Civil War in Ukraine: Western Empire vs Russia

[Voyageur]

One might think that in light of the political changes about to take place in Washington, that its satellite tentacles, such as Canada, would make adjustments to not only who they would place in positions of influence, they would re calibrate their foreign policy positions. This does not seem to be the case, and that is curious, osit.

It could be that they still think that something is going to happen to Trump; either he will toe the line of the deep state, or that something will keep him from attaining office and someone loyal to the deep state will then be appointed.

I probably should have followed up in this thread, however, if you look here there is an article by John Helmer in Moscow that looks a little deeper into Freeland et al.

Since I am from Montenegro i will add that the current political party has been ruling the country for ~20 years and is highly corruptive.
Last elections really gave a feel that something could be changed, but that "assassination" scenario went in their favor helping them stay on top.
They are pro NATO oriented and pretty much against Russian politic, although many Russians are present at coastal area of the country, especially during summer season.
Mentioned terrorist action should be taken with a grain of salt, my two cents.

Thanks for Posting additional information and personal insight on the Political conditions in Montenegro, PerfectCircle.

As for NATO's interference, it's existence is finally being questioned by President-elect Trump. President Putin also agrees with many points that Trump has brought out in the open. The US is mainly behind the funding for NATO. Trump wants the other Countries in NATO to pay equal shares and I don't see that happening. NATO should have been dismantled - years ago and it may be what Trump has in mind?

With NATO out, it would be up to the individual Countries - to weed out the corrupt Officials and regain their sovereignty. Hopefully, that will happen soon and Russia would be by Montenegro's side - to help out. Thanks for sharing.

I also wonder, what pressure the US is putting on Serbia?

US Vice President Joe Biden has meeting with Serbian top level government officials during his trip to Switzerland, the White House press pool reported on Tuesday.

Biden Holds Current US Administration’s Last Bilateral Meetings - White House
https://sputniknews.com/us/201701171049695323-us-biden-meeting-serbia/

US Vice President Joe Biden has held a final meetings of the current US administration by meeting the president and prime minister of Serbia during his trip to Switzerland, the White House press pool reported on Tuesday.

At 3:30 pm, Vice President Biden met with Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic and there was a pool spray for photos. Vucic has been Prime Minister since April 2014," the report said. "This bilateral meeting with Serbia is the last bilat[eral meeting] of the Obama/Biden administration."

The press poll added that following the meeting with Vucic, Biden’s delegation met with Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic and his team.

Asked by the journalists whether it was possible to avoid a conflict between Serbia and Kosovo given the recent tensions and the path they are on, Biden said, "Yes."

Prior to meeting the Serbian heads of state and government, Biden also held a meeting with Iraq’s Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani, according to the press pool.

Serbia will send its troops to Kosovo if the Albanians kill the Serbs living in the partially recognized republic, Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic said on Sunday.

Serbian President Vows to Send Troops to Kosovo If Serbs 'Massacred'
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201701151049620193-serbia-kosovo-troops/

He pointed out that Serbia was not striving for a conflict and did not want to attack any country, but as a state must protect its citizens, according to its constitution.

"If the Serbs are massacred, yes, we will [send troops]. And not only the army, all of us will go there. I will be the first one, who will go there, that is not new for me," Nikolic said following the session of the National Security Council answering the question whether Belgrade will send troops to Kosovo.

"As long as I am in this office, I will try to wage no wars but if it is impossible, as a commander-in-chief I will take the responsibility for each decision made," Nikolic said.

The statement was made a day after the first passenger train since 1999 heading from the Serbian capital of Belgrade to Kosovo had been stopped near the border over security concerns. The train was colored as the Serbian flag with the caption "Kosovo is Serbia" being written in 21 languages on it.

The Kosovar authorities are opposing railway communication between Serbia and Mitrovice saying that it is a threat to the Kosovo’s sovereignty.

Serbia does not recognize Kosovo as an independent state, which was unilaterally proclaimed in 2008. Kosovo is recognized by over 100 UN member states. Unlike the United States and some European countries, Russia did not recognize the Kosovo statehood, and believes Kosovo is part of Serbia.

Yeah, this Joe Biden ;last minute U.S./NATO stint, first in Ukraine and then with the Serbian President, was pathetic. One can only guess at some of the shenanigans Joe B was involved with over his VP term; something about the guy...

 

[angelburst29]

Yeah, this Joe Biden ;last minute U.S./NATO stint, first in Ukraine and then with the Serbian President, was pathetic. One can only guess at some of the shenanigans Joe B was involved with over his VP term; something about the guy...

The media often tries to characterize Biden as some kind of clown - like he is annoying but harmless, yet I have a different opinion of him. I think, under that façade is a very determined serious demeanor and that he may hold more "power" in his hands, than O and Hillary combined?

Biden's Last Visit to Kiev: Poroshenko must now face Trump and Putin
http://www.fort-russ.com/2017/01/bidens-last-visit-to-kiev-poroshenko.html

The circus has left town but the clowns have remained. This is precisely how to characterize the current situation in Kiev. The circus role was played by Barack Obama’s Democratic administration whom American voters recently showed the door. This circus has left, but Victoria Nuland’s favorite clown, Petro Poroshenko, is still acting in Kiev. The deputy chief of the American Karabas-Barabas, US Vice President Joe Biden, has come to visit the unruly pet in Kiev. What caused this visit?

As is known, Biden talks to Poroshenko more often than he talks to his own wife…But it is impossible make a clown into a professional statesman. In fact, Poroshenko can’t even be made into a professional colonial administrator. This is a fact. I think that Biden is unlikely to resist the temptation to express to the Ukrainian president everything he thinks about his behavior and the results of his work. If the so-called “Kissinger plan”, which involves transferring Ukraine to the Russian sphere of influence, turns out to at least partially correspond to reality, then it can be said that Poroshenko lost the most important chance in his life by not fulfilling Biden’s instructions from his penultimate visit to Kiev.

Look what happened. Biden demanded that Poroshenko actually launch the process of Ukraine’s federalization, and he even spoke at the Rada in an attempt to convince Ukrainian deputies that a federation is good and cool, even citing the example of the US. It is difficult to say what the cause for not fulfilling these instructions was. Perhaps Poroshenko was afraid that this first attempt to fulfill part of the Minsk Agreements would lead to a Nazi coup in Kiev and his own murder. Perhaps he believed that real federalization is impossible to push through the Rada, and this is likely the explanation that he offered Biden. Or perhaps Poroshenko believed that the current configuration of the frozen conflict in Donbass quite satisfies him insofar as it offers the opportunity to endlessly steal from the military budget and blame all of the country’s socio-economic problems on the war. It is probably one of the above reasons that played a role.

If the process of settling the Ukrainian crisis had already been launched and confirmed by EU and Russian leaders, and not frozen by Poroshenko’s efforts, then it would be difficult for Trump to change anything now, and there would have been no particular reason to do so. Poroshenko would have a rather comfortable position in the Minsk process that could defend him from Nazi claims to power.

But what has happened in the end? It turns out that what the Kissinger plan spoke of is underway. Trump will simply put Ukraine and Poroshenko up for sale and try to extract something useful for himself during negotiations with Putin. The Ukrainian president will have no way to influence these negotiations. Nor will Biden, even though according to American analysts he is now doing everything to complicate any “sale of Ukraine to Putin.”

The US Vice President must now conjure words of support and comfort for his Ukrainian minions, but this changes nothing in this sad situation for them. Their fate will be decided not in Kiev and not in Washington, but at the negotiating table of Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. Ukrainian politicians still have not understood that they are not players in international politics and that the might of the US presidential administration depends on the chair and table in the White House. Now a new owner has moved in and the old furniture could come under the hammer.

 

[angelburst29]

US VP Biden Arrives in Ukraine for Last Meeting With Poroshenko
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201701161049627445-us-ukraine-biden-visit/

Well, that didn't take long to materialize - Ukrainian Parliament "just" passed a Law - allowing foreign and NATO troops to occupy Ukraine! I wonder who "just" gave the go-ahead for that (Biden) stupid move? And the US just happened to send thousands of troops, hundreds of tanks and heavy equipment to the German shores, so they can occupy Poland and a half of dozen other Countries, including now Ukraine? Am I seeing visions - of the C's - "April Drop Date" coming into view???

Ukrainian Parliament Adopts Law Allowing Admission of Foreign Troops for Drills

Ukrainian Parliament Adopts Law Allowing Admission of Foreign Troops for Drills
https://sputniknews.com/military/201701191049756832-ukraine-verkhovna-rada-law-foreign-troops-admission/

A total of 236 parliamentarians voted in favor of the law.

Earlier, President Poroshenko asked the parliament to approve his decision to allow the admission of foreign troops on the territory of the country to take part in military drills in 2017. These drills would include the Sea Breeze-2017 and Rapid Trident-2017 exercises.

The law applies to the US military troops, as well as outfits from other countries, NATO members and states taking part in the "Partnership for Peace" program. That would mean up to 3,000 servicemen with weapons, military equipment, up to six warplanes and helicopters.

