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31.08.2015, 10:51
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| | Re: World War 3 or just a local spat in Ukraine?
More doubts...
« 90% of Kiev’s Donbass intel last summer ‘appeared untrue’ bringing Kiev’s accusations against Russia even more into question.»
— Viktor Muzhenko, head of Ukraine’s General Staff
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31.08.2015, 11:24
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| | Re: World War 3 or just a local spat in Ukraine?
^^ Indeed, Russia's "hybrid war" is centered in disinformation, obfuscation, etc. to keep the reality murky and confused, so it's hard to get a 100% accurate picture of whats actually happening.
I think Ukraine has done very well in getting the overall picture tho, and of course NATO/US/EU who has probably better intel (ie: satellites, etc) can see the bigger picture as well in terms of Russian troop movements (hence sanctions against Russia). This report is probably the most accurate to date of Russian troop numbers in Ukraine.
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12.09.2015, 23:22
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| | Re: World War 3 or just a local spat in Ukraine?
Sep. 1st ceasefire seems to be holding; maybe there is some hope of peace?
Or people are playing a new complicated game?
I suppose the Russians don't want a shooting war going on towards the end of the year when EU sanction renewals will be discussed?
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18.09.2015, 01:17
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| | Re: World War 3 or just a local spat in Ukraine? | Quote: | |  | | | Sep. 1st ceasefire seems to be holding; maybe there is some hope of peace?
Or people are playing a new complicated game?
I suppose the Russians don't want a shooting war going on towards the end of the year when EU sanction renewals will be discussed? | | | | | Maybe it is simply due to the Russian new military adventures in Syria, Russia does not have unlimited resources to support military action in multiple theatres.
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19.09.2015, 13:13
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| | Re: World War 3 or just a local spat in Ukraine?
Surprise, Surprise, life in Crimea is not so lovely!
Interesting reminder for those ex-Soviet Republics who may be thinking the new Russia is a big improvement over the old Soviet.....!
ODIHR and HCNM report identifies widespread human rights violations, discrimination and legal irregularities in Crimea, link here.
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15.10.2015, 23:42
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| | Re: World War 3 or just a local spat in Ukraine?
Rocket launchers unique to only Russia's aresenal were spotted in Ukraine last month by OSCE monitors, and Russia has not yet replied as to how they got there.
Very nasty weapon that was appeared to have been used by Russians on cross-border attacks on Ukrainian troops at the onset of the war: | Quote: |  | | | Russian-supplied artillery shells and rockets were used to devastating effect against Ukraine's personnel and armor units. They used scatterable land mine munitions that hit tanks at their most vulnerable points and thermobaric warheads, which ignite and kill everything within several acres. One three-minute combined rocket and thermobaric attack wiped out two Ukrainian mechanized battalions in Zelenopillya, Karber said. http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/w...yria/73595252/ | | | | | | Quote: |  | | | “A drone showed up in the sky before every episode of shelling,” he says. “We were trying to hit it but we lacked the ammunition to be able to do that. After every shelling, we carried our wounded across the Russian border as it was impossible for us to transport them through Ukrainian territory. So in the morning we were handing over our wounded to Russians as a report on their work.”
Denys and his unit saw a massacre at Zelenopillya on 11 July, where dozens of Ukrainian soldiers were killed by Grads. “We saw a glow from that [the attack at Zelenopillya] because we were not far away from them. They burned them alive, they [the Ukrainian soldiers] didn’t even manage to jump out from trucks,” he says. “On the next day the same started to us. http://www.theguardian.com/world/201...e-burned-alive | | | | | | Quote: |  | | | Ukrainian soldier from the 79th Mykolaiv airmobile brigade Kostiantyn Poliakov wrote on Facebook that the first battalion of the 79th brigade had been almost completely destroyed during a night attack.
The Ukrainian Defense Ministry later reported that 19 soldiers were killed and 93 were wounded in the attack on Zelenopillya.
All the wounded were in extremely grave condition. They were sent to the best Ukrainian doctors, who described what they saw as 'hell' and confessed they had never seen such severe wounds before.
Nurses who took care of the wounded used to faint. "These are wounded men who lost their eyes, legs.
Read more on UNIAN: http://www.unian.info/war/1099656-uk...-year-ago.html | | | | | | 
16.10.2015, 11:17
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| | Re: World War 3 or just a local spat in Ukraine? | Quote: | |  | | |
Rocket launchers unique to only Russia's aresenal were spotted in Ukraine last month by OSCE monitors, and Russia has not yet replied as to how they got there.
Very nasty weapon that was appeared to have been used by Russians on cross-border attacks on Ukrainian troops at the onset of the war:
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The US must have a room full of very high quality satellite photos of this and other modern Russian devices in Ukraine.
I wonder why they do not show them?
Are they frightened of Putin?
Are they secretly showing them to Putin to get concessions?
Or?
All very mysterious??
Thinking about photos; at one time the rebels claimed to be using a BUK stolen from an Ukrainian base. But there was never any evidence provided like photos or a serial number.
