Ukraine Crisis 2014
Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
It's not about what's in the trucks. It's all about the "escort" they will have to keep them safe as they cross the border into Ukraine.
There was growing concern over the Ukraine crisis on Friday night after Kiev claimed to have destroyed parts of a column of Russian military vehicles, with Nato accusing Moscow of launching an “incursion”.
Petro Poroshenko, the Ukrainian president, told David Cameron, the Prime Minister, that government artillery had destroyed a “considerable part” of a small military convoy that entered the country. The Telegraph witnessed a convoy of Russian armoured vehicles and military trucks crossing the border on Thursday night, but it was not clear whether it was the same convoy Ukraine claimed to have attacked.
Russia’s government denied its forces had crossed into Ukraine, calling the Ukrainian report “some kind of fantasy”.........
Scrutiny was focused on the border area this week because Russia sent a convoy of 270 trucks there with what they stated was humanitarian aid destined for civilians caught in the conflict zone in eastern Ukraine. The trucks, dispatched from Moscow region, rumbled to a halt about 20 miles short of the border with Ukraine on Thursday and have been standing there since......
On Friday, Russia’s foreign ministry claimed it had information that Ukraine’s Aidar battalion, a government-endorsed unit of paramilitaries, was planning to mine the convoy’s route to Luhansk. The idea, the ministry said, was to “destroy the vehicles with humanitarian cargo and the people escorting them and then accuse the [pro-Russian] militia of terrorist activity”.......
A military build-up on the Russian side of the border appeared to continue, with a large convoy of armoured personnel carriers and military lorries seen moving towards the checkpoint at Donetsk, not to be confused with the rebel-held city of the same name in eastern Ukraine. Dozens of military trucks and armoured personnel carriers, many flying Russian flags and emblazoned with MS – the Russian initials denoting a peacekeeping unit – turned off the M4 motorway towards the Donetsk crossing........
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The idea, the ministry said, was to “destroy the vehicles with humanitarian cargo and the people escorting them and then accuse the [pro-Russian] militia of terrorist activity”.......
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BBC News - Ukraine crisis: Rebel leader says Russian arms on way
Somebodys not keeping to script
A rebel leader in eastern Ukraine has said a convoy of military hardware is on its way to the region from Russia.
Alexander Zakharchenko, self-proclaimed PM of the Donetsk rebel area, said 150 vehicles and 1,200 personnel were approaching their border.
Russia has denied claims by Ukraine and Western reporters that military aid to the rebels is crossing over.
Alexander Zakharchenko, self-proclaimed PM of the Donetsk rebel area, said 150 vehicles and 1,200 personnel were approaching their border.
Russia has denied claims by Ukraine and Western reporters that military aid to the rebels is crossing over.
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Here's one for Ronald Mcdonald..Freedom marches forwards..
"Moscow appears to have blocked efforts hold a march in favour of Siberian independence this weekend, but that doesn’t mean the sentiment isn’t spreading.."
From Siberia to Kaliningrad: the fledgling independence movements gaining traction in Russia | World news | theguardian.com
From Siberia to Kaliningrad: the fledgling independence movements gaining traction in Russia | World news | theguardian.com
Currently doing the rounds on the various military forums. Claims of separatists being seen with new Russian kit. BTR-82A? Ukrainian plates on the car in second video.
BTR-82A armoured infantry fighting vehicle technical data sheet specifications description pictures*-*Army Recognition*-*Army Recognition
BTR-82A armoured infantry fighting vehicle technical data sheet specifications description pictures*-*Army Recognition*-*Army Recognition
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Russia aid convoy: International Red Cross and border guards to check before it enters Ukrainian territory ? video | World | The Guardian
Of course the pitiful supplies in them might just be a Trojan horse, they may be delivering trucks to the rebels...
Of course the pitiful supplies in them might just be a Trojan horse, they may be delivering trucks to the rebels...
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ORAC
Yep, the law of harsh reality, one wonders if Russia is still selling the Ukrainians lost hardware.
If the West isn't selling to them, one would imagine they could run low of the stuff they can't manufacture.
Yep, the law of harsh reality, one wonders if Russia is still selling the Ukrainians lost hardware.