The document will now have to be signed by the President.

Ukraine's legal system prohibits any kind of military units without a legal provision from operating on the country's territory. Moreover, it prohibits the deployment of foreign military bases, therefore all foreign troops have to be admitted on the territory of Ukraine by a special legislation as advised by the President.

On Tuesday, Poroshenko announced that he had agreed on the date of his visit to Washington with US president-elect Donald Trump, after the inauguration. Talking to The Wall Street Journal, he said that he hoped to meet with Trump in February.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, right, and US Vice President Joe Biden prior their statement to the media at the Presidential Administration Building in Kiev.

 

[angelburst29]

Coup Leader Of Ukraine, Madman Poroshenko Cries Out For A Global Alliance To Confront Russia, Again ,,,,
http://novorossia.today/coup-leader-ukraine-madman-poroshenko-cries-global-alliance-confront-russia/

Visiting the Davos World Economic Forum, Ukrainian Coup Leader and madman Petro Poroshenko offered his usual speech urging a global alliance to form to confront Russia militarily, something he’s been talking up, interspersed with predictions of imminent World War 3, since taking office.

Poroshenko offered a bit of an alternate version today, however, making a good chunk of the speech about Trump, insisting he thought Trump’s cabinet appointees were promising and that he believes the way to “make America great again” would be to lead the anti-Russia operations.

He went on to insist that NATO is not obsolete in any way, but serves as the only security bulwark against Russia on the entire planet, and that only NATO can “stop the aggression,” going on to express confidence that with NATO’s help, Ukraine would one day again rule over the Crimean Peninsula.

Poroshenko has made his political career on scapegoating Russia, of course, and this is just one more chance for a big speech hyping the world’s “obligation” to crack down on the Russians. It is unlikely, however, that President-elect Trump will take the comments too seriously, as he appears on track for at least some improvement in US-Russia ties, a stark contrast from the endless escalation of tensions that the last several years has seen.


It Is Official, Lugansk People’s Republic Is Independent And Autonomous State , We Are With Mother Russia ! ~ (Leader Of The Great Republic Of Lugansk, Igor Plotnitsky)
http://novorossia.today/157165-2/

19.01.2017 - The Lugansk People’s Republic has withheld! Today, it is an independent and autonomous state.

If someone is still in doubt, then I declare publicly that we will never return to Ukraine! Not in vain were sacrificed numerous lives of our soldiers, defenders of the freedom, independence and prosperity of the Lugansk region.

Nationalism, lifting its head right now, including in Ukraine, is a threat not only for the Russian language, culture and identity, but even to the very existence of the Russian people.

We have chosen the way to return home, to Russia and the Russian world. I have repeatedly said that we are going in small steps, but we know where we are going.

Now, staying with a working visit in the Crimea, I feel as never before that we are united, that we are Russian, no matter of what nationality we are.

The return of the Crimea to Russia is the first and so far the only precedent for the reunification of the most divided nation in the world. But residents of Donbass also expressed their will in the referendum of May 12, 2014, and confirm their choice by the daily fight against the Ukrainian aggression. I, as an envoy of our people, here, in the Crimea, testify of the chosen course.

Again and again, on behalf of all citizens of the Lugansk People’s Republic, I would like to express our gratitude to the Russian people for their constant help and support, for cooperation and partnership at all levels.

Thank you.

The Head of the Lugansk People’s Republic, Igor Plotnitsky

 

[angelburst29]

Spokesperson of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry said that around 7,500 foreign servicemen and about 12,500 Ukrainian soldiers will participate in military drills in Ukraine this year.

About 7,500 Foreign Soldiers to Take Part in 2017 Drills in Ukraine
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201701201049809695-ukraine-foreign-soldiers/

Around 7,500 foreign servicemen and about 12,500 Ukrainian soldiers will participate in military drills in Ukraine this year, spokesperson of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry Dmytro Hutsulyak said on Friday.

"We are going to involve about 12,500 Ukrainian servicemen. Our partners are expected to send around 7,500 soldiers," Hutsulyak said at a press conference.

He added that about 1,500 Ukrainian servicemen would take part in various drills abroad in 2017.

On Thursday, the Ukrainian parliament adopted a law allowing foreign troops to be present in the country in 2017 to participate in multinational drills.

The bill outlines the admission in the framework of multi-national drills of the US and other NATO member states' military, as well as of the countries participating in the Partnership for Peace program, totaling up to 3,000 personnel, for up to 365 days in January-December 2017.

The document is yet to be signed by the president.

Commenting on the law allowing the admission of foreign troops into Ukraine which was adopted by the country's parliament on Thursday, former Ukrainian lawmaker Alexander Golub told Radio Sputnik that at a time when there is an ongoing military conflict in the country, such a decision risks expanding it into a large-scale war.

Foreign Troops in Ukraine 'Risk Expanding Its Conflict Into Large-Scale War'
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201701201049802093-ukraine-law-foreign-troops/

On Thursday, the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, adopted a law allowing the admission of foreign troops to conduct exercises on Ukrainian territory in 2017.

The move came in response to President Poroshenko's appeal to parliament to approve his decision to allow the admission of foreign troops on the territory of the country to take part in military drills in 2017.

These drills would include the Ukrainian-American exercise Sea Breeze-2017 and the US Army-led multinational exercise Rapid Trident-2017.

Ukraine's legal system prohibits any kind of military units from operating within the country without legal permission. Moreover, it prohibits the establishment of foreign military bases, therefore all foreign troops have to be admitted on the territory of Ukraine via special legislation, as advised by the president.

The adopted law now applies to the US troops, as well as outfits from other countries, NATO members and states taking part in the "Partnership for Peace" program.

That would mean up to 3,000 servicemen with weapons, military equipment, and up to six warplanes and helicopters.

The document has yet to be signed by the president.

Commenting on the adopted document, former Verkhovna Rada deputy and member of the Union of Leftists party Alexander Golub told Radio Sputnik that at a time when there is an ongoing civil war in the east of the country, such a decision looks all the more provocative.

"The Ukrainian authorities do not conceal that they are banking on the support of foreign armies and foreign experts both in their internal and foreign policies," he told Sputnik.

"Under the current conditions the country has found itself in, such a decision looks all the more provocative," he added.

"It is one thing when there are no military conflicts and operations on its territory, but it's absolutely different when the country is conducting military operations against its own citizens," the former legislator further explained.

The admission of foreign troops into the country risks expanding this conflict into a large-scale war, he warned. Hence the justifiability of such a decision is easily seen through.

The politician also noted that there is somewhat of a mixed picture of Ukraine's army: on the one hand, Kiev is claiming that its army is the second largest in Europe, on the other, it is inviting foreign armies.

"We are witnessing a very interesting phenomenon here: Ukrainian propaganda keeps claiming that Ukraine possesses just about the second most powerful army in Europe, which is defending Europe from so-called 'planned Russian aggression'. [It also claims] that this army has acquired combat experience in the ongoing conflict in the east of Ukraine," he said.

Golub also reminded that the Ukrainian Defense Ministry has recently claimed that the country's Armed Forces will undergo the necessary training and will be fully equipped with weapons, military equipment and other material and technical means by 2020. The army's structure will be improved and its numbers optimized.

The country's authorities, he said, have repeatedly claimed that only the Minsk agreements prevent Ukrainian tanks from capturing not only Donbass and Crimea, but advancing into Russian territory and conquering its southern cities of Rostov-on-Don and Belgorod.

However on the other hand, the parliamentarian noted, they can't function without foreign aid and have rushed to adopt a document allowing the admission of foreign troops into Ukraine.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that deployment of US soldiers on Ukrainian territory violates the ceasefire deal agreed earlier this year.

US Troops in Ukraine Violate Minsk Deal - Russian Foreign Ministry
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201509031026547124/

Back-dated 03.09.2015

The deployment of US soldiers on Ukrainian territory violates the ceasefire deal agreed earlier this year, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Thursday.

“US soldiers are firmly entrenched in Ukraine, which constitutes a flagrant violation of article 10 of the February 12 Minsk Agreement,” Zakharova said at a briefing in Moscow.

Article 10 of the ceasefire agreement reached in the Belarusian capital of Minsk calls for the pullout of all foreign armed formations, military equipment and mercenaries from Ukraine.

As part of its security assistance program launched last year, the United States sent 300 military instructors to Ukraine in April this year and has provided $245 million of security-related aid to the country.

Ukraine hosted a number of NATO military exercises under US leadership this year, including Saber Guardian/Rapid Trident-2015 in late July. The drills involved over 1,800 servicemen from 18 NATO and other partner nations.

This month, Ukraine is hosting Sea Breeze-2015 naval military exercises in the Black Sea involving around 2,500 NATO forces and 150 warships, helicopters and armored vehicles.

The Ukrainian government has said it is planning to hold three joint drills with US troops later this year.

More than 300 foreign mercenaries are engaged on Kiev's side in the Lugansk Region, a senior Lugansk People's Republic commander said.

