Protests in Ukraine escalate

[Natalka]

Russia starts military exercises, including anti-aircraft missile drills, near Ukraine border

Posted 4 Aug 2014

Russia has announced new military exercises involving bombers and fighter jets in a show of strength near the border with Ukraine.
More than 100 planes and helicopters will take part in the manoeuvres from Monday until Friday in central and western districts, a Russian air force spokesman was quoted by Interfax news agency as saying on Monday


The spokesman, Igor Klimov, said the exercises were the first in a series to improve military coordination. He made no mention of Ukraine, where pro-Russian rebels are fighting Ukrainian government forces.


The move is likely to alarm Western powers which have accused Russia of increasing the number of troops along its border with Ukraine and arming the rebels in eastern Ukraine. Moscow denies supplying the rebels with weapons.
Mr Klimov says aircraft such as Su-27 and MiG-31 fighter jets, Russia's newest frontline bomber the Su-34, and Mi-8, Mi-24 and Mi-28N helicopters will be used in the exercises, which will include missile firing.


The aircraft will be testing "aircraft weapons on land and air targets on new ranges, and will be conducting real and electronic launches of anti-aircraft missiles in Ashuluk (Astrakhan region in southern Russia) which is specifically designed to aid the coordination between aviation and anti-missile defence", he said.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-08-0...border/5647502

[Natalka]

Saying goodbye to the 13 dead from the Aidar Battalion of volunteers fighting in eastern Ukraine to preserve the country.

[Natalka]

Rebels fire on unarmed Ukraine troops on Tuesday

pro-Russian separatists opened fire on unarmed Ukrainian soldiers on Tuesday as they crossed back into Ukraine from Russia where they had taken shelter from fighting, Kyiv defence officials said.

Ukraine acknowledged on Monday that 311 soldiers and border guards had been forced by fighting with separatists to cross into Russia. It said they had destroyed their weapons before crossing the border, but the rebels said they had left them behind, enabling separatists to seize them.

"Today at about 6 a.m. (separatist) fighters treacherously fired on a column in which there were 195 unarmed Ukrainian troops returning from the Russian Federation," Andriy Lysenko, a spokesman for the national defence council, told Interfax news agency. He had no immediate word on casualties.

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Ukrainian fighters carried out air strikes on Monday night, destroying concentrations of rebels and military equipment, Kyiv's military information centre said, without giving details or casualty estimates.

As the Ukrainian army recaptures more territory from the separatists, Russia alarmed Kyiv on Monday by announcing military exercises near the long joint border.

More than 100 aircraft, including fighter jets and bombers, would take part in the manoeuvres this week in the central and western military districts, the Russian air forces said.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry condemned the Russian move on Tuesday and accused Moscow of continuing to arm the rebels.
"We categorically demand from the Russian side to put an end quickly to such criminal actions (and) to pull its troops back from the border with Ukraine," it said in a statement.

Ukrainian security officials said separatist fighters were launching counter-attacks to break a tightening noose around their positions while Ukrainians troops continued to come under mortar and artillery shelling from inside Russian territory.

Russian military equipment and consignments of arms continued to roll into Ukraine to supply the rebels, the Ukrainians said on Tuesday, though Moscow denied it is providing support for the rebels who seek to set up pro-Russian 'people's republics' in the east of Ukraine.

Kyiv's military information centre said rebels holding the town of Horlivka, about 100 km from the Russian border, were massing men and equipment to try to break through government lines which threaten to cut their main supply route from the east.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/ukraine...ting-1.2727574


A Ukrainian soldier, who fled the conflict territory, looks out from a tent at the camp near the Russia-Ukraine border just outside the village of Gukovo, Russia, on Monday.

[Natalka]

So interesting -



Prince William used a speech about the legacy of the First World War yesterday to highlight the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

In a rare foray into international diplomacy, the second in line to the throne suggested the Ukraine conflict was not just a localised war but a threat to the whole of Europe.
‘The events in Ukraine testify to the fact that instability continues to stalk our continent,’ he said.