If the West isn't selling to them, one would imagine they could run low of the stuff they can't manufacture.
Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
All images on the link below, just a couple here....
Ukraine: artillery shells fall, but without a sound
Despite the legacy media maintaining its policy of reporting only one foreign crisis at a time, with Iraq being the fashionable crisis for the moment, serious events are unfolding in Ukraine. As it stands, the Donbass cities of Donetsk and Luhansk are variously under siege, liberated by Ukrainian forces who have broken though the rebel lines, in the midst of vicious fighting and/or under the control of pro-Moscow separatists.
Most if not all journalists seem to have deserted the front lines, so "mainstream" reports are coming via Kiev, copied out from military spokesmen, through TASS in Moscow, or from journalists such as Andrew Roth, NY Times, Reporter for the Moscow Bureau camped out on the Russian side of the Ukrainian border, many miles from any action. And since Roth, like his colleagues, seems unable to distinguish between a BUK battery command unit and a "military transport" (pictured top), we are not going to get much sense from the girlie-boys. Meanwhile, social media is offering persistent reports of Russian equipment crossing the border, to be seen later inside Ukraine, including pictures of towed 122mm gun-howitzers (probably 2A18 models – one pictured above), and ultra-modern T-72B1 main battle tanks (pictured below).
In a statement, the new head of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, Aleksandr Zakharchenko, then admits that the separatists have received at least 1,200 troops, 30 tanks and 120 armoured vehicles from Russia, which he calls "heavy reinforcements". With reports of gun battles in the centre of Donetsk, Ukrainian shelling, and the use of Grad BM-21s (Katyushas), plus major Russian military movements, reportedly close to the border, there can be doubt that we are seeing a significant escalation in this conflict. Add also the movement of a complete BUK battery, including (unusually) replenishment missiles (pictured below), plus diverse hardware such as Strella 10 launchers (short-range AA missiles), and there are no signs that either side is preparing to back down.
Earlier, we were seeing nothing much more than BMD light tanks, and their counterpart BTR-D tracked APCs, plus the ubiquitous BTR-80 series APCs, but now we are seeing the heavy metal, this suggests that things are way past the skirmishing stage. The indications are that the protagonists are drifting into a full-blown war.
Yet, apart from reports on an attack on a refugee convoy, reportedly killing 15, there is scarcely any reporting of current events in the western media. The peoples of Ukraine have little in the way of dead baby porn, and no refugees trapped on a mountain for breathless hacks to interview. There is no "caliphate" to keep Mr Cameron awake on his holiday bed in Cornwall, and even the "humanitarian aid" convoy seems to have disappeared. But then, the fighting in eastern Ukraine has only killed 2,086 people, according to United Nations estimates, including civilians and combatants, the casualty rate doubling since the end of July, when Ukrainian forces stepped up their offensive and fighting started in urban areas.
Thus, it seems, they must wait for the drama in Iraq to play itself out, before their conflict becomes fashionable again, and the press devote some attention to their suffering. Until then, one might even ask, when an artillery shell falls and there is no journalist to witness it, whether it even makes a sound.
Ukraine: artillery shells fall, but without a sound
Despite the legacy media maintaining its policy of reporting only one foreign crisis at a time, with Iraq being the fashionable crisis for the moment, serious events are unfolding in Ukraine. As it stands, the Donbass cities of Donetsk and Luhansk are variously under siege, liberated by Ukrainian forces who have broken though the rebel lines, in the midst of vicious fighting and/or under the control of pro-Moscow separatists.
Most if not all journalists seem to have deserted the front lines, so "mainstream" reports are coming via Kiev, copied out from military spokesmen, through TASS in Moscow, or from journalists such as Andrew Roth, NY Times, Reporter for the Moscow Bureau camped out on the Russian side of the Ukrainian border, many miles from any action. And since Roth, like his colleagues, seems unable to distinguish between a BUK battery command unit and a "military transport" (pictured top), we are not going to get much sense from the girlie-boys. Meanwhile, social media is offering persistent reports of Russian equipment crossing the border, to be seen later inside Ukraine, including pictures of towed 122mm gun-howitzers (probably 2A18 models – one pictured above), and ultra-modern T-72B1 main battle tanks (pictured below).
