Civil War in Ukraine: Western Empire vs Russia

[angelburst29]

Apparent CCTV footage capturing the moment former Russian lawmaker Denis Voronenkov was shot and killed in central Kiev, with his bodyguard injured, has emerged online.

CCTV captures cold-blooded murder of former Russian lawmaker in Kiev (GRAPHIC VIDEO)
https://www.rt.com/news/382185-voronenkov-kiev-murder-moment-video/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRHuDiQZXC8 (1:12 min.)

In the video, a man in casual clothes and wearing a hood is seen walking fast, approaching Voronenkov and his bodyguard in the street from behind. When he catches up with the men, he is seen taking out a gun.

The man in darker clothes – the former Russian politician Voronenkov – faces the attacker and then immediately falls to the ground. The camera also captures a girl walking past with her back to the murder scene. She then starts running, apparently scared by gunshots.

The man in lighter clothes – Voronenkov’s bodyguard – is seen throwing himself at the assailant. However, he can also be seen falling to the ground, while the attacker ensures that Voronenkov is dead.

The attacker then tries to flee and turns the corner, out of sight of the video, but the bodyguard is seen firing at him. Seemingly injured and in pain, the bodyguard then checks on Voronenkov, while vehicles drive past, none of them stopping.

The exchange of fire happened in broad daylight on Thursday, in front of the main entrance to the Premier Palace Hotel in central Kiev.

Ukrainian police later said the former lawmaker was shot twice in the head, and that his bodyguard was injured. The suspected attacker was also injured and later died in hospital, with police saying they've established his identity as a Ukrainian national.

Voronenkov, 45, was a former member of the Russian Communist Party and emigrated from Russia to Ukraine in October last year. He received Ukrainian citizenship in December, having given up his status as a Russian citizen.

The fugitive lawmaker had been on a federal wanted list in Russia and on an international wanted list, charged with masterminding a large-scale fraud.

Less than an hour after the killing, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko called it "an act of Russian state-funded terrorism." Russia has rejected accusations of links to Voronenkov's killing, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov calling any such allegations "absurd."

 

[angelburst29]

In our recent publications on Belorussia, we've discussed the protest actions known as the “Sponger Marches.” Tomorrow, March 25th, pro-Western forces will hold a “Day of Will” or “Freedom Day” which previous marches have served as a kind of rehearsal for. But events in recent days have made not so much civil protest actions as shows of force more relevant.

No Turning Back: Belorussian security forces arrest Maidan provocateurs
http://www.fort-russ.com/2017/03/no-turning-back-belorussian-security.html

According to reports from Belorussia, around 200 participants and organizers of the “Sponger Marches” have been arrested, plus 26 leaders and activists from Dmitry Dashkevich’s Young Front and the latter’s armed wing, the White Legion organization led by Miroslav Lozovsky.

White Legion has seized a significant number of firearms and bladed weapons, and also wields manuals on fighting in urban environments. Although White Legion has officially long since ceased to exist, it still holds training exercises. The famous Vayar paramilitary organization, which is close to Ukrainian neo-Nazis, also trains with weapons, and many of whose members have been through fighting in Donbass on the side of Ukrainian Nazi battalions, has been subjected to repression.

The Belorussian KGB stated today that those arrested were preparing armed provocations for Freedom Day. On Belorussian TV, intelligence officers remarked that we are dealing with “followers of the Ukrainian National Assembly-Ukrainian Self-Defense organization with whom White Legion has closely cooperated since the ’90’s, as well as participants in military operations in Eastern Ukraine as part of nationalist groups.”

More juicy details are gradually being revealed. Among those arrested are several employees of Belorussia’s own security agencies, including a retired special forces officer and deputy officer of the department for ideology, police, etc. The arrested have explained their possession of weapons as due to expectation that activists marching on Freedom Day would be attacked by pro-Russian activists. As our friends in Belorussia have relayed, in informal talks the opposition is saying that all the arrests of nationalists are the handiwork of Moscow, and that supposedly all the arrested nationalists are law-abiding citizens whose arms were either legally registered as collectibles or were planted.

Another high profile arrest was that of the leader of the Patriot youth military-sports club, Nikolay Mikhalkov, who has been named as a former special forces officer. Mikhalkov can be seen on a photo flaunting a peaked cap with a badge of the Belorussian collaborationists during the Great Patriotic War.

The Patriot organization is a pro-government military club, yet it turns out that the founder of White Legion, Sergey Chislov, and the founder of Patriot, Mikhalkov, are brothers. Thus, the government itself has organized militarized militias who are ideologically and via family ties closely related to the nationalist militants preparing the overthrow of President Lukashenko. And there are many more such oddities.

In a series of articles published on Fort Russ, we've written about the close ties between Ukrainian and Belorussian neo-Nazis, and how these “comrades-in-arms” are preparing a Maidan in Minsk and gradually amassing weapons and organizing manpower. After this series of KGB arrests, it must be admitted that this is an obvious fact. Weapons, manuals, and organizational support for the future Belorussian Maidan have come from Ukraine, Lithuania, and Poland, as President Lukashenko announced on March 21st. Lukashenko also remarked that the main training camps of Belorussian neo-Nazi militants are on the territory of Ukraine. A big scandal has already erupted as the Ukrainian SBU has denied Lukashenko’s claims and the Ukrainian embassy has stated that these accusations defame the honor of Ukrainian citizens.

Lukashenko is only partially right in his suspicions. No less (if not greater) blame must be pinned on himself. Vayara’s training camps were located near Minsk and this organization no longer even disguises its activities. Hence arises the question of the competence or loyalty of the KGB to the Belorussian president in “not noticing” neo-Nazi activities outside capital.

As far as can be seen, the same situation that took place in Ukraine is being repeated in Belorussia. Ex-Ukrainian President Yanukovych once decided to play the nationalist card to scare his own voters and Ukraine’s neighbors with the boogyman of Ukrainian nationalism. Large sums of money were pumped into Tyagnibok’s Svoboda party and his competitors in the nationalist camp were arrested, including Azov’s Biletsky, to clear the way for Svoboda. Simultaneously, the SBU organized military camps for nationalist militants where they trained together with special forces officers.

There is nevertheless still an important difference. For Yanukovych, nationalists were a boogyman. In Lukashenko’s designs (or in the plans of the nationalist forces' patrons in the security services), they are supposed to complete more complex tasks, in particular raising Belorussian national consciousness, and thus alienating Belorussians from the idea of the Russian-Belorussian brotherhood. But in the end, Belorussian authorities have raised their own neo-Nazis at their own peril.

Lukashenko’s regime has stopped at a very dangerous point, while the local “opposition” (the armed Nazi underground) is not stopping itself there.

In our next article, we will discuss the international aspect of this problem.

 

[angelburst29]

Crash of Ukrainian Mi-2 military helicopter in eastern region of Donetsk killed at least five people, according to local media.

Ukraine's Military Copter Crashes in Donbass Killing at Least Five People
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201703261051982497-ukraine-helicopter-crash/

At least five people were killed after an Ukrainian Mi-2 military helicopter crashed on Sunday in eastern region of Donetsk, local media reported, citing Ukraine's Defense Ministry spokeswoman.

The crash was reported earlier in the day by the press service of Kiev-led military operation in south-east of Ukraine. The helicopter crashed near to Malynivka settlement in Donetsk Region supposedly after hitting a power transmission line.

There is information that five people namely three crew members and two passengers were killed. It is preliminary information," Ukraine's Defense Ministry spokeswoman Oksana Havryliuk said as quoted by the Ukrainian National News agency.

According to the spokeswoman, the investigative commission is currently working at the site of the accident.

 

[angelburst29]

What do you think when seeing the pictures from Balakleya? When I see the explosions, I am happy it does not explode somewhere else...

There are rumours of increased radiation in the background _http://www.stalkerzone.org/poroshenko-calls-natos-help-demine-balakleya/. At least Poroshenko is worried and asks NATO to help demine the area; a bit weired, if it was just ordinary ammunition that went off with no heavily polluting stuff. Or is Poroshenko using the opportunity to ask for replacements for all the wares they have destroyed?

WARNING, DEPLETED URAINIUM, RADIATION LEVELS ON THE RISE, DUE TO NATO AND UKRAINE JUNTA AMMO DUMP EXPLOSION
http://novorossia.today/warning-depleted-urainium-radiation-levels-rise-due-nato-ukraine-junta-ammo-dump-explosion/

27.03.2017 - In Balakleya, in the Kharkov region, the radiation background has significantly increased. This is reported by the Russian Spring , the Tsargrad and the Channel 5, referring to their sources.

