Protests in Ukraine escalate

[Natalka]

It's the Day of Ukr Naval Forces! Defense Minister Poltorak attends official events in Odesa

General of the Army of Ukraine Stepan Poltorak, Minister of Defence of Ukraine, participated in the ceremonies and congratulated the military on their professional holiday.
“I congratulate you on the Day of the Ukrainian Navy! Ukraine is, was and will be the naval state! The Ukrainian fleet will be, and it will be modern and effective. We have launched a large-scale reform to restore combat potential and increase the power and strength of the Navy,” he said.
Fifteen combat ships, boats and vessels take part in the events on the occasion of the Day of the Ukrainian Navy.

[gryphon]

Maybe Ukraine can join the EU?

[Natalka]

gryphon, they are sure hoping, and have been trying!

[Natalka]

busking in Ivano-Frankivsk

(Several years ago, we had a busker in Saskatoon who would play tsymbaly - hammered dulcimer - so that was cool)

[Natalka]

Euromaidan Press

3 hrs ·

Ukrainian losses in the ATO during the last 24 hours: 3 people killed, 13 wounded.

Combined Rus-militant forces fired 63 times upon Ukr troops over last day. Over half of them - 33 in the Donetsk sector - ATO press center

The enemy fired from 122 mm artillery system and 120 mm mortar near Zaitsevo, Dachy, Nevelske, Opytne, Pisky, Kirovo in breach of Minsk Agreements.
Russia-backed gunmen delivered fire from automatic grenade launchers and heavy machine guns in Avdiivka.
There were 28 attacks in Mariupol region.
The militants engaged fire from 120 mm mortar, automatic grenade launchers and heavy machine guns in Shyrokyne, Talakivka and Krasnohorivka. Ukraine's Army was attacked from anti-tank missile system in Granytne and from 82 mm mortar in Gnutove.

[Natalka]

President Petro Poroshenko awarded 26 UA servicemen with medals for participation in Sloviansk liberation

[Natalka]

Ukrainian colonel Ivan Bezyazykov has been freed after two years in the militant prison. The colonel was captured by the Russian-backed separatist forces in the Donbas warzone on August 16, 2014.



Much happier pic upon release

[Natalka]

CBC Radio As It Happens had a story on last night about fallen soldier, opera singer, Vasyl Slipak

You can listen here (6 min) or read

http://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/...aine-1.3665292

[Natalka]

Canadian soldiers pass on life-saving tips to Ukrainian troops
fighting Russian-backed separatists

YAVORIV, Ukraine — Seven thousand kilometres from Quebec, but only 10 hours by road from the bloody battlefields of eastern Ukraine, about 200 soldiers mostly from Canada’s storied Royal 22nd Regiment, the Vandoos, are helping to prepare Ukrainian infantry, medics and combat engineers to defend their country against Russian-backed separatists.
More than anything, the Canadian training mission, which began last summer near the Slovak and Polish borders, tries to instil NATO fighting principles and western ethics.


The Vandoos replaced mentors from the Ontario-based Royal Canadian Regiment, who started the mission last August, and will be succeeded next month by the western-based Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry.
The training mission was set up by the Harper government in reply to a request for help from Kyiv, which does not have enough resources to defend itself from its much larger and wealthier neighbour, Russia.


The longest course offered by the Canadians lasts 55 days. It teaches basic and small unit fighting skills to infantry. There are also leadership courses for senior non-commissioned officers, courses for military police and anti-mining training.
One of the key areas is teaching Ukrainian medics battlefield emergency treatment practises. Such skills are urgently needed as the brutal war in the east grinds on.


About 70 per cent of the Canadian trainers — including three of the five medics teaching combat first aid and more specialized course — served in Afghanistan.
That experience “helps me a lot here,” Gauthier said. “It gives me credibility with the Ukrainians. Whether it is on the battlefield in Afghanistan or Ukraine, the body needs the same thing if it is bleeding to death. The techniques are almost the same so we can apply what we learned in Afghanistan.”


Instructor/soldier Arthur Woichenko describes the course offered by the Canadians as “priceless.”
“You can tell when a person already has some experience on the battlefield and has experienced that with his own blood. Looking him in the eye you feel it and understand why such methodologies and so important,” he said.

http://news.nationalpost.com/news/wo...ed-separatists

[Natalka]

A Crimean Tatar rally (yesterday) in Constanta, Romania in support of their brothers in Crimea, occupied by Russia

[Natalka]

Ihor Volovenko from Haysynsky District (Vinnytsia Oblast) was killed by a mine explosion on July 5. This happened when his platoon was checking a military base point in the Donbas. Ihor leaves behind two young children.

Вічна пам'ять! Герої не вмирають!
Eternal Memory! Heroes do not die!

[Natalka]

Valeriy Rotar, native of Dolynyany, Khotyn District (Western Ukraine) was killed when a mine exploded in Krasnohorivka, Donetsk Oblast on July 5, at 3:00 am. According to Father Vasyl Hasyntsya, the tragedy occurred during heavy shelling in Krasnohorivka near Maryanka. Valeriy was 54; he served in the 8th battalion of the 10th Brigade.

Вічна пам'ять! Герої не вмирають!
Eternal Memory! Heroes do not die!

[Natalka]

Euromaidan PR ‏@EuromaidanPR Jul 7 5 villages Luhansk reg/ were attacked w/ artillery from Rus territory, 6th one was attacked by Rus troops crossed the border than returned


7h7 hours ago Combined Rus-militant forces fired 56 times upon Ukr troops over the last day. 30 of the attacks were in Donetsk sector - ATO press center


3h3 hours ago 2 KIA and 6 WIA among UA servicemen, 2 more servicemen hit a mine in the #warzone in E #Ukraine over the last 24h - official

[Darth Penguin]

Ukrainian astronomers name star "Putin-Huilo"

Ukrainian astronomers have taken their disdain for Russian President Vladimir Putin to the cosmos.

Together with pro-Ukraine activists, the astronomers named a star “Putin-Huilo” — a Ukrainian insult that, loosely translated, means “Putin is a d**khead.”

The star, whose official name is KIC 9696936, was given its new moniker through the Pale Blue Dot project, a nonprofit that lets people “adopt” a star for as little as $10. (The proceeds from the star adoptions are used to fund astronomy research.)

Travis Metcalfe, founder of the adopt-a-star project, told the Moscow Times that his team hadn’t initially recognized the derogatory term the Ukrainian astronomers had chosen for their star.

“It says ‘Putin is a d**khead,’ but in Ukrainian — so we didn’t recognize what it actually said. I wasn’t familiar with the term huilo,” Metcalfe said.

He insisted, however, that the star will keep its new, explicit name.

“Free speech is now written in the stars,” he said. “We have no plans to censor any of these star adoptions. We appreciate the support for science.”

According to The Wire, the term “Putin Huilo” has been around for a while as both a meme and slang. “Its origins are as a song, possibly written by soccer fans,” the news outlet reported.

[Natalka]

^ Old news, but still interesting.