In a statement, the new head of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, Aleksandr Zakharchenko, then admits that the separatists have received at least 1,200 troops, 30 tanks and 120 armoured vehicles from Russia, which he calls "heavy reinforcements". With reports of gun battles in the centre of Donetsk, Ukrainian shelling, and the use of Grad BM-21s (Katyushas), plus major Russian military movements, reportedly close to the border, there can be doubt that we are seeing a significant escalation in this conflict. Add also the movement of a complete BUK battery, including (unusually) replenishment missiles (pictured below), plus diverse hardware such as Strella 10 launchers (short-range AA missiles), and there are no signs that either side is preparing to back down.
Earlier, we were seeing nothing much more than BMD light tanks, and their counterpart BTR-D tracked APCs, plus the ubiquitous BTR-80 series APCs, but now we are seeing the heavy metal, this suggests that things are way past the skirmishing stage. The indications are that the protagonists are drifting into a full-blown war.
Yet, apart from reports on an attack on a refugee convoy, reportedly killing 15, there is scarcely any reporting of current events in the western media. The peoples of Ukraine have little in the way of dead baby porn, and no refugees trapped on a mountain for breathless hacks to interview. There is no "caliphate" to keep Mr Cameron awake on his holiday bed in Cornwall, and even the "humanitarian aid" convoy seems to have disappeared. But then, the fighting in eastern Ukraine has only killed 2,086 people, according to United Nations estimates, including civilians and combatants, the casualty rate doubling since the end of July, when Ukrainian forces stepped up their offensive and fighting started in urban areas.
Thus, it seems, they must wait for the drama in Iraq to play itself out, before their conflict becomes fashionable again, and the press devote some attention to their suffering. Until then, one might even ask, when an artillery shell falls and there is no journalist to witness it, whether it even makes a sound.
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In a statement, the new head of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, Aleksandr Zakharchenko, then admits that the separatists have received at least 1,200 troops, 30 tanks and 120 armoured vehicles from Russia, which he calls "heavy reinforcements". With reports of gun battles in the centre of Donetsk, Ukrainian shelling, and the use of Grad BM-21s (Katyushas), plus major Russian military movements, reportedly close to the border, there can be doubt that we are seeing a significant escalation in this conflict. Add also the movement of a complete BUK battery, including (unusually) replenishment missiles (pictured below), plus diverse hardware such as Strella 10 launchers (short-range AA missiles), and there are no signs that either side is preparing to back down.
I wonder what the response would have been if the US announced they were sending 1200 troops, 30 Abrams and 120 armoured vehicles. In accordance with the defence accord agreed when the gave away their nukes.
Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
Too little, too late by Putin?
Ukraine: is it war?
If it isn't an invasion, it's looks like something very close it, as reports come in from here, seemingly confirmed by a Ukrainian official, that a Russian convoy of 150 vehicles, including 40 MBTs, has broken through into the greater Luhansk city area.
What seems to stack this up is a report in the Mail, which has picked up tank transporters carrying what it says are T-90s heading towards the Ukrainian border, and returning empty (top and below). As of this morning, the Kiev Post is endorsing the earlier reports.
Even as we see a graphic report of an air attack on Luhansk, Reuters seems way behind the curve, and I don't see any other media reporting the convoy breakthrough. But if the reports are correct, we are about to see a major turnaround in the fortunes of the separatists, with the Russians seemingly unconcerned about concealing their involvement.
It could, of course, be the case that the tanks seen by the Mail have merely been laagered close to the Ukrainian border, awaiting orders. But that much heavy metal close to a war zone bodes no good. At the very least, this racks up the tension, despite the New York Times talking of a "fading rebellion".
At worst, the NYT is hopelessly off beam and we're looking at all-out war.
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'Fighting underway' in center of Ukraine's Luhansk
Dmitry Tymchuk's military blog: Russian military equipment breaks through to Luhansk to reinforce militants
The bad news:
1. Unfortunately, we can confirm the fact that the column of Russian military equipment broke through to Luhansk today to back up the local militants. Some of the equipment arrived from Russia earlier, while other vehicles entered Donbas today from the territory of the Russian Federation.