According to the publications, the permissible norms have already been exceeded many times, despite the fact that there are no nuclear weapons in Ukraine.


‘There are no nuclear weapons in Balakleya, of course, like throughout Ukraine. Therefore, rumors of a secret stockpile of nuclear weapons, even of tactical level, this is nonsense. However, there are shells with cores from depleted uranium. In the case of explosions, like those going on now, this depleted uranium can soil the ground, air and raise the background,’ said one of the AFU ex-officers.

As it is known, earlier on the Balakleya official website, the authorities posted a message about the presence in the region of ‘several objects that create radiation risks’. At the same time, the Ukrainian officials ask not to aggravate the situation, saying that such reports are provocation.

In Balakleya, for 4 days the fire has been raging at the military base, where 138,000 ammunition was stored. The Defense Ministry of Ukraine reported that the fires had been completely eliminated, but the rescuers say the opposite.

‘As of 21:00 on March 25, single explosions of ammunition of various intensity are observed on the technical territory of the arsenal in the town of Balakleya, the Kharkov region,’ the press service of the State Emergency Situations Ministry said.

At the same time, according to the official information, over 40 houses in Balakleya need major repairs, about 100 houses and social infrastructure facilities have suffered an average degree of destruction. However, local residents claim that the number of destroyed objects are many times larger.

It should also be noted the arrival of NATO military who, yesterday, on March 25, landed in Kharkov on the permission of the Coup Leader of Ukraine Poroshenko, with the purpose of providing assistance for the de-mining of warehouses in the military unit near Balakleya.

 

[thorbiorn]

What do you think when seeing the pictures from Balakleya? When I see the explosions, I am happy it does not explode somewhere else...

There are rumours of increased radiation in the background _http://www.stalkerzone.org/poroshenko-calls-natos-help-demine-balakleya/. At least Poroshenko is worried and asks NATO to help demine the area; a bit weired, if it was just ordinary ammunition that went off with no heavily polluting stuff. Or is Poroshenko using the opportunity to ask for replacements for all the wares they have destroyed?

WARNING, DEPLETED URAINIUM, RADIATION LEVELS ON THE RISE, DUE TO NATO AND UKRAINE JUNTA AMMO DUMP EXPLOSION
http://novorossia.today/warning-depleted-urainium-radiation-levels-rise-due-nato-ukraine-junta-ammo-dump-explosion/

27.03.2017 - In Balakleya, in the Kharkov region, the radiation background has significantly increased. This is reported by the Russian Spring , the Tsargrad and the Channel 5, referring to their sources.

According to the publications, the permissible norms have already been exceeded many times, despite the fact that there are no nuclear weapons in Ukraine.


‘There are no nuclear weapons in Balakleya, of course, like throughout Ukraine. Therefore, rumors of a secret stockpile of nuclear weapons, even of tactical level, this is nonsense. However, there are shells with cores from depleted uranium. In the case of explosions, like those going on now, this depleted uranium can soil the ground, air and raise the background,’ said one of the AFU ex-officers.

As it is known, earlier on the Balakleya official website, the authorities posted a message about the presence in the region of ‘several objects that create radiation risks’. At the same time, the Ukrainian officials ask not to aggravate the situation, saying that such reports are provocation.

[...]

It should also be noted the arrival of NATO military who, yesterday, on March 25, landed in Kharkov on the permission of the Coup Leader of Ukraine Poroshenko, with the purpose of providing assistance for the de-mining of warehouses in the military unit near Balakleya.

Curious people should be able to catch some samples of the dust in Balakleya and analyse, at least if it is true the use of DU in Iraque and Afghanistan could be measured in Britain:

[...]Posted on June 5, 2014 by State of the Nation [...]
U.S. WEAPONS POISON EUROPE
RADIATION FROM IRAQ WAR DETECTED IN UK ATMOSPHERE [...]

Depleted Uranium does exist in Ukraine, it may come from outside, but not necessarily. The following is a minor story from 2010

Six people detained in Ukraine attempting to sell 2.5 kg of depleted uranium

And there is also:

[...]The Russian military has used DU ammunition in tank main gun ammunition since the late 1970s, mostly for the 115 mm guns in the T-62 tank and the 125 mm guns in the T-64, T-72, T-80, and T-90 tanks.

The DU content in various ammunition is 180 g in 20 mm projectiles, 200 g in 25 mm ones, 280 g in 30 mm, 3.5 kg in 105 mm, and 4.5 kg in 120 mm penetrators.[...]

We don't know if all the DU ammunition was removed from Ukraine along with the nuclear weapons. Possibly the 2,5 kg that was stolen could have been recovered from Soviet time ammunition.

The way that DU behaves helps to explain some of the spectacular explosions in Balakleya:

[...]depleted uranium is favored for the penetrator because it is self-sharpening and pyrophoric. On impact with a hard target, such as an armored vehicle, the nose of the rod fractures in such a way that it remains sharp. The impact and subsequent release of heat energy causes it to disintegrate to dust and burn when it reaches air because of its pyrophoric properties. When a DU penetrator reaches the interior of an armored vehicle, it catches fire, often igniting ammunition and fuel, killing the crew, and possibly causing the vehicle to explode.[...]

Although there might be DU ammunition from Soviet times, there may also be DU ammunition brought in by NATO instructors or NATO/Israeli aligned mercenaries. If some of the DU ammunition has been brought in by NATO, it makes sense for Poroshenko to ask them to assist "demine" the area, since this will help hide their tracks and perhaps also clean up the mess the DU left behind.

If DU is blowing up in Balakleya what about Donbas? We don't know if DU is used, but it is probably not a very healthy environment. In this video in Russian, a young Ukrainian healer advices everyone in the zone of conflict to look after their health, physically and spiritually and for soldiers and their families to continue to be careful when the soldiers return from the front, as she senses danger coming to them from agressive diseases _https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3JuJ89JmxM for example at minute 1:30-2:30.

 

[angelburst29]

The Trilateral Contact Group on Ukrainian reconciliation coordinated on Wednesday a new ceasefire along the separation line in Donbas for the duration of the Easter holidays starting on April 1, Russian envoy to the Contact Group Boris Gryzlov said.

Contact Group on Ukraine Agrees Donbass Ceasefire From April
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201703291052093282-ukraine-ceasefire-april/

The Donbass conflict erupted in April 2014 as a local counter-reaction to the West-sponsored Maidan coup in Kiev that had toppled President Viktor Yanukovych in February. Residents of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions held independence referendums and proclaimed the People's Republics of Donetsk and Lugansk. Kiev has since been conducting a military operation, encountering stiff local resistance.

In February 2015, Kiev forces and Donbass independence supporters signed a peace agreement in the Belarusian capital of Minsk. The deal stipulates a full ceasefire, weapons withdrawal from the line of contact in Donbass, as well as constitutional reforms that would give a special status to the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics. Despite the agreement brokered by the Normandy Four states, the ceasefire regime is regularly violated, with both sides accusing each other of multiple breaches, undermining the terms of the accord.

"The good news is, definitely, today's statement by the Contact group, which reiterates the absence of alternatives to the Minsk peace accords, and stipulates the agreement by all sides to respect full cessation of hostilities starting midnight April 1 in light of Easter holidays," Gryzlov told reporters.

"It would be great if this ceasefire could last indefinitely," Gryzlov stressed.

Russia will not leave residents of eastern Ukraine in trouble and will aim to prevent "hotheads" in Kiev from launching a new round of violence, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview published Tuesday.

Russia to Continue Supporting Donbass Residents in Any Circumstances - Lavrov
https://sputniknews.com/politics/201703281052034159-russia-donbass-residents-support/

He said Moscow would continue urge the Ukrainian government to lift its economic blockade of the region and implement the Minsk set of ceasefire agreements, calling on Western states to do the same.

"In any case, we will not leave the residents of Donbass in trouble," Lavrov told Russia's Argumenty i Fakty weekly.

"Our efforts will continue to be aimed at preventing the 'hotheads' in Kiev from launching a new round of violence in the southeast of the country," he said.

Russia's Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case over the murder of ex-State Duma lawmaker Denis Voronenkov in Kiev, a source close to investigators told Sputnik on Wednesday.

Russia Opens Criminal Case in Connection With Ex-Lawmaker's Murder in Kiev
https://sputniknews.com/russia/201703291052094011-russia-case-voronenkov-death/

Voronenkov was fatally shot in downtown Kiev on March 23. Voronenkov's bodyguard wounded the killer, who later died in a hospital. The Ukrainian authorities initiated criminal proceedings, and investigators established that the killer was Ukrainian national Pavel Parshov who had served in the Ukrainian National Guard for a year.