He spoke at the Cointe Inter-allied Memorial in Belgium, where he was representing the Queen to commemorate the start of the Great War.

‘The events in Ukraine testify to the fact that instability continues to stalk our continent.’ As the prince spoke, news was breaking that Russia’s air force is to begin drills involving more than 100 aircraft from bases close to the Ukraine border.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...at-Europe.html

[Natalka]

OSCE: Ukrainian soldiers did not ask for asylum in Russia

None of the 437 Ukrainian troops, which were forced to temporarily cross into Russian territory, asked for asylum in Russia. The OSCE stated this in its observer mission report published on its official website.

The OSCE reported that Ukrainian army officers made contact with the OSCE Observer Mission to request OSCE assistance to open a passageway to the Gukovo border crossing point (BCP) of Russia for several hundred Ukrainian servicemen.

http://euromaidanpress.com/2014/08/05/osce-ukrainian-soldiers-did-not-ask-for-asylum-in-russia/

[Natalka]

Terrorists kidnap Red Cross representatives

At the August 6 briefing, Andriy Lysenko, spokesperson for the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, announced that terrorists had kidnapped three Red Cross representatives.
A video was shown with intercepted calls, whereby a group of terrorists reports to their leader about the capture and detention of several Red Cross representatives.
The terrorists claimed that they had detained three people: a driver, translator and a member of the Red Cross.
The terrorists were ordered by their leader Girkin to throw the prisoners into a “hole”.

Ukraine is currently in touch with the Red Cross in order to identify the Red Cross employees and determine the place and circumstances of the kidnapping.

http://euromaidanpress.com/?p=20333&preview=true

[Natalka]

More Sanctions Announced by Canadian PM

Ottawa, Ontario

6 August 2014


Prime Minister Stephen Harper today issued the following statement announcing additional economic sanctions and travel bans against 19 Russian and Ukrainian individuals, and economic sanctions against 22 Russian and Ukrainian groups and economic entities:

“The Putin regime’s continued illegal occupation of Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula and its provocative military activity in eastern Ukraine remains a grave concern to Canada and the international community.

“Last week, Canada announced its intent to impose additional sanctions on Russia to further increase economic and political pressure on the Putin regime and those closest to it.

“Today, we are announcing those measures, which include additional economic sanctions and travel bans against Russian and Ukrainian individuals, and economic sanctions against Russian and Ukrainian entities. These sanctions, imposed in close coordination with partners in the United States and Europe, will further increase pressure on those responsible for the crisis in Ukraine. Export restrictions announced by the European Union with respect to military and military dual-use goods destined to Russia, are already in place in Canada. We are also committed to imposing the necessary regulations to enact export restrictions on technologies used in Russia’s oil exploration and extraction sector. Those will be implemented in parallel with our allies.

“President Putin has not provided any indication that he is prepared to respect Ukraine’s territorial integrity or use his control over Russian-backed agents to end the violence in Ukraine. On the contrary, reports indicate that, despite the criminal downing of MH 17, Russia continues to provide logistical support and sophisticated weapons to its agents in eastern Ukraine.

“Together with our allies and partners, we stand ready to take further actions if the Putin regime’s military aggression continues.”


http://pm.gc.ca/eng/news/2014/08/06/...onal-sanctions

[Natalka]

Bandershtat festival celebrates Ukrainian nationalism, heroes



Bandershtat is an artistic discussion platform and the main cultural event in Volyn Oblast, gathering active Ukrainians from all over the state. This year’s event was held from Aug. 1-3.


This year’s festival Bandershtat-Reload was dedicated to the Heavenly Hundred, the EuroMaidan Revolution protesters killed this year before the overthrow of President Viktor Yanukovych. These heroes “changed the face of Ukraine,” says the official website.


Around 3,000 people visited Bandershtat, apart from 34 writers and novelists, 46 music bands and 16 civic activists, public figures, journalists and politicians.