According to our data, a few dozen units of military equipment broke through into the neighborhood of Luhansk, up to 40 of them are heavy armored vehicles. Part of this column entered the city.
How the column of vehicles could have broken through the blockade line, considering the fact that Luhansk is being blocked by a circle of checkpoints and fortified strongpoints of ATO forces–we currently cannot say.
2. LNR [Luhansk People's Republic] terrorists argue that the shooting of the refugee convoy yesterday near Luhansk–was not them. This claim was made by I. [Ihor] Plotnitskiy, one of the insurgents’ leaders.
This statement could possibly confuse a casual observer who might erroneously think that this sinful deed that was committed, that such a terrible crime could be attributable to the ATO forces who shelled the convoy by mistake. If it were not for one “but.” The leader of the terrorists began swearing that the insurgents do not get thrown weapons from Russia, he said, “all military equipment is battle loot and was captured in battle.”
And here everything falls into place. It’s hard to assume that the insurgents could seize dozens of tanks and MLRS [Multiple Launch Rocket Systems] from the Ukrainian army, and it’s even less understandable where Ukrainian troops would get weapons and equipment available only in the Russian army, such as armored KamAZ trucks, the newest armored BTR-82 vehicles, Kord machine guns, AK [Kalashnikov] Series 100 automatic rifles, etc. etc.–this list is endless.
This lie about the weapons also proves the lie about the [fact of] the shelling of the convoy. But this little warlord, stuck deep in his lies, didn’t even use his brains when feeding his lies to the public......
Ukraine: is it war?
If it isn't an invasion, it's looks like something very close it, as reports come in from here, seemingly confirmed by a Ukrainian official, that a Russian convoy of 150 vehicles, including 40 MBTs, has broken through into the greater Luhansk city area.
What seems to stack this up is a report in the Mail, which has picked up tank transporters carrying what it says are T-90s heading towards the Ukrainian border, and returning empty (top and below). As of this morning, the Kiev Post is endorsing the earlier reports.
Even as we see a graphic report of an air attack on Luhansk, Reuters seems way behind the curve, and I don't see any other media reporting the convoy breakthrough. But if the reports are correct, we are about to see a major turnaround in the fortunes of the separatists, with the Russians seemingly unconcerned about concealing their involvement.
It could, of course, be the case that the tanks seen by the Mail have merely been laagered close to the Ukrainian border, awaiting orders. But that much heavy metal close to a war zone bodes no good. At the very least, this racks up the tension, despite the New York Times talking of a "fading rebellion".
At worst, the NYT is hopelessly off beam and we're looking at all-out war.
-----------------------------------------------------------
'Fighting underway' in center of Ukraine's Luhansk
Dmitry Tymchuk's military blog: Russian military equipment breaks through to Luhansk to reinforce militants
The bad news:
1. Unfortunately, we can confirm the fact that the column of Russian military equipment broke through to Luhansk today to back up the local militants. Some of the equipment arrived from Russia earlier, while other vehicles entered Donbas today from the territory of the Russian Federation.
According to our data, a few dozen units of military equipment broke through into the neighborhood of Luhansk, up to 40 of them are heavy armored vehicles. Part of this column entered the city.
How the column of vehicles could have broken through the blockade line, considering the fact that Luhansk is being blocked by a circle of checkpoints and fortified strongpoints of ATO forces–we currently cannot say.
2. LNR [Luhansk People's Republic] terrorists argue that the shooting of the refugee convoy yesterday near Luhansk–was not them. This claim was made by I. [Ihor] Plotnitskiy, one of the insurgents’ leaders.
This statement could possibly confuse a casual observer who might erroneously think that this sinful deed that was committed, that such a terrible crime could be attributable to the ATO forces who shelled the convoy by mistake. If it were not for one “but.” The leader of the terrorists began swearing that the insurgents do not get thrown weapons from Russia, he said, “all military equipment is battle loot and was captured in battle.”