Kiev Hires Foreign Mercenaries to Carry Out Criminal Orders - Lugansk Republic
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201701201049820024-ukraine-donbass-mercenaries/

About 300 foreign mercenaries fight on the side of Kiev in eastern Ukraine's Lugansk Region, Chief of Staff of the People’s Militia of the Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR) Oleg Anashchenko said Friday.

According to our records, there are over 300 foreign mercenaries in the Lugansk Region who serve in different units," Anashchenko said.

He noted that the Kiev authorities resorted to such measures due to the Ukrainian military's unwillingness to carry out certain "criminal" orders.

Low morale of the Ukrainian army also prompts Kiev to search for help from abroad, according to Anashchenko.

 

[angelburst29]

Kiev welcomed an initiative of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) in Ukraine to equip the monitors with additional technical devices allowing the round-the-clock surveillance since 2017, Chief of the General Staff Viktor Muzhenko said on Saturday.

Ukraine Welcomes Providing OSCE SMM With Equipment for 24-Hour Surveillance
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201701211049866648-ukraine-enhanced-osce-surveillance/

In January, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin said that he had discussed with his Austrian counterpart Sebastian Kurz, who is also the OSCE chairman, the necessity of enhancing the OSCE SMM in Ukraine both in technical support and personnel.

We support the plans of the OSCE SMM to provide their monitors with additional equipment and deployment of the observation posts on the occupied territories of Donbas," Muzhenko said at a meeting with OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine Chief Monitor Ertugrul Apakan.

Muzhenko and Apakan discussed the aspects of the work optimization, enhancing the effectiveness and other issues of the OSCE SMM in Ukraine.

The eastern part of Ukraine, including the Luhansk region, has been in turmoil since April 2014, when Kiev authorities launched a military operation against local militia in Donbas. In February 2015, the two sides reached a ceasefire deal after talks brokered by the leaders of Russia, France, Germany and Ukraine in Minsk. The SMM is tasked with overseeing the ceasefire and the implementation of the agreement.

(MILITARY SITUATION REPORT/VIDEO FROM HIGH COMMAND OF DPR PEOPLE’S ARMY COL. BASURIN)

Nazi Ukraine Junta Gestapo Kidnap Another Member Of DPR Armed Forces, Less Bombing By Ukraine Terrorists Due To The Arrival Of OSCE Chief
http://novorossia.today/157282-2/

We associate the arising normalization of the situation and a decrease in the number of bombardments on the territory of the Republic with the arrival of the deputy head of the OSCE in Ukraine, A.Hug, in Donetsk on the January 20, 2017. In such a way, the Ukrainian criminals are trying to rehabilitate themselves in the eyes of the public and the OSCE mission representatives. But I would like to note that this is not the first time and we expect, or are even sure that after the above named official’s leaving, the Ukrainian criminals will double the intensity of attacks and provocations against the People’s Republic Militia units.

In addition, the Ukrainian side continues to carry out provocations against the Donetsk People’s Republic. In particular, yesterday, the Ukrainian secret services kidnapped a former member of the DPR Armed Forces, Evgeny Shatalov.

Being a citizen of the Russian Federation, he previously arrived in the territory of the DPR and served in one of military units of the DPR People’s Army. However, for breach of the contract, expressed in gross violations of military discipline and the use of alcohol, he was dismissed from the army in December last year. According to the testimony of his friends in the city of Donetsk, after the dismissal, he led dissolute lifestyle and drank. In addition, he got acquainted, through social networks, with a certain woman who is most likely to have lured him for representatives of the Ukrainian special services to kidnap him in order to organize provocations.

In the video released, it is visible to the naked eye, as the saying goes, that the detainee is in a state of extreme stress and anxiety, often blinks and answers questions without listening to them and without thinking.

His hands are not shown in order to hide their trembling and signs of torture. There is also demonstrated the broad knowledge of the former soldier who, according to him, did not leave the location. Despite this, the former corporal is even aware of the US funds in Yekaterinburg and makes geopolitical conclusions.

It is obvious that, under the influence of measures of physical and psychological coercion and potent psychotropic substances, this man is used to create fake charges against the Donetsk People’s Republic army and Russia of all possible sins. The soldier is most likely, after a hard coercion of the SBU executioners, to continue to make false statements which Ukraine uses to discredit the DPR and Russia.

In our turn, I would like to state that we will make every possible effort to show the OSCE mission representatives the real picture of crimes of the Ukrainian command against the civilian population of the Donetsk People’s Republic.

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Our intelligence continues to record the strengthening of the Ukraine Junta Army (AFU) positions near the contact line.
•In Novgorodskoye (6 km away from the contact line), there were detected three 122mm motorized artillery systems «Gvozdika» and three tanks T-64;
•In Donskoye (24 km away from the contact line), there was detected the delivery of 200 tons of ammunition to storehouses;
•In Artyomovsk (20 km away from the contact line), there was detected the arrival of a train of five carriages with 300 personnel of an unidentified unit.

•
•Vice-Commander of the DPR Defense Ministry operative command Donetsk,Colonel Eduard Basurin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qP5a13IRdgI

(FULL MILITARY SITUATION REPORT/VIDEO FOR THE WEEK FROM THE HIGH COMMAND OF DPR PEOPLE’S ARMY COL. BASURIN)

Nazi Ukraine Junta Concealing Their Dead Toy Soldiers By Turning Them To Dust, “Crematorium” Also Full Roundup Of The Week Of Deadly Bombings By The Nazi Kiev Regime
http://novorossia.today/157373-2/

Good afternoon! I would like to draw the public’s attention to another fact of inhuman and treacherous attitude of the Nazi Ukraine Army (AFU) command to their soldiers. According to our information, the AFU Nazi command uses a crematorium located near the locality of Dzerzhinsk, to burn the bodies of dead AFU soldiers. These activities are carried out in secret, the crematorium staff is suspended from work by the SBU employees, and all work is carried out by specially trained people from the Ukrainian Security Service. The latest activity of this crematorium was recorded after the end of hostilities in the area of ​​the locality of Debaltsevo. Thus, the command of the Nazi Armed Forces of Ukraine once again concealed the true losses of the units. Not just simply concealed but turned them into dust!!! I appeal to the AFU Junta command with a question how they are going to report the soldiers who are just not now, and look into the eyes of their relatives?

***************************************************************************************************************************

Over the past week, the greatest activity in the shelling by the Ukraine Junta Army (AFU) was observed in the west and north-west of Donetsk city. It resulted in one 3-year-old child wounded and one 8-year-old child receive a psychological trauma in the locality of Dolomitnoye.

20 houses and farm buildings in the localities Elenovka, Yasnoye, Gorlovka and the Petrovsky district of Donetsk came under the AFU artillery shelling and were damaged.

Thus, the Ukrainian war criminals confirm their policy of genocide of their own people. Shelling the territory of the Republic and seeking to destroy its infrastructure, they strengthen the economic blockade of the Donbass population. The basis of this is the damage to the railway line Nikitovka–Mayorsk and a high-voltage power line Yasinovataya–Skotovataya. Particularly cynical was the fact of the Ukrainian terrorists shelling the local residents of the locality of Krutaya Balka when they were receiving humanitarian aid. Another proof of the violation of the international agreements, including the Geneva Convention, is creating fortifications, namely a dugout, in the vicinity of the Donetsk pumping and filtration plant and placing the personnel of the Nazi Armed Forces of Ukraine there. As evidence, we present a photo of a Ukrainian shelter to accommodate the AFU personnel.

I want to dwell on today’s blatant case. At about 8 am, on January 20, a sniper fire was opened on a bus «Dokuchaevsk–Donetsk» near the locality of Elenovka. This cynical crime resulted in a peaceful resident, Melikova Natalia born in 1965, wounded in a leg. At the moment, she has undergone a surgery and is in a satisfactory condition. The DPR investigating authorities representatives opened a criminal case on this fact.

It is important to note that the crime occurred when the Deputy Head of the OSCE, A.Hug, was working in the Donetsk People’s Republic, which demonstrates the Ukrainian terrorists’ disregard of the international mission.

*************************************************************************************************************

Over the past week, from 14 to 20 January, the units of the People’s Army of the People’s Republic of Donetsk, in accordance with the plan of combat training, had classes on teamwork training of the platoons. In addition, the artillery units worked out standards for conducting the counter-battery fight. The air defense crews had training to repel the enemy air attacks, with working our standards for preparing and opening fire on low-flying and small targets. All classes were planned for defense issues.

Over the past week, the enemy violated the ceasefire 4,348 times, including 1,031 times with the use of artillery, tanks and mortars. The fire was opened on 33 localities of the Republic: Ozeryanovka, Zaytsevo, Dolomitnoye, Golmovsky, Yasinovataya, Spartak, Elenovka, Signalnoye, Luganskoye, Dokuchaevsk, Yasnoye, Sakhanka, Kominternovo, Leninskoye, Oktyabr, Zheleznaya Balka, Vasilyevka, Vesyoloye, Staromikaylovka, Belaya Kamenka, Abakumovo, Gorlovka, Mikhaylovka, Shirokaya Balka, Krutaya Balka, Zhabichevo, Alexandrovka, Verkhnetoratskoye, Dzerzhinskoye, the Gagarina mine, Petrovskoye, the area of the airport and the locality of Trudovskiye in the Petrovsky district of Donetsk city, from the positions of the Ukrainian criminals Shaptala, Matseyko, Nikolyuk, Sokolov and Delyatitsky. There was also actively used 152mm artillery from the positions of the artillery brigades of Panchenko and Brusov.