"The Investigative Committee initiated a case over the murder of Voronenkov," the source said.

Denis Voronenkov, along with his wife, also a former State Duma deputy, Maria Maksakova, left Russia last year and soon received Ukrainian citizenship. The ex-lawmaker himself claimed political reasons are behind his departure, but the Russian Investigative Committee considered Voronenkov's move as an attempt to hide from the investigation as the former deputy was arrested in absentia over the case of an illegal seizure of a building in Moscow.

After moving to Kiev, Voronenkov testified to the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine against former President Viktor Yanukovych.

Ukrainian ex-Prime Minister, Arsenii Yatsenuk, has responded to the decision of the courts of Yessentuki City in regard to the "distance arrest" that has been issued. [A distance arrest is granted by the Courts when an individual has been reported to Interpol and can be extradited to the country of origin by relevant authorities.]

Ukraine ex-PM fought in Chechnya, arrest warrant issued
http://www.fort-russ.com/2017/03/ex-ukraine-pm-fought-in-chechnya-arrest.html

Yatsenyuk's comment on the ruling appeared to be contradictory. He has called the decision of the Courts both "delirium" and a "calculated scheme".

If two years ago, Yatsenuk spoke warmly of the fight of the "Chechen people for independence" [Wahhabi rebels], then today he has called the decision of Russian Investigative Committee and the Yessentuki Court "discreditation of Ukraine's political class", for his participation in rebel groups of the North Caucasus in the 1990s.

Yatsenuk asserts that the court case, which has been going on for more than two years, is "a new branch of a hybrid war....with the backdrop of everything else that's going on, murders and repression against oppositon", and of course, "is evidence to the criminal Putin regime."

According to the Investigative Committee Mr. Yatsenuk was in Chechnya from 1994 to the start of 1995, as part of a Ukrainian Nationalist Division "Viking" and "Argo"; he took part in a number of operations in conjunction with other rebel groups, most notably on the Minutka square in Grozny, and Hospital #9. He is similarly accused of interrogating Russia's prisoners of war, torture and executions.

As previously reported by Rusvesna; on 27th March 2017, the Yessentuki City Court has issued an arrest warrant at distance for the former Prime Minister of Ukraine, charged with crimes in accordance with Part 2, Section 209 of the Legal Codex of the Russian Federation, "Banditism"

(Letter of court decision to the Ukrainian embassy in Moscow.)

The Finance Ministry has announced the victory of Russia in the dispute over Ukraine's $ 3 billion debt.

Court of London to Ukraine: Pay! Russia wins summary judgment over 3 billion dollar debt
http://www.fort-russ.com/2017/03/court-of-london-to-ukraine-pay-russia.html

The Finance Ministry reports that the Court of London has ordered Ukraine to return $ 3 billion, plus interest, on bonds bought by Russia. Earlier it was reported that the court would consider the claim in an accelerated manner.

The High Court of London on March 29, 2017, in an accelerated manner (summary judgment), adopted a decision obliging Ukraine to pay $ 3 billion to pay off the Russian Eurobonds purchased in 2013, the Russian Finance Ministry said. In addition, according to the agency, Ukraine is obliged to pay Russia interest on these bonds.

"In the judgment, the Court pointed out that, given that it is a requirement to fulfill obligations on a debt instrument, the defendant does not have any arguments to be considered in the Court in favor of not recognizing the validity of this claim," the Finance Ministry said.

The agency stressed that the decision that obliges Ukraine to repay the debt on Eurobonds in full is final and that no additional hearings on this matter in the High Court of London are expected. Yet the Ukrainian side intends to challenge the decision of the High Court of London in the Court of Appeals of London.

Russia acquired Eurobonds of Ukraine at the expense of the National Wealth Fund in December 2013. The debt was due to be repaid in two years, but in December 2015, the new Ukrainian authorities refused to return both the $ 3 billion debt itself and the last tranche of interest amounting to $ 75 million. After numerous attempts to resolve the issue out of court, Russia initiated a trial in London.

Earlier on Wednesday it became known that the High Court of London had denied Ukraine a full-scale consideration of the dispute with Russia about unpaid $ 3 billion, rejecting Kiev's arguments that the case should be viewed in a broad economic and geopolitical context.

It was then reported that the British judge granted the Russian defense's petition for an expedited consideration of the claim (summary judgment).

The Polish Foreign Ministry has summoned Ukraine’s Ambassador to Poland Andrii Deshchytsia on Wednesday due to the shelling of the Polish Consulate General in the Ukrainian city of Lutsk overnight, the Polish Consulate said in a statement Wednesday.

Poland Summons Ukraine’s Ambassador Due to Shelling of Consulate in Lutsk
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201703291052067517-poland-ukraine-consulate-lutsk/

The Polish Consulate General in the city of Lutsk in northwestern Ukraine was shelled by unidentified attackers, no one was hurt in the incident, but the consulate’s building was damaged, according to the diplomatic mission.

The ambassador of Ukraine [in Poland] was summoned to the [Polish] Foreign Ministry. Our embassy in Kiev will also send a note of protest to the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry," the statement read.

The Ukrainian authorities should enhance the protection of the consulate and investigate the incident as soon as possible, the consulate added.

 

[Voyageur]

The Polish Foreign Ministry has summoned Ukraine’s Ambassador to Poland Andrii Deshchytsia on Wednesday due to the shelling of the Polish Consulate General in the Ukrainian city of Lutsk overnight, the Polish Consulate said in a statement Wednesday.

Poland Summons Ukraine’s Ambassador Due to Shelling of Consulate in Lutsk
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201703291052067517-poland-ukraine-consulate-lutsk/

The Polish Consulate General in the city of Lutsk in northwestern Ukraine was shelled by unidentified attackers, no one was hurt in the incident, but the consulate’s building was damaged, according to the diplomatic mission.

The ambassador of Ukraine [in Poland] was summoned to the [Polish] Foreign Ministry. Our embassy in Kiev will also send a note of protest to the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry," the statement read.

The Ukrainian authorities should enhance the protection of the consulate and investigate the incident as soon as possible, the consulate added.

Over at RT https://www.rt.com/news/382652-polish-consulate-ukraine-rocket/ this got expanded on and may inevitably come full circle back to blaming Russia in the news, as seen at the end below:

Reports of attacks involving heavy weapons like grenade or rocket launchers come regularly from Ukraine. This year alone, similar attacks targeted a police station in Rovno, the homes of a former prosecutor and a former police chief in Zakarpatsky region and an unfinished building under construction in Kiev.

According to gun and crime expert estimates, Ukraine has a burgeoning black market for weaponry stolen from military depots or frontlines in the east, where the government is waging a three-year-long military crackdown on rebel forces. Buying an illicit weapon is reportedly as easy as googling for a specialized online forum and finding a seller there.

Poland is officially a close ally of Ukraine, but nationalists of the two nations are at odds with each other, disagreeing on their attitude towards the shared history. For instance, Ukrainian nationalists consider UPA – the paramilitary Ukrainian force responsible for mass killings of Polish and Jewish population in what is now western Ukraine during World War II – national heroes rather than war criminals, as Polish nationalists do.

There were a number of apparently anti-Polish acts of vandalism in Ukraine targeting graveyards and memorials. The Ukrainian officials usually blame “agents of the Kremlin” for such incidents, alleging Moscow is trying to put a wedge between Kiev and Warsaw.

 

[Voyageur]

The Donetsk News Agency cites today:

Kiev to deploy Azov nationalistic regiment to Donetsk axis – Basurin

https://dan-news.info/en/defence-en/kiev-to-deploy-azov-nationalistic-regiment-to-donetsk-axis-basurin.html

Donetsk, Mar 30 – DAN. Authorities of Kiev-controlled settlements in Donetsk Region are drawing lists of houses to accommodate gunmen from Azov special task force regiment, DPR Operations Command deputy commander Eduard Basurin told a news briefing on Thursday.

“According to residents, local authorities in Novomikhailovka, Slavnoye, Sladkoye, Stepnoye and Berezovoye west of Donetsk and Novotroitskoye and Taramchuk south of the city are drawing lists of abandoned houses to billet 18th Azov separate special task force regiment of Ukraine’s National Guard,” Basurin said.

Azov personnel are to replace radicals from 24th separate air assault battalion ‘Aidar’ in troops rotation; the places where Aidar was billeted have been looted and wrecked, he added.