And here everything falls into place. It’s hard to assume that the insurgents could seize dozens of tanks and MLRS [Multiple Launch Rocket Systems] from the Ukrainian army, and it’s even less understandable where Ukrainian troops would get weapons and equipment available only in the Russian army, such as armored KamAZ trucks, the newest armored BTR-82 vehicles, Kord machine guns, AK [Kalashnikov] Series 100 automatic rifles, etc. etc.–this list is endless.
This lie about the weapons also proves the lie about the [fact of] the shelling of the convoy. But this little warlord, stuck deep in his lies, didn’t even use his brains when feeding his lies to the public......
www.liveUAmap.com Normally have very up to date events and shows the front lines (seems to be down at the moment)
Don't be under any illusion, Russia and Ukraine are at war. Most of the 'separatists' are long dead and the Ukrainian army is fighting against Russian army and Russian mercenaries who are being armed to the teeth with a stream of tanks and heavy weapons.
Ukrainians are still winning though.
www.interpretermag.com is another useful source.
Don't be under any illusion, Russia and Ukraine are at war. Most of the 'separatists' are long dead and the Ukrainian army is fighting against Russian army and Russian mercenaries who are being armed to the teeth with a stream of tanks and heavy weapons.
Ukrainians are still winning though.
www.interpretermag.com is another useful source.
Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
U.S. says Russia must pull convoy from Ukraine or face more sanctions
(Reuters) - The United States demanded Moscow remove an aid convoy it sent into rebel-held eastern Ukraine without permission on Friday, accusing Russia of a flagrant violation of the sovereignty of its former Soviet neighbour and threatening more sanctions. Moscow, which has thousands of troops close to the Russian side of the border, warned against any attempt to "disrupt" the convoy, which it said was purely humanitarian; it did not say what action it might take if the Ukrainian military intervened.
NATO said Russian troops had been firing artillery across the border and within Ukraine in a major escalation of military support for pro-Moscow rebels since mid-August, a defacto charge that Russia was already waging war. White House deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes said Washington planned to discuss the situation with the U.N. Security Council on Friday and that if the convoy was not pulled out, the Russians would face "additional costs".......
Russia said it was not breaching international law and that Russian President Vladimir Putin had told German Chancellor Angela Merkel in a telephone call Moscow had been unable to wait any longer for Kiev's green light to help people in distress. Merkel, who also spoke to Poroshenko, expressed her great concern, praising the Ukrainians for a "prudent" reaction and calling for a speedy ceasefire and shoring up of the frontier.........
A Reuters witness said the white-painted trucks had crossed onto Ukrainian soil and headed towards the rebel stronghold of Luhansk escorted by a small number of separatist fighters. The presence of the Russian trucks could force Ukrainian troops encircling Luhansk to rein in their offensive against the rebels there, because if they hit one of the Russian vehicles, that could give Moscow justification for a full-scale invasion......
"We warn against any attempts to disrupt this purely humanitarian mission," the Russian foreign ministry said. "Responsibility for any possible consequences of provocations ... will lie, completely and entirely, with those who are prepared to further sacrifice human lives for the sake of their ambitions and geo-political ploys."
The International Committee of the Red Cross, which both Moscow and Kiev had agreed should supervise the convoy, said it was not escorting it "due to the volatile security situation".
The entry of the trucks ran counter to the arrangement agreed with the ICRC and was a clear violation of the border, Sebastien Brabant, spokesman for the European Union's foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, said. NATO went a step further. "These developments are even more worrying as they coincide with a major escalation in Russian military involvement in eastern Ukraine since mid-August, including the use of Russian forces," Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said.......
(Reuters) - The United States demanded Moscow remove an aid convoy it sent into rebel-held eastern Ukraine without permission on Friday, accusing Russia of a flagrant violation of the sovereignty of its former Soviet neighbour and threatening more sanctions. Moscow, which has thousands of troops close to the Russian side of the border, warned against any attempt to "disrupt" the convoy, which it said was purely humanitarian; it did not say what action it might take if the Ukrainian military intervened.
NATO said Russian troops had been firing artillery across the border and within Ukraine in a major escalation of military support for pro-Moscow rebels since mid-August, a defacto charge that Russia was already waging war. White House deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes said Washington planned to discuss the situation with the U.N. Security Council on Friday and that if the convoy was not pulled out, the Russians would face "additional costs".......