The DPR army lost two soldiers killed and three wounded.

*************************************************************************************************************************

The Nazi Ukrainian military and political authorities continue to resort to all sorts of tricks in order to fulfill their evil designs to destabilize the situation in Donbass.

One of these facts is the delivery of artillery ammunition to the artillery units of the 25th and 79th brigades, as I have already stated, which confirms the fact of receiving by the Ukrainian criminal military authorities of a kind of “humanitarian ” aid from their Western curators. Trying to justify the hopes of the aggressor to escalate the conflict in Donbass, Western instructors organize provocations against the DPR People’s Army units, with subsequently accusing them of abuse of the agreements reached on the ceasefire.

However, the prevailing situation in the Nazi Ukraine Army AFU units continues to point to the failure of the command to influence the course of events and take adequate measures. A DPR soldier was captured, bullied and subsequently tortured, while the false information about it was spread by the Main Directorate of the Ukrainian intelligence that has long established itself as the chief military dreamer of the country, otherwise they can not be called, indicating the willingness of the command to make any sacrifice just to continue the fratricidal war in Donbass.

Once again, I would like to state that we are always ready to respond adequately to the criminal actions of the Nazi Ukrainian authorities, but would like to reach the consciousness of Ukrainian politicians and military commanders in order to reach a peaceful solution to the conflict and avoid the suffering of the civilian population.

Despite everything, we continue to collect data on the Nazi Ukraine Army AFU units movement along the contact line, and record their locations to immediately strike at them, in case of the Ukrainian aggression. In particular, over the past week, we detected the following targets:

•In the Gorlovka direction, one battery of 2C1 «Gvozdika», up to one tank battalion, up to one company on armored personnel carriers and up to one platoon on infantry fighting vehicles.

•In the Donetsk direction, one division of MLRD «Smerch», one division of MLRD «Grad» and one battery of 120mm mortars;
•In the Mariupol direction, one battery of 122mm motorized artillery systems, one battery of 82mm mortars and two tank companies.

Vice-Commander of the DPR Defense Ministry operative command Donetsk,Colonel Eduard Basurin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EN6Ey3cNKFA

 

[angelburst29]

Ukrainian militants shell Russian JCCC reps, journalists in Lugansk region
http://www.fort-russ.com/2017/01/ukrainian-militants-shell-russian-osce.html

On January 22nd, the Ukrainian Armed Forces shelled Russian officers from the Joint Center for Control and Coordination while they were recording the results of shelling in Dolgoe. This has been reported by the People’s Militia of the Lugansk People’s Republic.

Only six hours had passed since Ukrainian militants shelled homes in the residential area of Dolgoe in the LPR’s Slavyanoserbsky district when the UAF war criminals once again violated the ceasefire with shelling.

At 17:00, Ukrainian punitive forces from the UAF’s 14th brigade opened fire with anti-tank guns and small arms in the direction of representatives of the JCCC and a group of journalists who were photo-documenting the consequences of the previous shelling on Central Street in Dolgoe. No casualties resulted.

“We hope that this case will not go unnoticed by the Special Monitoring Mission of the OSCE and that the deputy head of the international mission, Hug, will during his visit to the LPR from January 24th-25th honestly assess the UAF’s systematic shelling,” the LPR’s People’s Militia press center commented.

Viktor Yanukovych announced having collected evidence of the involvement of Alexander Turchinov, Andrey Paruby and other impostors in power, in the shooting on Maidan.

Former President Of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych Has Collected Evidence On The Killing And Massacre On Maidan
http://novorossia.today/former-president-ukraine-viktor-yanukovych-collected-evidence-killing-massacre-maidan/

I already have collected evidence proving the guilt of the people mentioned in the execution of the Heavenly Hundred and the law enforcement officers on Maidan. Moreover, after my video interrogation on November 28, I was approached by the Ukrainians who provided additional information confirming the guilt of these individuals,’ said Yanukovych.

‘We’re going to pass a number of documents to the Ukrainian law enforcement agencies, but the key witnesses are worried about their safety and are not ready to testify to Ukrainian investigators who are now under control of the direct organizers of the murders on Maidan,’ said the president.

Yanukovych promised to appeal to international organizations and foreign governments with a demand for an international independent investigation into the tragedy on Maidan.

In December, Ukrainian billionaire Victor Pinchuk wrote an explosive op-ed in The Wall Street Journal, laying out how Ukraine can end its conflict with Russia. Pinchuk’s plan is simple: Kiev must close the book on Crimea, proceed with elections in Donbass, and forget NATO. Unfortunately, elites in Kiev see his ideas as nothing less than treasonous.

A Challenge To The Poroshenko Junta Regime As Billionaire Magnate Victor Pinchuk Makes Noise In The Wall Street Journal
http://novorossia.today/challenge-poroshenko-junta-regime-billionaire-magnate-victor-pinchuk-makes-noise-wall-street-journal/

Pinchuk’s appeal, published in the opinion pages of the WSJ on December 29, laid out his vision for how the new administration in Washington can try to sort out the mess in Kiev in the interests of improving relations with Moscow.

Kiev, the billionaire steel magnate wrote, must be willing to compromise, including making a genuine effort to end the civil war that’s being waged in the country’s east. Ukrainian authorities must accept local elections in the breakaway territories, and live up to their commitments under the Minsk agreements, and Russia should do the same, the oligarch added. Crimea, he said, “must not get in the way of a deal that ends the war in the east on an equitable basis.”

Kiev sent the Ukrainian army to deal with unrest in eastern Ukraine in April 2014, after protesters refused to recognize the legitimacy of authorities who came to power in the February 2014 coup d’état. In March 2014, Crimean authorities organized a referendum, asking the peninsula’s residents if they wanted Crimea to rejoin Russia. A whopping 96% voted ‘yes’, and Moscow soon accepted the peninsula’s request.

Pinchuk also made proposals on other, related fronts, suggesting that Ukraine “should consider temporarily eliminating EU membership from our stated goals for the near future.” As for NATO membership, he stressed that Kiev should “accept that Ukraine will not join NATO in the near- or midterm.” For now, he said, the country should choose neutrality. He even hinted that Kiev would be “ready to accept an incremental rollback of sanctions on Russia” if that helps to restore peace, unity and security to the country.

Pinchuk’s ideas didn’t include anything radically outside the reigning political orthodoxy in Ukraine. He didn’t propose recognizing Crimea as part of Russia, and maintained that Moscow was to blame for “initiating” the conflict in the east.

Nevertheless, as expected, the billionaire’s op-ed caused an uproar both in the Ukrainian media and in political circles. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko thundered that Kiev would never compromise on Russian ‘aggression’, and stressed that he would never abandon plans to join NATO and integrate into the EU. Pundits called the op-ed “An offer to surrender,”condemned Pinchuk’s “tone of appeasement” and defiantly proclaimed that Ukrainians would never accept his peace proposals.

Eventually, Pinchuk was even forced to apologize for publishing the article, blaming heavy editing and the WSJ’s provocative headline, which read “Ukraine Must Make Painful Compromises for Peace With Russia.”

So what was actually behind this political storm in a teacup? According to Radio Sputnik contributor Daria Cherednik, Kiev was mistaken to see Pinchuk’s op-ed a “treacherous blow to the back,” since the jab was actually “direct, open, and frontal – right in the stomach."

 

[angelburst29]

Poroshenko: Putin is to blame for coming EU collapse
http://katehon.com/news/poroshenko-putin-blame-future-eu-collapse

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has once again blamed Vladimir Putin for the present situation in Ukraine at an interview to one Finnish media. According to his words, Putin is even guilty of the further collapse of the European Union.

Moreover, “Russia wages cyberattacks not only against Ukraine, which has been confirmed. We have a strong cyber-department, so Ukraine is capable of a counterattack”, Petro Poroshenko said before.

But Poroshenko didn’t forget to add that Ukraine is interested in the unity of the European Union, and the country is always ready to help EU. At this time, the Ukrainian president has forgotten, or has just put aside his usual topic about tranches.

The Ministry of Defense of Russia is proposing to strengthen the army group deployed in the Southern Military District due to the situation in the South-East of Ukraine and the threat of international terrorism. This was announced on Wednesday, January 25th, by Defense Minister and Army General Sergey Shoigu.

Russian Defense Ministry calls for more forces on Ukrainian border
http://www.fort-russ.com/2017/01/russian-defense-ministry-calls-for-more.html

According to Shoigu, the military-political situation in the strategic southwestern direction remains unstable. “[This area] can be negatively impacted first and foremost by the situation in the South-East of Ukraine and the operations of international terrorist organizations and groupings in the North Caucasus,” Shoigu said at a meeting of the Ministry of Defense.