The veterans have taken part in Bandershtat every year, where they share stories and sing rebel songs.



http://www.kyivpost.com/multimedia/p...sk-359367.html

[Natalka]

Deployment of peacekeeping forces by Russia will be considered as direct aggression against Ukraine - Hennadiy Zubko, Deputy Head of Ukrainian Presidential Administration

Official Web-Site of President of Ukraine - August 6, 2014

The deployment of the peacekeeping contingent by Russia to Ukraine will be considered as direct aggression, said during the briefing, First Deputy Head of Presidential Administration of Ukraine Hennadiy Zubko.

"The peacekeeping contingent, which has been located near Ukraine-Russia border for more than 5 months, can hardly be called peacekeeping. Therefore, its deployment would be considered as direct aggression. I believe that today the international community is not going to take such step as deployment of Russian peacekeeping forces in Ukraine", said Hennadiy Zubko.

[Natalka]

Ukrainian pop star Ruslana Lyzhychko interviewed on Canadian Sun News TV by Michael Coren, a British-Canadian columnist, prolific author and radio and TV talk- show host.

Five minutes long

http://www.sunnewsnetwork.ca/video/a.../3715566533001

[Natalka]

NATO said on Wednesday Russia had massed around 20,000 combat-ready troops on Ukraine's border and could use the pretext of a humanitarian mission to invade. It was the starkest warning yet from the Western alliance that Moscow could mount a ground assault on its neighbour.

As rebels have lost ground to Ukrainian government troops, Russia announced military exercises this week near the border.


"We're not going to guess what's on Russia's mind, but we can see what Russia is doing on the ground – and that is of great concern. Russia has amassed around 20,000 combat-ready troops on Ukraine’s eastern border," NATO spokeswoman Oana Lungescu said in an emailed statement.

Moscow could use "the pretext of a humanitarian or peace-keeping mission as an excuse to send troops into Eastern Ukraine", she said. A NATO military officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Russia's build-up at the border included tanks, infantry, artillery, air defence systems, logistics troops, special forces, and aircraft.

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Kiev said 18 Ukrainian servicemen had been killed and 54 injured in 25 separate clashes over the past day in eastern Ukraine. Military spokesman Andriy Lysenko said troops had been shelled from inside Russian territory and frontier guards had come under a four-hour mortar and artillery attack.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/...0G61K220140806

[Lynn49]

Regardless if ALL the warning signs, history lessons, not enough is being done to stop russis's nazi-like advance into the Ukraine and on to Europe. How blind can governments be?!

And now they have sanctions against the importation of food and agricultural products from countries that have sanctions against them! Either he's digging his own grave so to speak, or he's so focused on his testosterone-laden beliefs that no matter what the world thinks or does, he forges on.

I wonder who else in recent history started out this way? Who else wasn't taken seriously? If the world thinks this is just Ukraine's problem, then heaven help them!

[Natalka]

^ +1
He's a megalomanic whose goal is to restore the Russian Federation to its former 'glory'... to USSR times. He wants the intoxication of power and acclaim - he's a narcissist and delusional.

[Natalka]

Shelling in rebel-held Ukrainian city

DONETSK, Ukraine – Sustained shelling in the main rebel stronghold in eastern Ukraine struck residential buildings and a hospital, killing at least four people and wounding 10 others, officials said, as government forces pressed forward in their campaign to rout the separatists.


Mortar fire struck the Vishnevskiy Hospital in Donetsk on Thursday morning, killing one and wounding five others, Donetsk city council spokesman Maxim Rovensky told The Associated Press.

The shelling, which destroyed an array of equipment in the dentistry unit, also hit three nearby apartment buildings.

It followed a night of shelling in another neighbourhood as the fighting between the government and pro-Russian separatists is inching ever closer to the city centre. The mayor’s office said in a statement posted on its website that three people had been killed, five wounded and several residential buildings destroyed during those attacks.

http://globalnews.ca/news/1496184/3-...aine-fighting/

[Lynn49]

^ +1
He's a megalomanic whose goal is to restore the Russian Federation to its former 'glory'... to USSR times. He wants the intoxication of power and acclaim - he's a narcissist and delusional.

No arguement there, there, that's been well established, and so was Hitler!
When will politicians begin to take that psycho seriously?!