Russia said it was not breaching international law and that Russian President Vladimir Putin had told German Chancellor Angela Merkel in a telephone call Moscow had been unable to wait any longer for Kiev's green light to help people in distress. Merkel, who also spoke to Poroshenko, expressed her great concern, praising the Ukrainians for a "prudent" reaction and calling for a speedy ceasefire and shoring up of the frontier.........
A Reuters witness said the white-painted trucks had crossed onto Ukrainian soil and headed towards the rebel stronghold of Luhansk escorted by a small number of separatist fighters. The presence of the Russian trucks could force Ukrainian troops encircling Luhansk to rein in their offensive against the rebels there, because if they hit one of the Russian vehicles, that could give Moscow justification for a full-scale invasion......
"We warn against any attempts to disrupt this purely humanitarian mission," the Russian foreign ministry said. "Responsibility for any possible consequences of provocations ... will lie, completely and entirely, with those who are prepared to further sacrifice human lives for the sake of their ambitions and geo-political ploys."
The International Committee of the Red Cross, which both Moscow and Kiev had agreed should supervise the convoy, said it was not escorting it "due to the volatile security situation".
The entry of the trucks ran counter to the arrangement agreed with the ICRC and was a clear violation of the border, Sebastien Brabant, spokesman for the European Union's foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, said. NATO went a step further. "These developments are even more worrying as they coincide with a major escalation in Russian military involvement in eastern Ukraine since mid-August, including the use of Russian forces," Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said.......
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Apparently a lot of the trucks are now leaving. A reporter says that a lot of them looked empty on the way in, and logistically they couldn't have unloaded them in under a day. BBC I think it was.
Anyway, the whole convoy thing is a big game Putins playing. What the F%$k it is ,and his end game is who know's
Anyway, the whole convoy thing is a big game Putins playing. What the F%$k it is ,and his end game is who know's
Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
Russians Open Fire in Ukraine, NATO Reports
KIEV, Ukraine — Russia on Friday escalated tensions with Ukraine to the highest level since its stealthy invasion of Crimea in the spring, sending more than 200 trucks from a long-stalled aid convoy into rebel-held eastern Ukraine over the objections of Kiev and, NATO said, conducting military operations on Ukrainian territory.
NATO officials said that the Russian military had moved artillery units inside Ukrainian territory in recent days and was using them to fire at Ukrainian forces. Russia has repeatedly denied sending troops or military hardware into Ukraine, just as it denied any link to the unidentified gunmen who paved the way for Moscow’s annexation of Crimea — until President Vladimir V. Putin stated in April that Russian troops were “of course” involved.
There has been “a major escalation in Russian military involvement in eastern Ukraine since mid-August, including the use of Russian forces,” Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen of NATO said in a statement. “Russian artillery support — both cross-border and from within Ukraine — is being employed against the Ukrainian armed forces,” Mr. Rasmussen added. Mr. Rasmussen did not say how many Russian artillery pieces had moved into Ukraine or where they were located, but one Western official said the number of Russian-operated artillery units was “substantial.”
The NATO allegations are based on intelligence reports from several alliance members, Western officials said, and the allegation generally echoed Ukrainian claims in recent days of an expanding Russian military involvement in support of pro-Russian rebels who are battling to hold off a Ukrainian offensive. A NATO spokeswoman, Oana Lungescu, also said that the alliance had receive multiple reports of the direct involvement of Russian airborne, air defense and special operations forces in Eastern Ukraine.
The NATO statements added new pressure on Moscow before a flurry of diplomacy in coming days, including a visit to Kiev on Saturday by the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, and a scheduled meeting next week between President Petro O. Poroshenko of Ukraine and his Russian counterpart, Mr. Putin, in Minsk, Belarus. Ms. Merkel spoke by telephone with the Russian and Ukrainian presidents on Friday and “expressed her great concern” over Russia’s unilateral decision to move its aid trucks into Ukraine, her spokesman said. She also spoke with President Obama and, according to the White House, both leaders agreed that the arrival of the convoy represented “a violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a long statement saying in essence that it had authorized the crossing because it was fed up with stalling by the government in Kiev. Russian news agencies quoted a spokesman for Mr. Putin as saying that he had been informed of the convoy’s movements. “All the excuses to delay the delivery of aid to people in the area of a humanitarian catastrophe are exhausted,” the ministry said. “The Russian side has made a decision to act. Our column with humanitarian cargo starts moving toward Luhansk.”