Under these circumstances, according to Shoigu: “It is necessary to continue work on improving the combat troops of the district, recruit contract servicemen, equip troops with new armaments and military vehicles, as well as develop military infrastructure.”

According to the minister, over the last year “the combat capacity of the district has been increased by 10%.” Contract recruitments are ongoing, new weapons are being employed, and military infrastructure is being improved.

A representative of the LPR people’s militia says that Kiev troops have opened fire in the Zhelobok area of the self-proclaimed Lugansk People’s Republic in Ukraine's southeast.

Kiev Troops Fire Mortars in Lugansk People’s Republic – Militia
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201701271050049751-kiev-shells-ugansk/

Kiev troops have opened fire in the Zhelobok area of the self-proclaimed Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR) in Ukraine's southeast, a representative of the LPR people’s militia told Sputnik.

"At 21:05 from the direction of the Prichepilovka village in the direction of the Zhelobok village of the Slovianoserbsk district, Kiev forces opened fire from 82-mm caliber mortars," the representative said on Thursday.

He added that the Kiev forces opened fire about 10 times, although no immediate information was available regarding casualties or damages.

The diaries of Reich Minister of Propaganda of Nazi Germany Paul Joseph Goebbels (prohibited in Russia) are planned to be published in Ukraine.

Diaries of Joseph Goebbels to be published in Ukraine
http://katehon.com/news/diaries-joseph-goebbels-be-published-ukraine

Wednesday, 25 January, 2017 - According to local media, the publishing house “Folio” is going to issue Goebbels’s diaries with the summary, where Joseph Goebbels will be presented as “all-powerful minister of propaganda”.

The director of this publishing house has said the Ukrainian society needs this book and it is going to be published in the Ukrainian language.

 

[angelburst29]

(PHOTOS) Report From LPR: < Georgian Legion > Mercenaries , soldiers voluntarily have went AWOL in Donbass ~ Exclusive Photos By NOVOROSSIA TODAY Of The War Criminal Mercenaries Of Georgia Killing Our Civilians Of Donbass , These Are Men And Women Who Wanted Blood Thirsty Revenge On Our People ! They Are Same As ISIS

Criminal And Murderers, Mercenaries “The Georgian Legion” Of The Ukraine Junta Have gone AWOL , NO PAYMENT !
http://novorossia.today/criminal-murderers-mercenaries-georgian-legion-ukraine-junta-gone-awol-no-payment-exclusive-photos-criminal-georgian-thugs/

27.01.2017 - Soldiers of the ” Georgian Legion ” , fighting in the Donbass on the side of Ukrainian military, willfully abandoned their positions on the contact line, due to non-payment of monetary allowances, and decided to return to Georgia, said the representative of the LPR People’s Army, Andrey Marochko.


‘On January 24, thirty-eight mercenaries of the so-called ” Georgian Legion” from the 25th separate battalion of the 54th brigade of the Nazi Ukraine Units (AFU) , stationed near the locality of Troitskoye, the Popasnyansky region, on the grounds of a conflict with the brigade commander, Gorbatyuk, because of no money allowance payment, boarded a bus and left for Kharkov for the further return to Georgia,’ said Marochko.

According to him, these soldiers of the «Georgian legion», according to the Ukrainian media, had advanced on the LPR position in the Svetlodarsk arc area last week.

Ukrainian criminal forces shelled with MRLS Grad suburbs of Volvo-Center at the northern suburb of Donetsk. It has been reported today by the DPR Defence Ministry.

UAF restarted using forbidden Grad
http://novorossia.today/uaf-restarted-using-forbidden-grad/

‘Kiev criminal military units started shelling with MRLS Grad at 11.15 pm’, it was added.

Data on wounded and destroying is being checked.

It is necessary to point that the shelling was heard all around the republic, even the center of the DPR capital woke up with horror.

The first Belgian troops of the international NATO battalion formed under German leadership have arrived in Lithuania. About 30 soldiers have already arrived at Palanga Airport and dozens more are due to arrive on January 26th.

First International NATO Troops Arrived in Lithuania
http://katehon.com/agenda/first-international-nato-troops-arrived-lithuania

Part of the US armored vehicles deployed in NATO countries has damaged during transfer to Poland. In addition, some American tanks accidentally arrived with discharged batteries or not completely filled ones. That is not the last misfortune for the U.S. Army in Poland. A military truck has collided with a private van in southwestern Poland, hospitalizing two Poles.

That is not the last misfortune for the U.S. Army in Poland. A military truck has collided with a private van in southwestern Poland, hospitalizing two Poles.

NATO has been forcing its military presence on Europe for several years since the beginning of Ukrainian crisis when Russia was accused of interfering in the conflict. Moscow has repeatedly denied the claims and warned NATO that the military buildup near Russia’s borders is provocative and threatens the existing strategic balance of power.

Last summer at the NATO summit in Warsaw, the composition of the multinational battalions was finally approved. The Alliance will continue to strengthen its “Eastern Flank” in Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, and Poland to counter "growing fear of Russia in the region".

It appears that the change of the United States’ course in regards to Ukraine that many expected following Donald Trump’s victory has begun.

Kiev lobby in the US desperate to ensnare Trump
http://www.fort-russ.com/2017/01/kiev-lobby-in-us-desperate-to-ensnare.html

Two pieces of news concerning this appeared on January 26th. The first: the American publication RealClearDefense analyzed the main problems gripping Ukraine in an article under the telling title “Ukraine’s Problem is Ukraine.” According to the Ukrainian publication Vesti which cited this article, Donald Trump is going to arrange an “audit” of the Ukrainian authorities by checking where Kiev has really allocated the funds received from the US under Barack Obama.

In short, Ukraine’s main problems are named to be the following four:

1. the problematic organization of authorities caused by a large number of officials taking part in military strategy and procurement;

2. the absence of a unified strategic vision and budget accounting;

3. pro-Russian officials

4. overwhelming corruption

Let us note that the publication does not identify the biggest problem: the illegitimate status of the ruling Poroshenko regime and the former US administration’s accountability for the violent overthrow of President Yanukovych.

The third point on the list is also questionable. Already in the first days following the victory of the Euromaidan, Ukrainian government agencies were decisively purged of any so-called “pro-Russian officials.” In fact, this work was carried out long before. In the first half of 2010, the author of these lines more than once came into contact with Ukrainian deputies, politicians, and experts who constantly supplied reports on how the US and the West (including foundations from both the Democratic and Republican parties in the US, NATO humanitarian organizations, etc.) were consistently engaged in drawing the ruling Ukrainian elite into the channels of pro-Western policies. A system of work was organized with this aim. Trips were arranged for deputies, politicians, and experts (as well as budding young specialists) to visit the US and the opening of NATO centers at universities even in pro-Russian cities like Donetsk, etc. I’ll emphasize that all of this was being carried out even during the presidency of Viktor Yanukovych, whom the leaders of the Euromaidan called “pro-Russian.”

Thus, the purging of the Ukrainian political sphere of pro-Russian figures began long before the victory of the Euromaidan. After the victory of the Maidan, it became known that the US had allocated as much as $5 billion for the “democratization” of Ukraine. Part of this money was allocated for the outright bribery of Ukrainian politicians. There was also, of course, a hidden part of all this work including non-public negotiations and agreements with Ukrainian politicians on, among other things, personnel appointments. It is no coincidence that Yanukovych’s presidential reign was marked by the career advancements of collaborators and the disappearance and even arrest of genuinely pro-Russian politicians. The most famous among the latter examples is the leader of the Odessa-based Rodina Party, Igor Markov.

Thus, by the time of the coup, no more “purging” of the Ukrainian political field of pro-Russian forces was really needed. But why did this American publication dedicate an entire point on an extra short list of Ukraine’s problems to this?

A correct answer to this question would be possible if we possessed information on this publication. Does it speak for the representatives of the new US President’s entourage? Or do Ukrainian lobbyists in the US perhaps (but not necessarily) opposed to President Poroshenko stand behind it? I am inclined towards the second possibility.

It is obvious that such lobbies are attempting to misdirect Donald Trump by pointing to the consequences (corruption) and not the reasons (illegitimacy and criminal government) for Ukraine’s problems.

Donald Trump would be wise to refrain from being immersed in European chaos, and instead busy himself with cleaning the Augean stables of America before he is dragged into being involved in the Ukrainian mess. This obviously betrays the interests of the Ukrainian lobbyists in the US. Undoubtedly, in the near future we will see very high media and political activity on the part of these lobbyists.


The second news item mentioned above comes directly from the corridors of power in Ukraine. We will discuss this in the forthcoming, second part of our article.

 

[thorbiorn]

On Stalkerzone they report that anyone who caught telling the story of the Banderites as Nazi collaborators and not as Ukrainian National heros, can get 5 years in prison.

