it is about the relative position of the resisting regime. It is resisting imperialism, fascism, and racism, and so one should, if one has any real understanding of what it means to be antiwar, sympathize with it to that extent. Saddam’s regime was very unsavory. Gaddafi’s was far from perfect. As is Assad’s. North Vietnam, the Viet Minh, the Sandinistas, the leftist rebels in Guatamala, El Salvador and Honduras, the ANC and other rebel groups in South Africa, etc, etc, none of them are above criticism. And yet I sympathize with all of them, because they all oppposed imperialism, racism, and fascism. IMO, Putin, in this case, is also opposing imperialism, racism and fascism. And, even more clearly, the “mini republics” are doing so, as well. They should therefor be sympathized with, if only for that reason alone.
“A true antiwar position always ‘sympathizes’ with those who resist fascist, racist, imperialist aggression.”
Including fascist, racist, imperialist Russian aggression, or is that aggression exempt?
I save my sympathies for the non-combatants and conscripts who get caught in the middle of the fights between fascist, racist, imperialist gangs.
IMO, the SMO is NOT fascist, racist, imperialist aggression. Rather, as I said, it is opposition to those things.
And one can sympathize with the non combatants and the conscripts, while still believing the above. They are not mutually exclusive. Indeed, the death and suffering of the non combatants and the conscripts is on the heads of the racists, fascists, and imperialists, ie the USA, NATO, and the Kiev Neo Nazi regime.
” Indeed, the death and suffering of the non combatants and the conscripts is on the heads of the racists, fascists, and imperialists, ie the USA, NATO, the Kiev Neo Nazi regime and the Russian regime.”
Fixed, no charge.
Every regime involved owns what happens here.
Just don’t buy it. And find it a simplistic, and kind of a cop out, position to take.
The USA is clearly in the wrong. As are its allies, clients, and puppets.
Noticing that the Crips and the Latin Lords are both violent street gangs is not a “cop-out.” It’s acknowledging a fact of reality.
And states are just violent street gangs with more powerful weapons and better public relations skills.
There isn’t a “good guy” in this conflict.
To me, the SMO resembles more the struggles against aggressive fascism, racism and imperialism that I mentioned above, than it does a gang war.
Your analogy is more colorful, but I think my comparison is more apt.
When aggressive fascists/racists/imperialists fight other aggressive fascists/racists/imperialists, it’s not a struggle against aggressive fascism/racism/imperialism. It’s just a struggle to decide which fascist/racist/imperialist gang gets to be in charge.
Complete distortion of reality.
According to the Hague the supreme international crime is the crime of aggression. In 2014 we overthrew the Government in Kiev and placed literal Nazi’s in power who started an ethnic cleansing campaign of Russian speakers in the Donbass, but Russia Russia Russia right?
Russia is not guilty of aggression, we are. And without our aggression none of this would of occurred, hence why the Hague calls aggression the Supreme International Crime.
You can create your own reality, but the Hague ruling still stands today. The SMO may have started 24th February but the aggression that lead to the SMO started in 2014. After 2 prior wars in the Donbass which lead to 2 peace agreements that we broke. Remember the Minsk agreements? Brokered by Russia and were suppose to lead to peace.
You of course would have to prove fascist, racist, imperialist Russian aggression. This is just more bigoted, racist nonsense and you know better.
According to the Hague the supreme international crime is the crime of aggression. In 2014 we overthrew the Government in Kiev and placed literal Nazi’s in power who started an ethnic cleansing campaign of Russian speakers in the Donbass, but Russia Russia Russia right?
Russia is not guilty of aggression, we are.
Why would Russia face that “decision?” Does everyone else face the “decision” to hit bases in Russia every time a Russian-made rocket lands anywhere on Earth?
It was a HIMARS missile strike – as simple as that.
I wish the Russians would stop lying about stuff like these – the cruiser Moskva comes to mind.
Putin better not be following some kind of globalist script “How to introduce a NWO”.
Otherwise, we are all already dead.
All the NeoCon strategy is based on their “high confidence” Russia is psychologically incapable of a first strike.
Once again, we see Antiwar.com buying into NATO/US/Neo Nazi Kiev regime propaganda, and making a big deal out of a pinprick attack on Russia. An attack that has no strategic significance at all. The MSM is desparate to report “bad news” for Russia and “good news” for Ukraine. Thus the Snake Islands, the bogus counteroffensives, the hoopla over one 40 year old sunk ship or a few potholes in a bridge, etc. OK, that is the MSM, and that is their job. But Antiwar.com should know, and do, better.
Kyiv’s forces continue their attempts to cause a nuclear disaster in Zaporozhye Region by striking the nuclear plant controlled by the local management but now in the controlled Russian region.
Nuclear terrorism? This is criminal insanity that i have no other words for.