That brought a curt response from a spokeswoman from the Obama administration. “It is important to remember that Russia is purporting to alleviate a humanitarian situation which Russia itself created,” Caitlin Hayden, the spokeswoman for the National Security Council, said in a statement. “If Russia really wants to ease the humanitarian situation in eastern Ukraine, it could do so today by halting its supply of weapons, equipment, and fighters to its proxies,” she added........
KIEV, Ukraine — Russia on Friday escalated tensions with Ukraine to the highest level since its stealthy invasion of Crimea in the spring, sending more than 200 trucks from a long-stalled aid convoy into rebel-held eastern Ukraine over the objections of Kiev and, NATO said, conducting military operations on Ukrainian territory.
NATO officials said that the Russian military had moved artillery units inside Ukrainian territory in recent days and was using them to fire at Ukrainian forces. Russia has repeatedly denied sending troops or military hardware into Ukraine, just as it denied any link to the unidentified gunmen who paved the way for Moscow’s annexation of Crimea — until President Vladimir V. Putin stated in April that Russian troops were “of course” involved.
There has been “a major escalation in Russian military involvement in eastern Ukraine since mid-August, including the use of Russian forces,” Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen of NATO said in a statement. “Russian artillery support — both cross-border and from within Ukraine — is being employed against the Ukrainian armed forces,” Mr. Rasmussen added. Mr. Rasmussen did not say how many Russian artillery pieces had moved into Ukraine or where they were located, but one Western official said the number of Russian-operated artillery units was “substantial.”
The NATO allegations are based on intelligence reports from several alliance members, Western officials said, and the allegation generally echoed Ukrainian claims in recent days of an expanding Russian military involvement in support of pro-Russian rebels who are battling to hold off a Ukrainian offensive. A NATO spokeswoman, Oana Lungescu, also said that the alliance had receive multiple reports of the direct involvement of Russian airborne, air defense and special operations forces in Eastern Ukraine.
The NATO statements added new pressure on Moscow before a flurry of diplomacy in coming days, including a visit to Kiev on Saturday by the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, and a scheduled meeting next week between President Petro O. Poroshenko of Ukraine and his Russian counterpart, Mr. Putin, in Minsk, Belarus. Ms. Merkel spoke by telephone with the Russian and Ukrainian presidents on Friday and “expressed her great concern” over Russia’s unilateral decision to move its aid trucks into Ukraine, her spokesman said. She also spoke with President Obama and, according to the White House, both leaders agreed that the arrival of the convoy represented “a violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a long statement saying in essence that it had authorized the crossing because it was fed up with stalling by the government in Kiev. Russian news agencies quoted a spokesman for Mr. Putin as saying that he had been informed of the convoy’s movements. “All the excuses to delay the delivery of aid to people in the area of a humanitarian catastrophe are exhausted,” the ministry said. “The Russian side has made a decision to act. Our column with humanitarian cargo starts moving toward Luhansk.”
That brought a curt response from a spokeswoman from the Obama administration. “It is important to remember that Russia is purporting to alleviate a humanitarian situation which Russia itself created,” Caitlin Hayden, the spokeswoman for the National Security Council, said in a statement. “If Russia really wants to ease the humanitarian situation in eastern Ukraine, it could do so today by halting its supply of weapons, equipment, and fighters to its proxies,” she added........
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Well done to Russia for sending this humanitarian aid, what a true act of kindness.
Seeing the joke comments from western governments really makes me laugh. Its obvious they have no morals what so ever and care nothing about innocent civilians.
Seeing the joke comments from western governments really makes me laugh. Its obvious they have no morals what so ever and care nothing about innocent civilians.
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Prat.
....
....
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The heroes in action delivering the aid
http://youtu.be/vhGTOs1CfCI
http://youtu.be/vhGTOs1CfCI