Is was none other than the oldest Rada Deputy, Yuriy Shukhevych - the son of the notorious Hauptman Roman Shukhevych - who decided to justify his ancestors

One can read much more about the deeds and misdeeds of Roman Shukhevych in the scientific paper by Per Anders Rudling
http://www.academia.edu/536217/Schooling_in_Murder_Schutzmannschaft_Battalion_201_and_Hauptmann_Roman_Shukhevych_in_Belarus_1942

Edit: Apparently there are people in Poland who have not forgotten: https://slavyangrad.org/2016/07/03/did-roman-shukhevych-do-something-bad/

 

[angelburst29]

On Stalkerzone they report that anyone who caught telling the story of the Banderites as Nazi collaborators and not as Ukrainian National heros, can get 5 years in prison.

Is was none other than the oldest Rada Deputy, Yuriy Shukhevych - the son of the notorious Hauptman Roman Shukhevych - who decided to justify his ancestors

One can read much more about the deeds and misdeeds of Roman Shukhevych in the scientific paper by Per Anders Rudling
http://www.academia.edu/536217/Schooling_in_Murder_Schutzmannschaft_Battalion_201_and_Hauptmann_Roman_Shukhevych_in_Belarus_1942

Edit: Apparently there are people in Poland who have not forgotten: https://slavyangrad.org/2016/07/03/did-roman-shukhevych-do-something-bad/

It is unfortunate that the Nazi-based-elite are using Ukraine to promote their ideologies. This previous link as an example.
Diaries of Joseph Goebbels to be published in Ukraine
http://katehon.com/news/diaries-joseph-goebbels-be-published-ukraine

Increased attacks of Ukraine's Army near the Donetsk Airport might be due to US/NATO troops now occupying Ukraine?

Nazi Ukrainian army attacked DPR Donetsk People’s Republic in the surrounding areas of the Airport – Including Yasinovataya – Avdeevka
http://novorossia.today/ukraine-coup-leader-poroshenko-nazi-henchmen-backed-senator-mccain-unleash-heavy-weapons-fire-civilian-areas-donbass-republics/

Monday 30.01.2017 - The Nazi Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) attacked the army of the Donetsk People’s republic in the area of the Donetsk airport, as well as in the area of Yasinovataya and Avdeevka, said the representative of the DPR Defense Ministry, Eduard Basurin.

This morning, the Ukrainian criminal command launched another provocation in the area of ​​the industrial zone of Avdeevka. The enemy attacked our positions with up to a platoon, which resulted in the DPR People’s Army units being forced to open respond fire,’ said Eduard Basurin.

According to him, the attack resulted in nine Ukrainian soldiers killed and another 15 wounded.

Six villages in the south of the Donetsk People’s Republic are completely without electricity as a result of the overnight shelling by the Nazi Ukrainian military. This was reported by the head of the Novoazovsky region, Anatoly Yanovsky.

‘Yesterday, after the shelling from 22:00, villagers of Kominternovo, Zaychenko, Novaya Tavria, Dzerzhinskoye, Leninskoye and Sergeevka were left without power,’ he said.

According to him, a repair crew already set out for repair works.

The central water supply unit of Donetsk is without water and stopped due to the shelling of the .

This was reported by the municipal administration of the city.

‘It is not due to the shelling on the DFP, but interruptions in the supply of electricity (110 kV), which goes from Yasinovataya. In the near future the problem will be solved, but people need to store some water supply,’ the report recommended to Donetsk residents.

Under the threat of the suspension of water supply are five districts of Donetsk.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel stated that the situation on the contact line in eastern Ukraine is causing concern.

Merkel Voices Concern Over Situation on Contact Line in Donbass
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201701301050160187-germany-ukraine-donbass-shelling/

The security situation on the line of contact in eastern Ukraine is causing concern and the work on the Ukrainian settlement should continue, including within the 'Normandy Four' format, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Monday.

"The situation on the line of contact is causing concern… I would like to underline again that there is no alternative to Minsk [agreements]," Merkel said prior to the meeting with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko.

Earlier in January, the Defense Ministry of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) informed of the aggravation of situation in Donbass. According to the ministry, the Ukrainian military fired 900 mines and shells on the DPR territory on Sunday. The shelling continued on Monday.


Poland has it's own problems with US/NATO occupation ...

On January 12th, a thousand US soldiers arrayed in columns of tanks, armored vehicles, and transport trucks - one of the largest offensive troop movements to the East since Hitler’s Operation Barbarossa - poured onto Polish soil. They were greeted more than enthusiastically by Polish Prime Minister Szydlo, herself a graduate of the US State Department’s International Visitor Leadership program, who declared: “This is a great holiday on which I can say that the government which I have the honor to stand at the head of, has fulfilled the obligation it took before Poles to defend our countrymen and our fatherland…the country welcomes representatives of the most wonderful army in the world.”

Poland's elites clap as US Army wreaks havoc on Polish streets (Photos)
http://www.fort-russ.com/2017/01/polands-elites-clap-as-us-army-wreaks.html

Monday January 30, 2017 - Unfortunately for Szydlo, the arrival of US troops in Poland is only partially the merit of the Polish government’s lobbying to be turned into a battlefield in a potential war with Russia. Instead, the accomplishment lies with Barack Obama, who hurried to deploy hordes of tanks and troops a month ahead of schedule in order to present US President Donald Trump, with a fait accompli.

Defense Minister Macierewicz, who has taken the liberty upon himself of renaming Poland the “Eastern Flank of NATO,” nevertheless tried to outdo Szydlo: “We’ve waited a long time for you, tens of years, often feeling a sense of loneliness.…Often feeling like we are the only ones defending civilization from the threats from the East…Together we are defending freedom.”

Unfortunately for Macierewicz, Poland will not be joined in its “defense of civilization” by San Escobar, the non-existent country which Polish Foreign Minister Waszczykowski assured is supporting Poland’s bid to join the UN Security Council.

Thanks to Macierewicz, however, Poland will also be seeking an enemy in China. The defense minister cancelled the long-standing project of converting an old, abandoned military base into a center for commercial trading with China because, according to him, such threatens to “eliminate the United States’ influence in the Eurasian zone” and because China wants to “liquidate Poland’s independence,” the proof of which is….the fact that the trading center won’t be built. Thanks to the US Army’s deployment in Poland, however, Macierewicz assured everyone that “Poland will no longer be lonesome.”

Since US boots set foot on Polish soil on January 12th, the “strongest, best, and most wonderful army in the world” (PM Szydlo’s words) has demonstrated just how seriously and professionally it is capable of fulfilling its mission.

On January 21st, a US soldier was injured in a Humvee crash.

On January 22nd, a US military truck flipped over and spilled M-1 Abrams tank shells all over a busy road, injuring one soldier and hospitalizing another.

On January 24th, another US military vehicle crashed head-on into a Polish civilian bus, landing two injured Poles in the hospital.

Then, on January 26th, a fourth accident occurred when a US Army lorry got itself stuck under an underpass.

January 29th was no exception - another US Army truck collided with a road barrier, spilling around 400 liters of gas in the same area where tank shells went flying a week before. When journalists asked a passerby about the incident, they received a telling response: “A week ago they spilled tank shells, and now this! If they’re supposed to protect us, then no thanks. They’re not defending us; they’re just upsetting Russia.”

These and more incidents have also resurfaced memories of when US soldiers killed one Polish civilian and injured another in a convoy collision back in June 2016.

These accidents, however, didn’t figure into the war game simulations organized at the Warsaw National Stadium by Western and Polish defense companies during the same week “to identify force structure and defense planning requirements for defeating Russian General Staff plans for the occupation of the Baltic States…[and] the disintegration of the European Union and NATO.”

Meanwhile, Poles’ support for the “guarantee of geopolitical security” supposedly offered by US troop deployments in Poland and the hectic preparations for a supposed war with Russia is questionable. According to one survey, as many as 36.1% of Poles believe that the US Army’s presence in Poland does not increase the security of Poles or the country, and 16.5% are convinced that it “decisively does not.” Approximately the same figures are replicated in Poles’ surveyed views of NATO. On the topic of US missile systems being installed on Polish soil, 59% of Poles believe that this increases the threat of Poland becoming a target of missile attacks.

And with good reason. Numerous experts have pointed out the daunting reality that the stationing of US-NATO troops and missile systems in Poland is a guarantee of war and conflict, not stability. Russia, as the country against whom NATO and US troops are aimed against, has repeatedly called such troop movements aggressive and urged for dialogue against “pseudo-analyses.” For Poland’s part, numerous sober voices have warned that Poland, by unequivocally inviting US-NATO troop build-ups on its soil and pushing an aggressive “security” doctrine specifically indicating the need to preemptively attack Russia, is in fact painting a target on its own back and sealing its fate as a conflict zone.

The most renowned Polish critic of NATO who has repeatedly drawn attention to this worrying development, Mateusz Piskorski, has been held in prison on no charges since May 18th, 2016. Two days before, Piskorski had warned that US and NATO troops in Poland can now suppress protests and dissent on the grounds of combatting “hybrid war.” His party, Zmiana, one of the few political forces that have stood consistently against Poland’s manipulation by NATO and called for Poland to base its security on good relations with all countries, has similarly been subjected to outright political repression.