Azov regiment, one of the first Ukrainian forces units deployed to Donbass is notorious for particular cruelty during the punitive operation. It was involved in torching Mariupol Town Hall in May 2014 when dozens of civilians perished in the fire. Kiev’s National Guard carried out concentrated strikes at DPR settlements and is responsible for destroying Shirokino village in southern Donbass. Many Azov gunmen do not hide their Nazi, racist or anti-Semitic views. *jk

Great, more Western supported fascists, just what the people in these regions don't need. Senator John McCain could only be to happy.

 

[angelburst29]

Kiev to deploy Azov nationalistic regiment to Donetsk axis – Basurin
https://dan-news.info/en/defence-en/kiev-to-deploy-azov-nationalistic-regiment-to-donetsk-axis-basurin.html
[...]

Azov regiment, one of the first Ukrainian forces units deployed to Donbass is notorious for particular cruelty during the punitive operation. It was involved in torching Mariupol Town Hall in May 2014 when dozens of civilians perished in the fire. Kiev’s National Guard carried out concentrated strikes at DPR settlements and is responsible for destroying Shirokino village in southern Donbass. Many Azov gunmen do not hide their Nazi, racist or anti-Semitic views. *jk

Great, more Western supported fascists, just what the people in these regions don't need. Senator John McCain could only be to happy.

The above Azov regiment and these other NATO developments (below) have me very concerned? Plus, the IMF just gave Ukraine a new tranche of financial aid, to the tune of $1 Billion to play with? The Donetsk and Lugansk regions including Crimean might be targets - to get on Russia's Borders?
Also, coming to mind - the April Drop Date mentioned in the C's sessions?

The German Defense Ministry refused on Friday to comment on an upcoming NATO exercise in Germany involving Russian-speaking extras, saying that the issue should be addressed to "foreign military units" in Germany.

German MoD Refuses to Comment on NATO Drills With Russian-Speaking Extras
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201703311052165368-germany-nato-drills-russia-speaking/

On Thursday, the German company Optronic HR confirmed recruiting Russian speakers for upcoming NATO drills involving US troops. A US army representative then told Sputnik the war games were not rehearsals for specific combat scenarios but were designed to train troops to deal with civilians from different countries while executing various assignments.

"This issue should not be addressed to me, this is the question to foreign military units staying on the German land… This is not our topic," German Defense Ministry spokesman Jens Flosdorff said at a briefing answering the question about the participation of Russian-speaking extras at the upcoming exercise.

The job ads offered Russian speakers a daily wage of 88-120 euros ($94-$129) to play as farmers, shop owners and other improvised local residents in fictitious villages set up at the Hohenfels training grounds for upcoming NATO drills, due to take place on April 28 — May 15.

The relevant job ad is still up on the Optronic HR website us-statisten.de and states that the extras will represent the local population of a crisis-hit region in order for NATO troops to prepare for missions abroad. The extras are expected to have a basic knowledge of English, German, Polish or Czech aside from Russian. They will wear infrared detectors to determine if they would have been hit by soldiers on battlefield.

The Kremlin is not tracking upcoming NATO drills in Germany, which is recruiting Russian-speaking extras, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday, expressing confidence that the relevant special services are doing that job.

Kremlin Comments on NATO Drills in Germany Involving Russian-Speaking Extras
https://sputniknews.com/politics/201703311052155043-kremlin-nato-drills-russia-speaking/

On Thursday, the German company Optronic HR confirmed recruiting Russian speakers for upcoming NATO drills involving US troops. A US army representative then told Sputnik the war games were not rehearsals for specific combat scenarios but were designed to train troops to deal with civilians from different countries while executing various assignments.

"There is no tracking in the Kremlin. We have special services, we have intelligence, we have military intelligence. I am convinced they have all the possible information," Peskov told reporters.

The recruitment of Russian-speaking extras for an upcoming NATO exercise in Germany indicates that the drills are practicing a possible military engagement with Russia, Leonid Slutsky, chairman of the Russian State Duma International Affairs Committee, told Sputnik on Friday.

Russian-Speaking Extras at NATO Drills Aimed to Practice 'Possible Hostilities'
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201703311052154537-russia-speaking-extras-nato-germany/

On Thursday, the German company Optronic HR confirmed recruiting Russian speakers for upcoming NATO drills involving US troops. A US army representative then told Sputnik the war games were not rehearsals for specific combat scenarios but were designed to train troops to deal with civilians from different countries while executing various assignments.

"It is, in fact, evident that [the exercise] practices possible hostilities against Russia as a potential enemy," Slutsky said.

Germany is looking for performers that will take part in US military exercises as atmosphere players. The candidates must have a "good knowledge of Russian" and be able to portray farmers or store owners.

Russian-Speaking Actors to Take Part in US Army Training
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201703301052122828-german-russian-speaking-actors/

The description of the vacancy "Russian-speaking role players for NATO exercises" was published on the official portal of Germany's capital, berlin.de.

"We are looking for performers to take part in role games during US military exercises," the website said. The starting date is April 26. All participants must have good knowledge of Russian, English and German. It would be "A great advantage" if they also know Polish or Czech, the advertisement said.

"Candidates will play the role of civilians in conflict zones. This will help to create a real training scenario for servicemen and their optimal preparation for foreign missions," the description said.

The exercises will be held continuously, including on weekends, in the Hohenfels training grounds between Nuremberg and Regensburg. There about ten villages will be built with 30 houses each.

"Performers will play small roles such as livestock keepers, shopkeepers or the head of the village in Afghanistan, who is constantly negotiating with the US military and takes part in the mediation."

The job is pays 88.4 to 120 euros per day of work.

In an interview with Sputnik Germany, Tobias Pflüger, deputy chairman of the Left Party and peace activist, said that this announcement is connected with the intensification of the Western military activities along the Russian border.

"This means no good," the politician said in an interview with Sputnik. "If the military exercises of the US Army contain scenarios involving war with Russia, from the point of view of world politics this is a disaster," he stated.

Then this report of a French Navy frigate arriving in Odessa as part of NATO games?

The French Navy's La Fayette stealth frigate arrived on Friday in the Ukrainian port city of Odessa, currently playing host to a NATO maritime group, local authorities said.

French Stealth Frigate La Fayette Arrives in Ukraine’s Odessa
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201703311052164357-la-fayette-ukraine-odessa/

Odessa’s official website posted photos of the moored vessel with a single helicopter on its deck. It said this was the frigate’s second port call in Odessa on the Black Sea. It last docked there two years ago.

The warship was reportedly greeted by Ukraine’s Navy commander, Vice Admiral Ihor Voronchenko. French Ambassador to Ukraine, Isabelle Dumont, described the visit as a show of France’s political will in supporting Kiev, in her speech at Odessa City Hall.

The La Fayette-class frigate is capable of carrying air defense missiles and accommodating Panther medium-weight helicopters.

A Russian military source told Sputnik earlier in March that Russia’s Black Sea Fleet was tracking the frigate's movement.

A French La Fayette class frigate has crossed the Bosphorus Strait towards the Black Sea, French Ambassador to Bulgaria Eric Lebedel said.

NATO Buildup Near Russian Borders: French La Fayette Frigate Enters Black Sea
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201703171051670170-la-fayette-frigate-black-sea/

The frigate will make a stopover in Bulgaria's port city of Varna. " … and soon in stopover in Varna! Welcome to Bulgaria!" Lebedel wrote on Twitter on Thursday, commenting on reports of the La Fayette F 710 frigate crossing the Bosphorus Strait.

​The La Fayette class, capable of carrying air-defence missiles and designed to accommodate Panther, as well as heavy range helicopters, includes five types of ships, the first of which, F 710, was commissioned in 1996.

Moscow has repeatedly criticized the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) for stirring up regional tensions by deploying its military close to Russian borders.

Recently, the Sea Shield 2017 maritime drills with the participation of seven NATO member states and Ukraine were held in the Black Sea. The drills took place on the territory of 80,000 square kilometers (49,700 square miles). Approximately 2,800 personnel from Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, Turkey, the United States, Canada, Spain and Ukraine, 16 warships and 10 warplanes will participate in the 10-day exercises.

NATO has been increasing its military presence in Eastern Europe and the Black Sea since the outbreak of the conflict in southeastern Ukraine in April 2014, in response to what it considers to be Russia's aggressive foreign policy. Moscow has repeatedly dismissed the Ukraine-related accusations leveled at it, warning that increased NATO activities near the country's borders could undermine regional and global stability.

The Russian Black Sea fleet conducted missile-firing drills in Crimea. According to military expert Konstantin Sivkov, the regions of the Black Sea is of strategic importance for Russia's national security.