BTW, not the first time these rocket launchers and other advanced Russian weapons were found in Ukraine by OSCE, look here. http://www.osce.org/fsc/161961?download=true
Last edited by marton; 16.10.2015 at 11:35.
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16.10.2015, 15:15
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| | Re: World War 3 or just a local spat in Ukraine? | Quote: | |  | | | The US must have a room full of very high quality satellite photos of this and other modern Russian devices in Ukraine.
I wonder why they do not show them?
Are they frightened of Putin?
Are they secretly showing them to Putin to get concessions?
Or? | | | | | There's ample evidence of Russia's involvement in E.Ukraine on the ground already, as shown in the report you linked, and many others. What difference would some US satellite photos make?  The US has released low-resolution evidence of Russian GRAD attacks into Ukraine, and that didn't change anything.
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16.10.2015, 16:41
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| | Re: World War 3 or just a local spat in Ukraine? | Quote: | |  | | | Thinking about photos; at one time the rebels claimed to be using a BUK stolen from an Ukrainian base. But there was never any evidence provided like photos or a serial number.
BTW, not the first time these rocket launchers and other advanced Russian weapons were found in Ukraine by OSCE, look here. http://www.osce.org/fsc/161961?download=true | | | | | The BUK is said to require several months of intensive training. Just getting the hands on one would not be enough by far to efficiently use it.
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17.10.2015, 00:43
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| | Re: World War 3 or just a local spat in Ukraine? | Quote: | |  | | | The BUK is said to require several months of intensive training. Just getting the hands on one would not be enough by far to efficiently use it. | | | | | Alot of the equipment in the hands of the "pro-Russian separatists" are complex and sophisticated weaponry that requires months of training. Powerful communication jammers, BUK anti-aircraft missiles, thermobaric missiles, T-72 tanks, high-tech drones. It's kind of funny how this all this equipment just suddenly appeared in their hands, and that they all knew how to effectively use it. It's almost as if there was a government nearby that was supplying it to them and training them how to use it. But since Russia denies that, it can't be them, so there must be another explanation. Hmmm.....
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05.11.2015, 11:30
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| | Re: World War 3 or just a local spat in Ukraine? | Quote: |  | | | Some in the east feel abandoned, stuck between Syria and a ceasefire they are reluctant to respect. Fighters insist that the war is not over – it’s only the tactics that have changed. “Our republic is not yet independent – it depends on help from Russia,” said Aleksey Markov, a nuclear physicist from Moscow and Shevchenko’s second-in-command. “We must first take more land, more industry, more cities. Only then can we finish the war.” Peotr Berykov, another of the Ghost Brigade’s upper ranks, accuses Moscow of threatening to withhold humanitarian aid to prevent rebels from taking unilateral action. “The Kremlin tells us: ‘An offensive would be bad politically. Wait. Otherwise we won’t send our white trucks’,” he said. “Without their help, civilians will starve.” | | | | | http://www.theguardian.com/world/201...ukraine-rebels
Moscow seems to want the Ukraine war to be "frozen", but the "Republics" that they created seem to be getting bored with the lack of fighting and want to take some more land from Ukraine.
There's been an uptick in small arms fighting, and Ukraine says they may stop withdrawing weapons from the front-lines if it continues. | Quote: |  | | | The Ukrainian government will stop withdrawing light weapons from the frontline of its war against separatists in the east if the pro-Russian rebels continue to violate a ceasefire, a senior security official said on Wednesday.
Fighting between Ukrainian forces and separatists in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions has killed more than 8,000 people since it started in mid-April 2014.
A ceasefire has broadly held since September, but both sides accuse each other of an increase in violations.
Oleksander Turchynov, secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defence Council, said there had been nine ceasefire violations by the rebels in the past 24 hours alone.
Read more at Reutershttp://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/04/us-ukraine-crisis-arms-idUSKCN0ST21520151104#f7yaK43qxXpmBko2.99 | | | | | The EU says Russia is not meeting it's end of the bargain, and sanctions will probably be re-newed in January. | Quote: |  | | | Russia is not fully abiding by the terms of the Minsk peace deal for Ukraine and this will be taken into account by the European Union when it reviews its sanctions on Russia before the end of the year, the chairman of EU leaders said on Wednesday.
It is "clear that the Minsk agreements (are) not yet fully implemented. This will need to be reflected in upcoming EU sanctions review," Donald Tusk said on Twitter.
Read more at Reutershttp://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/04/us-ukraine-russia-eu-sanctions-idUSKCN0ST1YR20151104#5AHIfOhx341YpgHm.99 | | | | | | 
07.11.2015, 20:41
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| | Re: World War 3 or just a local spat in Ukraine? | Quote: | |  | | | http://www.theguardian.com/world/201...ukraine-rebels
Moscow seems to want the Ukraine war to be "frozen", but the "Republics" that they created seem to be getting bored with the lack of fighting and want to take some more land from Ukraine.
There's been an uptick in small arms fighting, and Ukraine says they may stop withdrawing weapons from the front-lines if it continues.
The EU says Russia is not meeting it's end of the bargain, and sanctions will probably be re-newed in January. | | | | | About " Aleksey Markov, a nuclear physicist from Moscow and Shevchenko’s second-in-command. "
From Moscow? He said "Our republic is not yet independent" Our?