It is also only a matter of time until the scandals and crimes typical of the US Army in Europe - from rape to bar fights to outbreaks of violence resultant of untreated mental disorders - will repeat themselves in Poland. Polish tax dollars will have to fix the destruction wreaked by clumsy American convoys and the crimes committed by US troops will go unpunished thanks to the scandalous SOFA agreement signed back in 2009. As the US Army continues to treat Poland as an accident site and training ground, Poles’ confidence in their “geopolitical defenders” will only wane, and the very point of the “Eastern Flank” itself will begin to be questioned.

For now, the sovereignty of supposedly “at-last free, independent Poland” continues to be crucified on the altar of Polish officialdom’s incredulous statements. Poland’s ruling Law and Justice government, while posing as the “patriotic” revanche against the Brussels-phile opposition, has let the US Army occupy Polish territory - not only without a shot fired, but with the charm of statements and scandals so ludicrous and deplorable that they will most likely go down in history as the latest generation of “Polish jokes.”

 

[angelburst29]

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko ordered to arrange an emergency meeting of the trilateral Contact Group on Ukraine on Tuesday in light of the recent conflict escalation in eastern Ukraine, his press service said.

Poroshenko Orders to Speed Up Discussion of Violence Escalation in Donbass
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201701311050204479-donbass-talks-poroshenko/

According to the press service, Poroshenko also ordered to raise the issue of conflict escalation and looming humanitarian crisis in Donbass in the UN Security Council as soon as possible.

"An order has been given to arrange talks today in the framework of the trilateral Contact group," the press service said in a statement.

Both sides of the Ukrainian conflict reported earlier the deterioration of the situation along the separation line in eastern Ukraine, blaming each other on numerous violations of the truce regime and attempts to escalate tensions in the region.

The situation in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donbass escalated with the warring parties blaming each other for the renewed fighting, while the humanitarian situation has seriously aggravated.

Donbass on Brink of Humanitarian Disaster, Conflict Parties Blame Each Other
https://sputniknews.com/analysis/201701311050203150-donbass-disaster-parties-blame/

On Tuesday, spokesman for the Ukrainian Defense Ministry Alexander Motuzyanik said that three Ukrainian officers had been killed and 24 more injured over the past 24 hours adding that the industrial area in the town of Avdiivka remained "the hot spot."

Who is responsible? - The warring parties, as it usually happens, are blaming each other for shelling and attempts to launch an offensive. The Donbass militia accuses Ukrainian authorities, while Kiev claims that the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) and Moscow are standing behind the intensified fighting. Russia denies the allegations.

"There is reliable data, which proves that yesterday, there was an attempt from the independent groups to attack the territory under control of Donbass republics," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

He pointed out that the Donbass militia repelled the attack and returned the territory seized by the pro-Ukrainian units.

We deeply regret that as a result of this attack against the Donbass militia people fighting for both sides were killed," Peskov stressed.

The Kremlin spokesman noted that despite the fact that the offensive was carried out by the units that in fact are not controlled by Kiev, the Ukrainian armed forces supported them with artillery fire.

"It looks like an attempt, by carrying out aggressive actions in the region of Donbass, to distract attention from the very shaky domestic situation," Peskov told reporters.

Further steps - Following the reports about escalation of fighting in Donbass, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko cut short his visit to Germany.

According to the presidential administration deputy head Kostiantyn Yeliseyev, Poroshenko ordered his aides to call an extraordinary session of the Trilateral Contact Group on Ukraine to discuss the situation near Avdiivka.

The Permanent Council of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) decided to hold a special meeting on Tuesday.

Peskov said that no high-level contacts in the 'Normandy Four' format were planned in connection with the aggravation of the situation in Donbass.

Humanitarian disaster - While the parties are blaming each other, civilians continue to suffer. According to DPR’s Defense Ministry the shelling left two civilians dead and three more injured.

Moreover, people are left without running water, electricity and central heating under the temperature of minus 20 degrees Celsius (minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit).

Avdiivka authorities declared a state of emergency in the town and did not exclude that the whole population might be evacuated if the repair works were not carried out. Severely ill and disabled people are being evacuated.

OSCE SMM to Ukraine's on Tuesday called for the immediate ceasefire between the conflicting sides in eastern Ukraine.

OSCE SMM Calls for Immediate Cessation of Hostilities in Donetsk Region
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201701311050203299-osce-donetsk-ukraine-hostilities/

OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine's Chief Monitor Ertugrul Apakan on Tuesday called on the conflicting sides in eastern Ukraine to immediately cease hostilities on the line of contact in the Avdiivka-Yasynuvata-Donetsk airport area.

"Escalation in the area is of grave concern, with the civilian population greatly suffering. Violence on such a scale, involving the loss of life, is unacceptable and the protection of civilians must be paramount," Apakan said in a statement published on the OSCE website.

On Monday, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko interrupted his visit to Germany due to the aggravation of the security situation on the line of contact in eastern Ukraine. As a result of ceasefire violations, water supply and power were reported to be cut in the town of Avdiivka. Poroshenko tasked his aides with calling for the extraordinary session of the Trilateral Contact Group on Ukraine to discuss the situation in the town.

Apakan said that the Special Monitoring Mission had reported on civilian casualties and observed damage to civilian homes and infrastructure. The chief monitor confirmed that the water filtration plant in Yasynuvata, which provides thousands of people on both sides of the contact line with heating, electricity and water, had been damaged.

Austria, which currently holds chairmanship in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), on Tuesday expressed concern over the escalation of tensions in eastern Ukraine and called on both sides of the conflict to honor commitments under the ceasefire agreement.

Austria Calls on Conflicting Sides in Donbass to Return to Truce
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201701311050200908-austria-donbass-truce-conflict/

Both sides of the Ukrainian conflict reported earlier the deterioration of the situation along the separation line in eastern Ukraine, blaming each other on numerous violations of the truce regime and attempts to escalate tensions in the region.

"The OSCE Chairmanship is seriously concerned about the increasing violence in eastern Ukraine and its impact on the civilian population…The OSCE Chairmanship urges both sides to return without delay to the ceasefire to which they have repeatedly committed themselves," a spokesperson of the OSCE Chairmanship said in a statement.

Parliament speakers of self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics in eastern Ukraine on Tuesday called on Russian, US and German leaders to pressure Kiev authorities into stopping hostilities in Donbass and lifting the blockade of the region.

DPR, LPR Urge Applying Pressure on Kiev to Stop Violence, Blockade of Donbass
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201701311050199371-dpr-lpr-pressure-kiev-violence/

Both sides of the Ukrainian conflict reported earlier the deterioration of the situation along the separation line in eastern Ukraine, blaming each other on numerous violations of the truce regime and attempts to escalate tensions in the region.

"We are asking you to stop Ukraine and pressure [Ukrainian President Petro] Poroshenko to end criminal activities against Donbas people. Force Poroshenko to stop shooting at innocent people and to lift the economic blockade. It must be done until it's too late," Denis Pushilin and Vladimir Degtyarenko said in a joint appeal to Russian President Vladimir Putin, US President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Moscow has reliable data that the Ukrainian independent armed groups, supported by the Ukrainian Armed Forces' artillery, were behind the attack on the Ukrainian town of Avdiivka in the eastern Donetsk region, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday.

Kremlin Says Ukrainian Independent Battalions Involved in Avdiivka Attack
https://sputniknews.com/politics/201701311050198739-kremlin-ukraine-battalions-avdiivka/

The Ukrainian town of Avdiivka located on the demarcation line in the Donetsk region has been under attack since Sunday. Water and power supplies were reportedly cut off in the town on Monday.

"There is reliable data, which proves that yesterday, there was an attempt from the independent groups to attack the territory under control of Donbass republics. It is evident that, unfortunately, we cannot talk about Kiev's ability to control all these groups, it is unlikely that there is a necessary level of control. But, nevertheless, the aggressive actions of these independent armed groups were conducted with the support of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' artillery," Peskov told journalists.

Kiev's aggressive actions along the contact line in the southeast of the country are derailing the ceasefire regime and showcase the Ukrainian leadership's reluctance to abide by the deals, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday.

Kiev's Aggression in Donbass Derails Minsk Deal - Kremlin
https://sputniknews.com/politics/201701311050188925-donbass-violence-kremlin/

He noted that the latest deadly escalation in fighting "clearly indicate the Ukrainian leadership and President [Petro] Poroshenko's reluctance, unwillingness to carry out these Minsk agreements."

These aggressive actions with the participation of the Ukrainian armed forces undermine the goals and objectives of the implementation of the Minsk agreements," Peskov told reporters.

Peskov said Moscow's position has remained steadfast in that the Minsk accords, signed in February 2015, remain "the only possible way to resolve the Ukrainian conflict."

The Kremlin is extremely concerned over the situation on the contact line in Donbas, where the Ukrainian side has committed aggression against the local militia, Peskov said.