Crimean Frontier: Reasons Behind Russia Boosting Black Sea Defense Capacities
https://sputniknews.com/russia/201703311052156050-russia-crimea-drills/

Black Sea Fleet spokesman Vyacheslav Trukhachyov said the exercise was aimed at confirming troops’ readiness to "perform missions at sea by a single ship."

"In accordance with the combat training plan, missile ships and boats of the Black Sea Fleet have started to implement the 'course task,' during which the crews are confirming their readiness to perform missions at the sea by a single ship," Trukhachyov said.

In accordance with the plan, troops practiced firing from air-defense missiles and artillery systems.

The maneuvers involved the Samum hover-borne guided missile corvette, small missile ship Mirazh and missile boat R-239. In addition, Su-24M attack jets and Be-200 amphibious aircraft were involved in separate parts of the drills.

Speaking to Radio Sputnik, Konstantin Sivkov, a member of the Russian Academy of Missile and Artillery Sciences, pointed out that the drills in Crimea are a response that Russia has to deliver to the NATO buildup in the Black Sea region.

The only explanation behind the Russian drills in Crimea is the rising tensions in the Black Sea. NATO is very active in the region, including regular naval drills and the missile defense deployment in Romania and Bulgaria. Those missile defenses are rather offensive than defensive. This is why the Russian leadership is concerned," Sivkov said.

"The Ukrainian conflict remains unsolved. The southwestern flank is crucial for Russia’s strategy security. Moreover, Georgia has unresolved territorial problems with Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The Nagorno Karabakh region is also close. To sum up, this is a very tense region," Sivkov concluded.

The Trilateral Contact Group on Ukrainian reconciliation coordinated on Wednesday a new ceasefire along the separation line in Donbass for the duration of the Easter holidays starting on April 1.

Kiev 'Likely to Resume Shelling in Donbass' After Receiving New IMF Loan
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201703311052152341-ukraine-imf-loan-donbass/

"The good news is, definitely, today's statement by the Contact group, which reiterates the absence of alternatives to the Minsk peace accords, and stipulates the agreement by all sides to respect full cessation of hostilities starting midnight April 1 in light of Easter holidays," Russian envoy to the Contact Group Boris Gryzlov said.

The conflict in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donbass erupted in 2014, as a popular reaction to the Maidan coup in Kiev that toppled President Viktor Yanukovych. Residents of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions held independence referendums and the so-called Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics were proclaimed. Kiev has since been conducting a military operation in the region, encountering stiff local resistance.

The expert also said that it could not be ruled out that Kiev would resume shelling in Donbass after it received a new tranche of financial aid from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

On Thursday, Ukrainian Finance Minister Oleksandr Danilyuk said that the IMF would review the disbursement of a $1 billion loan to Ukraine on April 3.

 

[angelburst29]

March 31, 2017: Today's Ukrainian war crimes -- the 14-minute ceasefire
http://www.fort-russ.com/2017/03/march-31-2017-todays-ukrainian-war.html

Though it is March 31 here in the States, it is already April 1 in Donetsk and Lugansk. As Fort Russ readers know, a new ceasefire was to take place for the Easter holidays, and it was supposed to start at midnight, March31-April 1.

Our sources in Donetsk report that it lasted 14 minutes.

The outskirts of Donetsk are being shelled as this report is being written. Heavy shelling is reported on the Kievsky district. We will update as more information comes in.

NATO instructors are preparing Ukrainian troops for a military operation in Donbass. This was announced yesterday by Russia’s permanent representative to NATO, Alexander Grushko.

US wastes millions on failed Georgian and Ukrainian armies
http://www.fort-russ.com/2017/03/us-wastes-millions-on-failed-georgian.html

Commenting on the results of this year’s NATO-Russia Council ambassadorial meeting, Grushko said: “NATO is not putting pressure on the Ukrainian side and has not at all commented on the economic and transport blockade of Donbass by nationalists. NATO continues to provide political and practical support to Kiev. At the Yavoriv training ground near Lvov, and not only there, instructors from several NATO countries continue to train [Ukrainian] security forces who are deployed to the so-called anti-terrorist operation zone.”

Grushko also remarked that the only common ground between Russia and NATO on Ukraine is the understanding that there is no alternative to the Minsk Agreements. “We have drawn attention to just how dangerous are the rampant nationalists encouraged by the Ukrainian authorities. We’ve called on members of the NATO-Russia Council to exert their influence on Kiev so that Ukrainian authorities will completely and unconditionally fulfill the Minsk Agreements,” Russia’s representative said.

But Kiev continues to stick to its guns, and NATO willingly plays along.

That American instructors have been training soldiers of Ukraine’s National Guard became known in April 2015. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko even stated this at the opening ceremony of the Ukrainian-American exercises codenamed “Fearless Guardian 2015”.

Ukrainian troops are trained for combat operations at the International Center for Peacekeeping and Security of Ukraine’s Petr Sahaydych Academy of Land Forces in the village of Starychi in the Yavoriv district. According to official figures, 300 paratroopers from the US Army’s 173rd brigade have arrived in Lvov for this purpose.

The intensive training course lasts three semesters, each comprising three weeks. The first to pass through them were around 900 National Guardsmen. Then American instructors took over training the Azov, Kulchitsky, Jaguar, Omega, and other battalions from Kiev, Kharkov, Zaporozhye, Odessa, Lvov, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Vinnitsa.

Reports on US instructors starting work in Ukraine coincided with the news that British advisors are working in Nikolaev. According to the BBC, 35 instructors from the United Kingdom are teaching Ukrainian fighters defensive tactics and emergency medical care.

In addition, according to media reports, military instructors from Poland, Estonia, Finland, Turkey, Norway, Latvia, France, Denmark, Austria, Spain, Albania, Portugal, Croatia, Iceland, Germany, and Slovakia are working in Ukraine.

What stands behind Grushko’s recent statement, and does all of this mean that Kiev is preparing for military revenge in Donbass?

According to Vladimir Karyakin, a professor at the Military University of Russia’s Ministry of Defense and a retired air force colonel, the case of Georgia is worth recalling here: “The US has already tried to bring Georgia’s army up to NATO standards. Under the provisions of the agreement on cooperation in the military sphere between Washington and Tbilisi, a large-scale, complex program was launched to provide the Georgian army with comprehensive training. The Pentagon took upon itself not only supplying various weapons and military equipment, but also training the personnel and units of all forms and types making up the republic’s armed forces. The first phases of the plan covering the period of 2002-2004 envisioned basic training for Georgian soldiers, non-commissioned officers, and officers.”

Karyakin described the operation in more detail: “In regards to purely military supplies, Washington immediately gave Tbilisi 10 Iroquois helicopters and 1000 sets of military uniforms in addition to a batch of mine detectors worth $1.6 million. Among American supplies were also two Point patrol boats from a US Coast Guard base manufactured in the 1960’s, M4 automatic rifles (adopted by the Georgian armed forces as the main individual firearms for soldiers in January 2008), and M40 machine guns.

“The training of the Georgian army, let us note, cost no small amount of money. In 2002-2004, as part of the Georgia Train and Equip Program, the Pentagon spent $64 million on training the personnel of the 1st infantry brigade numbering around 2,5000 men. In 2005-2006, it spent another $100 million on the Georgia Sustainment and Stability Operations Program for training, equipping, and upgrading the 2nd and 3rd infantry brigades. Georgian instructors highly trained by American specialists meanwhile handled the personnel of the 4th and 5th infantry brigades as well as Georgian reservists.

“In addition, starting in 2002, 60 American instructors from the Army Special Forces and Marines trained the fighters of four battalions and one separate reconnaissance company of Georgie’s armed forces. As was stated, this was a program on fighting terrorism. In the framework of two other programs, Foreign Military Financing (FMA) and International Military Education & Training (IMET), Washington has since 2005 annually allocated Georgia $11.9 million and $1.4 million respectively.

“And what was the result? When in August 2008 Georgian troops attempted to take control of South Ossetia, it turned out that all that American money was wasted. Georgia’s armed forces failed to complete a single combat task. And this happened because of one elementary reason. You can arm an army with different weapons and dress it up in a new uniform, but this army will pull no weight if its soldiers do not clearly understand what they are fighting for and what they should, if necessary, die for. In my opinion, a similar situation is unfolding with the training of the Ukrainian army.”

But Ukrainian nationalists are motivated for the war, aren’t they?