Good to see Ukrainians leading the situation | 
10.11.2015, 15:59
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| | Re: World War 3 or just a local spat in Ukraine?
Good read on the current situation in Ukraine: https://www.stratfor.com/geopolitica...hoice-ukraine#
In short: Russia is trying to force some kind of "peace" there, but "the devil is in the details", as neither side (Russia or Ukraine) can agree to the details of how that will work exactly.
Meanwhile, time seems to be on Ukraine's side, as the longer the situation remains unresolved, the sanctions against Russia stay in place, and Russia will burn through most of their reserve funds in 1-2 years, after which they will run into a financial crisis.
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10.11.2015, 21:00
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| | Re: World War 3 or just a local spat in Ukraine? Senate passes defense bill that halts Gitmo closure, gives military aid to Kiev & Syrian rebels
How much evidence needs to be piled up before Washington's minions here in Europe (Switzerland in particular) realize they're little more than the 'useful idiots' of an agenda they neither know nor understand? May the coming war be on their heads.
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10.11.2015, 22:41
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| | Re: World War 3 or just a local spat in Ukraine? | Quote: | |  | | | Good read on the current situation in Ukraine: https://www.stratfor.com/geopolitica...hoice-ukraine#
In short: Russia is trying to force some kind of "peace" there, but "the devil is in the details", as neither side (Russia or Ukraine) can agree to the details of how that will work exactly.
Meanwhile, time seems to be on Ukraine's side, as the longer the situation remains unresolved, the sanctions against Russia stay in place, and Russia will burn through most of their reserve funds in 1-2 years, after which they will run into a financial crisis. | | | | | If Putin does as rumoured and " doubles down " in Syria then likely he will move more resources from Ukraine and so be in an ever weaker situation there!
Clock is ticking....
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22.11.2015, 11:09
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| | Re: World War 3 or just a local spat in Ukraine?
Cannot these guys just stop ...
Crimea has been plunged into darkness after pylons carrying power lines which supply electricity from Ukraine were reportedly blown up on Saturday night.
Crimea without power after pylons 'blown up' http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-34893493 | This user would like to thank jacek for this useful post: | | 
22.11.2015, 11:35
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| | Re: World War 3 or just a local spat in Ukraine? | Quote: | |  | | | Cannot these guys just stop ...
Crimea has been plunged into darkness after pylons carrying power lines which supply electricity from Ukraine were reportedly blown up on Saturday night.
Crimea without power after pylons 'blown up' http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-34893493 | | | | |
The problem for Crimea is that it was and still is tightly integrated into the Ukraine infrastructure; water, power, etc.
Although Russia has claimed to spend billions with the usual Putin inner circle to make Crimea independent of Ukraine there has not been much visible progress.
Regrettable that activists have taken such violent steps!
Luckily the temperature in Crimea is currently well above average.
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22.11.2015, 12:16
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| | Re: World War 3 or just a local spat in Ukraine?
It's mainly the Crimean Tatars who are unhappy about repression living under Russian rule. Any protests in Crimea are immediately stopped by Russian police, so it seems they are trying their luck on the Ukrainian side of the border by blowing up generators supplying electricity to Crimea. Ukrainian authorities are trying to diffuse the situation, but without the heavy-handed methods of the Russian authorities, as Ukraine is more aligned with the Tatars politically. | Quote: |  | | | Both protest and negotiations were held also in Kyiv. Around 200 Crimean Tatars and other Ukrainians gathered in protest outside the President’s Administration on Saturday evening. It was later reported that Crimean Tatar leaders and Ukrainian MPs Mustafa Dzhemiliev and Refat Chubarov had spoken with President Petro Poroshenko for 40 minutes.
Lenur Islyamov also presented the position of those carrying out the blockade. Certainly the Crimean Tatars who initiated the blockade deny any part in what by the morning of Nov 20 was very obviously deliberate destruction of the pylons bringing electricity to Crimea. Mustafa Dzhemiliev, Chubarov and other Crimean Tatar leaders have, however, consistently called for blockades as a means of forcing Russia to stop grossly violating the rights of Crimean Tatars, ethnic Ukrainians and any who oppose Russian occupation. | | | | | http://khpg.org/en/index.php?id=1448154117 | 
22.11.2015, 14:18
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| | Re: World War 3 or just a local spat in Ukraine?
Altho the fighting has quieted down, there is still no political progress in E.Ukraine, so EU/US sanctions against Russia will remain in place. | Quote: |  | | | Western leaders who met on the margins of last week's Group of 20 summit in Turkey agreed to extend sanctions imposed on Russia for its intervention in Ukraine by six months until July of next year, a senior European diplomat told Reuters. | | | | | http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/1...0TA0XJ20151121 | This user would like to thank esto for this useful post: | | 
23.11.2015, 18:37
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| | Re: World War 3 or just a local spat in Ukraine?
Ukraine has suspended trade with Crimea, where a power blackout has caused major disruption.
Crimea hit by power blackout and Ukraine trade boycott http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-34899491 |
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