According to Karyakin: “It still ends up being brothers fighting brothers in Donbass. Yes, the nationalists are fighting for their convictions and are quite motivated. But they are in the minority of Ukraine’s armed forces. The overwhelming majority of Ukrainian soldiers and a significant portion of officers are not eager to give their lives for the current Kiev leadership. I think that foreign instructors training Ukrainian servicemen poses no particular threat to Donbass. And the US, one has to presume, will not repeat its extremely expensive experiment with the global modernization of the Ukrainian army. In my opinion, the instructors from NATO countries have a different goal this time: not completely ‘reformatting’ the UAF, but maintaining the morale of Ukrainian troops and their drive for confrontation and revenge in Donbass.”

Will there by an attempt at taking such revenge?

“I believe that all talk about revenge is nothing more than psychological warfare. Yes, Kiev’s revanchist sentiments are de facto supported by Washington. But the example of Georgia has shown that this is not enough for real revenge,” Karyakin concluded.

Top Gestapo Chief Of The Ukraine Junta Securuty Service Is Blown To Tiny Bits By Car Bomb In Marupol

Nazi Ukraine Gestapo SBU promised to ‘quickly revenge’ Colonel who was blown to bits in Mariupol (Videos)
http://novorossia.today/top-gestapo-chief-ukraine-junta-securuty-service-blown-tiny-bits-car-bomb-marupol-videos/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKWGCdYpmvE (0:45 min.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hkaTSOY63U (1:11 min.)

A car driven by top Gestapo Ukraine Junta Security Service Col. Alexander Kharabyush exploded, detonated by a high explosive bomb and he was blown into tiny bits ! This occured in the city of Mariupol, Gestapo Security Service, Colonel Alexander Kharabyush, died instantly . This is reported by the press service of the SBU.

‘The SBU will do everything to find and punish the guilty. We pay our debts quickly,’ said the head of the SBU, Vasily Grytsak.

Каратель, начальник службы контрразведки на оккупированной украми территории ДНР, п-к СБУ, Хараберюш Александр 31.03.17 подорван в Мариуполе

 

[Voyageur]

Other than the fact that (for Canadian readers especially) the old Prime Minister, Brown Bag Brian Mulroney (who the Canadian taxpayers paid him a few million due to a successful lawsuit he launched after he left office, and after he was caught in the U.S. with a brown bag of influence peddling money from German industry), has been working with the Trudeau government to try and help them understand the Trump administration (Brian's the guy who orchestrated the NAFTA agreement with George H. W. Bush, and earlier under the FTA agreement with Ronald Reagan).

Yet I digress.

Trudeau, via his Defence Minister, Harjit Sajjan, signed a deal today with his Ukrainian opposite, Stepan Poltora.

Defence deal could open the door to weapons sales to Ukraine

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/ukraine-canada-weapons-1.4055626

The Trudeau government has signed a defence co-operation agreement with Ukraine, a seemingly mundane bit of statecraft that could have far-reaching implications for the eastern European country's bid to buy Canadian-made weapons.

The bilateral deal, signed this week by Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan and his Ukrainian counterpart Stepan Poltorak, increases mutual co-operation in the areas of defence policy, education, defence research and development, as well as production.

It also opens the door for more direct Canadian military and defence industrial support for Ukraine, Poltorak said in an interview with CBC News.

Prior to the last election, the former Conservative government began examining whether to add Ukraine to Canada's automatic firearms country control list, which would allow Canadian exporters to sell the country so-called prohibited weapons.

Global Affairs Canada studied the request and conducted consultations for almost two years without coming to a conclusion.

Poltorak says his government views the new co-operation agreement as a step towards eventually getting on the list.

"I do hope this agreement will serve as the foundation for the future dialogue on the possibility of this sort of assistance to Ukraine," Poltorak said Tuesday in an interview conducted through a translator.

He emphasized the weapons his country is seeking would be defensive in nature and meant to repel attacks {right} by Russian-backed separatists who have been using sophisticated, heavy weapons such as artillery and tanks.

"We are a peaceful country," he said. {Right, wearing a straight face after war has killed 10,000 and injured another 20,000 +}

Two human rights groups, Project Ploughshares and Amnesty International, expressed their opposition to the notion of Canadian companies selling weapons to Ukraine. {and so they should with megaphones}

Aside from meeting Canadian political and military officials, Poltorak met Tuesday with defence industry representatives.

He also pushed his country's case for more aid and equipment.

Canada has donated a bevy of non-lethal military equipment, totalling about $16 million, according to access to information documents obtained by CBC News.

The support is in addition to the roughly 200 military trainers who are helping instruct Ukrainian army troops, many of them conscripts, in the finer points of close combat. {aka killing}

Overall Canada has provided $700 million in economic and stabilization assistance to Ukraine since Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula and backed a separatist insurgency in the east of the country.

Tweaks to Canada's Ukraine deployment

A briefing prepared for Sajjan last year says Canada has seen from Ukraine a "large volume of requests for military assistance."

The documents show there was an extended, inconclusive internal debate about providing armoured ambulances to evacuate casualties off the battlefield, something the Ukrainian government is still hoping will be coming through.

Poltorak declined to list what kind of equipment his country was seeking, but did say he pitched both Sajjan and Gen. Jonathan Vance, the chief of defence staff, on tweaking the newly extended training mission.

The proposal would not involve additional troops, but would reconfigure some of the training and perhaps sprinkle Canadians across two other training centres that are under construction. {"sprinkle", good grief}

"It would mean that instructors from Canada are engaged in training our personnel in different military exercise areas and the training programs they provide could also be diversified," said Poltorak, who did not explain what skills he believed could be added to current regime. "This is still a matter of discussion."

But he noted separately the Canadian military has a sophisticated system of command and control over its soldiers — something the Ukrainians could adopt.

As of mid-December, the United Nations estimated the death toll in Ukrainian conflict — both civilian and military — stood at 9,758 with another 22,779 wounded in the fighting.

It should be noted that a) Canada is a NATO puppet and b) has an extensive and influential Ukrainian citizenry (along with their strong associations and government insiders and parliamentarians). Canada also became home for many fascists after the war, as did the U.S. under Paperclip. Sometimes they went to the U.S. via Canada from Europe. Canada's new Foreign Minister, Chystia Freeland's parental linage is a case in point.

 

[angelburst29]

The Ukrainian and Moldovan customs services plan to establish 13 joint check points at the border with the self-proclaimed republic of Transnistria, local media reported Monday, citing a Moldovan government decree.

Moldova, Ukraine Plan to Set Up 13 Joint Check Points at Transnistrian Border
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201704171052725904-moldova-ukraine-plan-transnistrian-checkpoints/

Kiev and Chisinau are said to be eyeing five international border entry points and eight points of interstate significance, according to the document.

The Moldovan side plans to increase the number of customs officers by 241 employees, bringing the total number to 1,761 staff members. The project of creating joint check posts was put forward for a public debate.

The first joint check point of Kuchurgan is scheduled to open by the end of 2017.

On February 13, Moldovan Prime Minister Pavel Filip reached an agreement with Ukraine to ramp up the setting up of joint customs control points at the border with Transnistria.

In 2016, the Transnistrian authorities accused Ukraine of unilaterally blocking flows of imported goods to the republic through the railway stations of Kuchurgan-export and Slobodka-export on the request of the Moldovan government.

The Ukrainian move has already caused difficulties in deliveries of socially important goods and fuel to Transnistria. It is regarded by the self-proclaimed republic as a step toward a full blockade of Transnistria.

Transnistria, a region with a predominantly Russian and Ukrainian population, broke away from the Soviet Republic of Moldova in 1990, fearing the country might seek to reunify with neighboring Romania. The move triggered a war that ended in a ceasefire in July 1992 but the conflict has remained unresolved.

The Northern territories of Donesk and the DPR are currently under increased fighting with Ukrainian regiments.

Donetsk sees increased fighting, armoured vehicles & artillery pour in
http://www.fort-russ.com/2017/04/donetsk-sees-increased-fighting.html

At around 16.30 today, intensive fighting began in Novoazovsk, Starobeshevsk, Dokuchaevsk regions. Besides handheld weaponry, armoured vehicles and artillery are also being used.

An hour later, fighting erupted in the Yasinovatiy block post, where heavy weaponry is also being utilized.

Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) and Ministry of Internal Affairs have halted a large channel of contraband weapons and explosives flowing from the EU and Ukraine to Russia. During a special operation, more than 230 guns and 21 kg of explosions were seized.

FSB crashes weapons smuggling ring from EU and Ukraine
http://www.fort-russ.com/2017/04/fsb-crashes-weapons-smuggling-ring-from.html

The FSB’s statement reads: “The FSB, together with the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, has stopped the illegal activities of a cross-regional group involved in organizing supply channels of weapons from EU countries and Ukraine to Russia.”

The report explained that investigative operations were conducted on 54 members of the group in 24 areas of Russia. During the special operation raid, more than 230 guns, among them 18 machine guns, 43 rifles, 29 machine pistols, 45 carbines and shotguns, and 97 pistols and revolvers were seized. In addition, an aircraft cannon from the Great Patriotic War, 16,000 ammunition pieces, 15 hand fragmentation grenades, and more than 21 kg of explosives in addition to narcotics and fake permission slips for the purchase of firearms were confiscated. Overall, three clandestine workshops were closed.

 

[angelburst29]

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) initiated a criminal case under the article "a terrorist act that killed a person" in connection with the blowing up of a vehicle of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) in Ukraine, the Luhansk region's prosecutor's office said Monday.

Ukraine's SBU Opens Case Over Terrorist Act After OSCE Car Blast in Donbass
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201704241052929639-sbu-case-osce-car-blast/

On Sunday, law enforcement officials of the self-proclaimed Lugansk People's Republic (LPR) said the explosion hit the observers' car near the Pryshyb settlement in the Lugansk region and, as a result, one SMM member was killed. Later in the day, OSCE Principal Deputy Chief Monitor Alexander Hug confirmed the explosion, adding that the blast killed a US citizen and injured two more people from Germany and the Czech Republic.

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) on Sunday launched a probe into an explosion in Pryshyb, Lugansk region that killed a US paramedic and injured two patrol members of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM).

Mingareli told reporters that the EU hoped for a full investigation into the incident, but suggested that Brussels would not be a party to the investigation.

The issue of deploying a UN peacekeeping mission in the Ukrainian eastern region of Donbas should be discussed will all sides involved in the conflict in the country, including with the leadership of the self-proclaimed people's republics of Donetsk (DPR) and Luhansk (LPR), Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday.

Deployment of UN Mission to Donbass Should Be Discussed With LPR, DPR
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201704241052938049-mission-donbass-talks-lpr-dpr/

On Sunday, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko held a phone conversation with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and suggested the deployment of a UN peacekeeping mission in Donbas.

"It is important to collate the points of view of all interested sides… It is necessary to find out the UN attitude to this initiative — to what extent it is technologically and politically viable and so on. It is important to know the attitude to this idea of all Normandy format sides," Peskov said, adding that both the authorities in Kiev and LPR and DPR should be involved in discussion of this issue.

According to Peskov, Moscow has repeatedly called for a direct dialogue between Kiev and the self-proclaimed republics.

"It is impossible to make the decision without contacts with the leadership of these republics and without taking into account their opinion," Peskov said.

Ukraine can force Russia to implement the ICJ ruling over Russia's alleged racial discrimination in Crimea, Ukrainian Justice Minister Pavlo Petrenko said Monday.

Kiev to Urge Moscow to Fulfill ICJ Decision on Crimean Tatars Via UN
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201704241052941826-russia-ukraine-mechanism-court/

On Wednesday, the International Court of Justice ruled against satisfying Ukraine’s request to introduce provisional measures under the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism against Russia based on the latter’s alleged terrorist financing in east Ukraine, but agreed to temporary measures over Russia’s alleged racial discrimination in Crimea.

"Russia will either implement the interim decision of the International Court of Justice or we will keep raising the issue of using coercive mechanisms up to the point of raising the question at the UN General Assembly," Petrenko said.

Ukraine initiated legal proceedings against Russia on January 16 when it accused Russia of funneling weapons, military equipment, people and money to war-torn eastern Ukraine through their common border. Ukraine also wanted the ICJ to order a halt to what it claimed was Russia’s discrimination against the Tatar minority in Crimea. Ukraine still considers the peninsula a part of its territory three years after it rejoined Russia following a referendum.

Russia has repeatedly denied being part of the three-year conflict in eastern Ukraine, which has claimed more than 10,000 lives, according to the United Nations. Russia’s representative at the Hague process, Roman Kolodkin, said Kiev’s call for ICJ measures against Moscow lacked both "judicial and factual" prerequisites and urged Ukraine to abide by the Minsk deal to restore peace.

The UN Resolution on Crimea bears no relation to reality and is full of propagandistic cliches, Head of the Republic of Crimea Sergey Aksenov said Wednesday.

Crimea Leader Says UN Resolution on Crimea Full of Propagandistic Cliches
https://sputniknews.com/russia/201612221048853125-crimea-resolution-full-propagandistic-cliches/

This resolution has nothing to do with real state of affairs, it contains propagandistic platitudes instead of facts. Nobody takes into account the opinion of Crimean residents," Aksenov wrote on Facebook.

Aksenov highlighted that all international delegations visiting the peninsula after its reunification with Russia stressed there was peace and absence of any discrimination.

The Poroshenko regime has destroyed the famous aircraft factory "Antonov", writes an influential newspaper in Kiev, "Mirror of the Week".

Poroshenko destroys famous aircraft factory "Antonov"
http://www.fort-russ.com/2017/04/poroshenko-destroys-famous-aircraft.html

The publication notes that the disastrous consequences for the company stem from the 2015 mass arrival of former auto-industry managers, Poroshenko's friends, who did not have any experience in the aviation industry.

The indisputable achievement of the top management at Antonov, is establishing an unprecedented level of remuneration for their work. The vice-president, for example, has a salary several times higher than a person who has worked there for over a decade, as an aircraft designer" - states the newspaper.

The famous aircraft factory today has almost no orders.

"Why no orders? Where did they go? Orders were there before, albeit not huge. Around the world, there are 40 aircraft that were constructed here; AN-148 and AN-158, 6 x An-32 for the Iraqi Air Force, 4 x AN-32 for the Ministry of Emergency Situations, several An-74 went to Kazakhstan, Laos, and others countries. The answer is simple; potential customers are well aware of the situation in the aviation industry of Ukraine and do not share the optimism of the expertise of its leaders. Let me remind you that the last An-148 was completed and handed over to North Korea two years ago - in April 2015. And two months after, Poroshenko's men replaced the company's management. From that moment on, that is, during the second half of 2015, the entire 2016 and the first half of 2017 not a single aircraft has been delivered to customers! "- the author writes.

"Indeed, our aviation industry knew difficult times, but this has never happened before" - sums up the Mirror of the Week.

The world’s largest aircraft, Antonov-225, was developed in the 1980s to carry the Soviet version of the space shuttle on its back.

 

[Voyageur]

Particularly for Canadian readers, Global Research (April 7, 2017 - not sure if it was on SoTT - did check for it) had an interesting article/radio interview with John Helmer, Michael Welch, and Roger Annis concerning Ukraine, Freeland, the PM and what he appears to be doing (and not doing) with respect to Freeland, the Ukraine, and Russia. You get the feeling that they might be hanging Freeland out in the wind, and it might have been orchestrated from within the political party itself after the early power play (with Freeland the focus) that usurped the Foreign Affairs Minister at the time, Stephane Dion.

“There are Canadians in a position to know who believe there is an operation against Freeland; that it started in Trudeau’s office; and that it is picking up momentum in the foreign policy establishment. These sources believe Freeland got wind of the operation, and decided her best defence was a counterattack on Russia. If her defence fails, she goes. If she survives, her Ukrainian story will be a disqualification for higher office. Either way, Trudeau can calculate he wins.” – John Helmer (March, 2017)

It continues with:

The month of March proved to be a busy and hectic one for Canada’s newly Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland.

Dogged by independent media reports about her maternal grandfather being a Nazi collaborator during World War II (which proved to be correct), Freeland address the issue during a March 6 press conference in Ottawa. She depicted the (true) revelations as part of a Russian attempt to destabilize the political system in Canada. The conference itself was intended as an announcement of the extension until the end of 2019 of Canada’s “military training mission” in support of Ukraine.

SoTT carried articles on this.

On March 31, Minister Freeland attended her first NATO foreign Ministerial meeting in Brussels, Belgium, and according to her twitter feed, announced, “At NATO, reiterated that Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea & violence in Donbass will not be tolerated. CAD stands by Ukraine.”

Meanwhile, on March 29th, a Polish consulate in Western-Ukraine came under attack by a suspected anti-tank missile causing structural damage. This was the latest of a string of attacks targeting Polish monuments in the region, indicative of a rise in extremism among Ukraine ultra-nationalists against Polish heroes and icons from the Second World War. As the New Cold War website points out, this incident was presented by Western media as a “Russia did it” story, if it got any press coverage at all!

There is virtually no sustained media criticism or examination of Canadian policy in Ukraine. Hints of discord between Minister Freeland and Canada’s Foreign Affairs establishment go unexplored.

With these developments in the background, the Global Research News Hour devotes an hour examining Ukraine, now more than three years after the overthrow of the Yanukovych government, and how Canadian foreign policy is engaging the volatile country.

Here is the radio interview link: https://soundcloud.com/globalresearchnewshour/canada-and-the-ukraine-powderkeg-a-conversation-with-john-helmer-and-roger-annis

Our guests include John Helmer and Roger Annis.

John Helmer has served as a foreign correspondent in Russia since 1989, and is the only western journalist to direct his own bureau independent of single national or commercial ties. Helmer has also been a professor of political science, of sociology, and of journalism, and an advisor to government heads in Greece, the United States, and Asia. Helmer is among the most widely read Russian specialists in the business world for his news-breaking stories on Russian base and precious metals, diamonds, mining, shipping, insurance, food trade, and business policy. An archive of his articles can be found at his blog Dances With Bears.

Roger Annis is a socialist and trade union activist. Annis writes regularly on topics of social justice and peace. He has written extensively about Canadian involvement in Haiti and, more recently, in Ukraine. He is a founding editor of the website The New Cold War: Ukraine and beyond, which was launched in October 2014.

And here is a screen shot in the article with the MSN CTV source: "so much for Russian disinformation" in reference to Freeland.

 

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Authorities in the Ukrainian capital are preparing to move Kiev's 20,000-strong homeless population out of the city so as not to "irritate" European guests during the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest, Ukrainian media reports, citing Kiev police.

Kiev Officials Want to Kick 'Irritating' Homeless Out of City During Eurovision
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201704251052979122-kiev-plans-to-kick-out-homeless/

Kiev officials are preparing to hold the 62nd edition of the Eurovision Song Contest, an event already mired in controversy due to Ukrainian authorities' decision to ban Russian contestant Yulia Samoilova from entering the country.

Among their preparations, city officials have run into a previously unseen 'problem': Kiev's estimated 20,000 homeless population, who face a catastrophic lack of public shelters inside the city itself.

According to Ukraine's Vesti newspaper, authorities have made a decision to round up the homeless and take them out of the city for the duration of the song contest, although they have yet to determine exactly where they should go.

The homeless problem is a major and growing issue in Kiev, but according to Vesti, there are practically no public shelters available, with one large center having closed last winter. According to Yuri Lifance, head of the Community of St. Gilles, the entire city of 2.8 million is now left with only one major shelter. "But it has only 152 beds," Lifance lamented.

To survive, vagrants engage in petty theft, serve as drug and weapons couriers, as paid demonstrators, and even as casual 'agents' for the Ukrainian Security Service. Some also stage car accidents to try to swindle money out of unsuspecting drivers.

According to authorities, the biggest concentration of homeless is found at Kiev's Central Rail Terminal.

Sergei, a patrolman at the terminal, told Vesti that an operation to clear out the homeless is planned, although ordinary officers don't yet know the details.

We don't know yet where we'll be taking them, but such an operation will definitely take place. We might end up putting them in an open field somewhere outside Kiev," the police officer said.

Sergei added that although the city's police have carried out similar sweeps before, vagrants continue to return to their old stomping grounds.

The press service of the Kiev police confirmed to Vesti that they are preparing to increase security measures, including a sweep of the homeless, but could not provide any more details about where vagrants will be taken. "This issue is now being decided. The measures are being planned. This should be announced by the chief of police," police spokeswoman Yana Semenyuk told the paper.

Ukraine's population has been facing a very difficult socio-economic situation since the Maidan coup d'etat of February 2014. On Tuesday, Deputy Prime Minister Pavel Rozenko revealed that the country now has about 1.9 million unemployed (or about 9.5% of the total working population of 18 million). Millions of working-age people have left Ukraine for Russia and Europe looking for work. Officials estimate that over 2.1 million working-age Ukrainians are currently living and working in Russia, with up to 400,000 more in neighboring Poland, and tens of thousands more in other EU states.

Russia is supplying electricity to the Lugansk People's Republic (LPR) as a humanitarian response to Kiev's suspension of its supply of electricity to the region, a source familiar with the situation said Tuesday.

Russia Supplying Energy to Lugansk Republic to Avert 'Humanitarian Catastrophe'
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201704251052977571-russia-lugansk-repubcli-electricity/

On Monday, the Kiev-controlled energy authority in Lughansk said that Ukraine's Energy Ministry and state company Energorynok had decided to halt the electricity supplies to the LPR from midnight on April 25 (21:00 GMT on April 24), citing the self-proclaimed republic's debt for the received electricity.

Such actions of the Ukrainian authorities can lead to the humanitarian catastrophe, that is why it was decided to provide the electricity supply from the territory of Russia as part of rendering the humanitarian assistance to the LPR's population," the source said.

On Monday, the LPR Emergencies Ministry's head Sergei Ivanushkin said that at 11:41 p.m. local time (20:41 GMT) on April 24, Kiev's authorities halted the electricity supplies to Lugansk's energy plant as well as the one receiving electricity via the transit electric lines on the LPR territory. All the enterprises and population of republic have been supplied with electricity despite the move, Ivanushkin stressed, adding that LPR's authorities have been preparing for such a emergency situation since 2014 and have agreed on receiving electricity on the contract basis with other sources.

The humanitarian situation in the LPR and well as the self-proclaimed People's Republic of Donetsk (DPR) is deteriorating amid the military conflict between local independence supporters and the Kiev authorities.

Sunday's destruction of an OSCE Special Monitoring Mission vehicle in eastern Ukraine comes at a moment that's suspiciously convenient for Kiev, Ukrainian and Russian observers say, particularly as the US and European countries consider a significant reduction in assistance to their Ukrainian partners.

OSCE Mission Car Blast in Donbass: Accidental Explosion or 'False Flag' by Kiev?
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201704251052975024-osce-car-blast-analysis/

On Sunday, a two vehicle convoy from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) carrying out monitoring in the eastern Ukrainian breakaway region of Lugansk was struck, destroying one of the vehicles. The deadly incident, thought by OSCE chairman Sebastian Kurz to have been
the result of a mine blast, killed one US national and injured two OSCE staff members from Germany and the Czech Republic.

The Security Service of Ukraine immediately opened a criminal investigation into the incident. Ukraine's Ministry of Defense, meanwhile, has claimed that authorities from the Donbass breakaways were responsible.

Shortly after the attack, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko spoke to US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. The president proposed introducing UN peacekeepers into the war-torn region, and accused Russia, which is a guarantor, but not a party to the Minsk peace agreements, of failing to fulfill the deal's provisions.

Kiev officials also used the attack to propose that OSCE observers in Ukraine be armed, notwithstanding the fact that the organization's monitoring mission obliges them to maintain their neutrality.

More significant, according to the analyst, was the fact that the blast took place at a moment very 'convenient' for Kiev – just in time for EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini's fence-mending visit to Moscow. "Furthermore, Poroshenko immediately got an opportunity to talk on the phone with Tillerson, which had not happened before."

Given everything that's known about the current authorities in Kiev, it's simply not possible to rule out Kiev's involvement, the political scientist stressed.

Ultimately, whether accident or provocation, Ischenko emphasized that while officials in the Donbass breakaways have nothing to gain from Sunday's blast, Kiev certainly does. "Kiev has already begun using this attack to push through its initiatives abroad. Officials immediately began talking about the need to introduce UN troops to help control the territory," the expert concluded.

Kiev's dream of a contingent of UN troops in eastern Ukraine "would allow it to secure the Donbass cauldron with their own forces," the expert said, with authorities insisting that the foreign troops come exclusively from European (i.e. NATO) countries, "without the participation of peacekeepers form Russia or the Commonwealth of Independent States."

In truth, Khrolenko noted, what Kiev now needs is a reality check. After all, for UN forces to begin a mission in Ukraine, they would need to receive the approval of the UN Security Council and its five veto-endowed permanent members, including Russia.

The administration of US President Donald Trump considers a draft project stipulating overall foreign financial assistance reduction in fiscal year 2018, including a significant cut to aid to Ukraine, the Foreign Policy magazine said.

End of Free Ride? US Mulling Almost 70% Cut to Ukraine Financial Aid in 2018
https://sputniknews.com/world/201704251052966490-us-ukraine-financial-assiatance-cut/

The news outlet reported Monday, citing the State Department budget document, that Ukraine is facing a 68.8 percent cut of US financial aid that had been allocated to it to revive economy and implement reforms.

The White House also reportedly plans to shut down development assistance funds for 77 countries and regional offices.

The magazine specified that budget cuts could affect funding of the health and climate organizations, for instance a 94.5 cut for the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs which funds the Green Climate Fund, a 68 percent cut for the Bureau for Food Security and others.