The joint naval drills of the seven NATO member states plus Ukraine in the Black Sea are to begin on Wednesday, the Romanian Navy said in a statement Tuesday.

Seven NATO States, Ukraine Joint Black Sea Naval Drills Start on Wednesday
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201701311050191330-nato-black-sea-drills/

The joint naval drills of the seven North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member states with the Ukrainian Naval Forces in the Black Sea involving over 2,800 servicemen will begin on Wednesday, the Romanian Navy said in a statement Tuesday.

“Standard NATO procedures to battle air, submarine and surface threats will be performed,” the statement read.

The drills will include servicemen from Romania, Ukraine, the United States, Canada, Spain, Turkey, Bulgaria and Greece. Romania will provide 11 warships and four fighter jets, alongside six fighter jets and five provided by other members of the bloc, according to the statement.

Previously, Ukraine and NATO conducted joint naval drills Sea Breeze in the Black Sea in 2016.

Vladimir Degtyarenko and Denish Pushilin, the chairmen of the People’s Councils (parliaments) of the self-declared Lugansk and Donetsk People’s Republics, have appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin, US President Donald Trump, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel to “stop Prooshenko.”

"Stop Poroshenko" - Donbass parliaments appeal to Trump, Putin, Merkel
http://www.fort-russ.com/2017/01/stop-poroshenko-donbass-parliaments.html

As the Lugansk Information Center reports, the DPR and LPR urge these leaders to “force Poroshenko to cease his criminal actions against the people of Donbass,” stop shelling civilians, and end the economic blockade.

“This must be done before it is too late! Before ecological and humanitarian catastrophe grips our land, stop this big mess! Stop Poroshenko! Save the people of Donbass!,” the appeal reads.

Earlier today, Donbass militiamen and Ukrainian security forces announced that the situation in Donbass has worsened. Both sides of the conflict blame each other for the increasing intensity of attacks and offensive attempts. The situation is close to a humanitarian catastrophe. The residents of Avdeevka have been left without water, light, and heat due to shelling.

On Tuesday, the Armed Forces of Ukraine twice attempted to break through the positions of the Donbass militia. As a result, the DPR’s Ministry of Defense reported, more than 25 Ukrainian soldiers were killed.

The Kremlin has stated that Moscow is concerned by Kiev’s aggressive actions in Donbass which are undermining the Minsk Agreements. Russian Presidential Press Secretary, Dmitry Peskov, stated that Russia has reliable information that the attack near Avdeevka was started by “independent Ukrainian brigades” supported by the Ukrainian armed forces.

Five populated block-of-flats got damages and left with no power and gas as a result of the shelling January 29.

Five populated block-of-flats destroyed in Donetsk by the shelling
http://novorossia.today/five-populated-block-of-flats-destroyed-in-donetsk-by-the-shelling/

Officials of Donetsk People’s Republic considers the OSCE mission do not everything to fix the violations of the ceasefire regime. The Head of the DPR delegation Denis Pushilin stated yesterday in Minsk

people perished, 7 people wounded as a result of UAF attacks

Amount of casualties as a result of shelling by Ukraine grew up to two people among civilians in the DPR. It has been reported recently by the DPR Deputy Command-In-Chief Eduard Basurin.

‘Altogether as a result of shelling by Kiev hostile side, two civilians perished and three got wounded, Basurin specified.

Moreover, in regard to Basurin, three military men killed and four wounded.

 

[Voyageur]

Came across this statement release from the Russian Federation on the situation in Donbass:

http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/-/asset_publisher/cKNonkJE02Bw/content/id/2618179

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation

31 January 201718:29
Foreign Ministry statement on the rapidly deteriorating situation in Donbass


The situation in Donbass has deteriorated sharply in recent days. Ukrainian troops continue to conduct offensive operations to seize positions held by self-defence forces, including in the suburbs of Donetsk. Heavy weapons, including heavy artillery and multiple launch rocket systems, are being actively used to shell residential areas. According to Minsk Package of Measures of February 12, 2015, such weapons should long since have been withdrawn from the contact line. There are casualties and wounded among the civilian population. As a result of the shelling by Ukrainian troops, the Donetsk Filtration Station and the Avdeyevka Coke Chemical Plant have lost power. The lives of miners working in the mines are under threat.

We see southeastern Ukraine, which is already suffering from the economic blockade imposed by Kiev, again on the verge of a real humanitarian and environmental disaster.

All of this is a direct outcome of ongoing violations by Ukraine of its obligations under the Minsk agreements, which no one in Kiev intends to act on. Instead of efforts to achieve sustainable peace, the Ukrainian authorities are trying hard to achieve a military solution to the conflict. Everyone should remember what kind of outcome this kind of reckless behaviour has led to on previous occasions.

Strangely enough, every escalation of the situation in Donbass comes at a time when the Ukrainian leadership is away on a foreign trip. Clearly, this is an attempt to keep the crisis provoked by Kiev on the international agenda.

We urge the Ukrainian authorities to immediately put an end to the armed provocations in Donbass, comply with existing ceasefire agreements and begin, at long last, to responsibly fulfil all the provisions of the Minsk Package of Measures, including those relating to the political aspects of the existing problems.

We expect Ukraine’s partners to exert the necessary influence on Kiev to put an end to these efforts to turn the tables in Donbass and sink the Minsk agreements.

We expect a quick response on the part of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine in order to de-escalate the situation as soon as possible.

Oh the hypocrisy of these mass protests in the West in defiance of Obama's original Trumps ban while his predecessor and his global friends freely armed and supported the neofascists in Kiev. What simply amazes is the twisting of history, you know, whereby forgetting that some of these Western leaders and peoples very grandparents in fact fought and died against these fascist roots in the last mid century war.

I don't know for sure, yet it seems to me that what is going on in Ukraine all these last years is of such great importance (this whole thread from start to finish has bore witness) and will help shape the world stage for what comes after. Either the West suddenly starts firing their neurons and reels in the Frankenstein they have helped create - while redesigning, or better still, fracturing NATO, or the unspeakable will dominate.

Lastly, and purely as speculation on my part based on where some of us live, such as in Canada (and it might work the same in most cities and countries); and other than the outside tremendous influences of NATO doctrine alliances, there seems to be some key expat Ukrainian people who work behind curtains from within their associations that help fuel and fan the fires. Many people in these associations, either on their own or in their families are super nice people with kind hearts, they are friends and helpful neighbors even, yet some seem to have fallen to the affects of a ponerizing process that seems to have infected their upper association ranks. As example, what some powers in these associations (Toronto) tried to do to Valentina Lisitsa might be remembered. Of these associations, and there are many examples - German, Latvian, Swiss etc., perhaps some from the Ukraine have old fascist family roots when they immigrated, yet not the majority. The point is that some of these powerful types have thus helped infect the very government where some, like the liberal mover and shaker Chrystia Freeland, now work. Chrystia seems the most visual and rabid, yet there are others. And as a whole body some of the associations then swoon political rivals to adopt their warped fascist stance related to Ukraine - swoon people like the new conservative political leader hopeful, Chris Alexander, who would certainly fit the bill based on his past efforts. And here in this country, each and every party is lock-step with the Kiev supporting doctrine. Citizens for the most part do not notices a thing other than there must be solidarity among the population on this and they will follow their lead.

Saddest damn thing.

 

[angelburst29]

A Russian representative at the Joint Center for Control and Coordination (JCCC) confirmed the shelling on Wednesday of Yasinovataya in the conflict zone in eastern Ukraine, where SMM Principal Deputy Chief Monitor Alexander Hug was at the time.

Russian Official Confirms Heavy Shelling of Yasinovataya by Kiev Forces
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201702011050252630-yasinovataya-shelling-ukraine/

According to Albert Budyshkin, a group of JCCC and SMM monitors came on Wednesday under heavy artillery shelling from positions of Kiev government forces near Avdiivka, which continued for over 90 minutes.

Only because we took shelter behind a building, nobody was injured," Budyshkin said.

Earlier in the day, OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine's Chief Monitor Ertugrul Apakan on Tuesday called on the conflicting sides in eastern Ukraine to immediately cease hostilities on the line of contact in the Avdiivka-Yasynuvata-Donetsk airport area.

The situation near the industrial town of Avdiivka and neighboring Yasynuvata has been tense for several days, with civilians being deprived of running water, central heating and electricity. The Ukrainian forces and Donbass militia are accusing each other of being responsible for escalation of fighting.

On Monday, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko had to interrupt his visit to Germany due to the escalation of the security situation on the line of contact in eastern Ukraine. He also charged his aides with calling for the extraordinary session of the Trilateral Contact Group on Ukraine to discuss the situation.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday that Moscow had reliable data that the Ukrainian independent armed groups, supported by the Ukrainian Armed Forces' artillery, were behind the attack on Avdiivka.

The escalation in fighting near the town of Avdiivka in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region is a Kiev's provocation, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday.

Kremlin Calls Conflict Escalation in Ukraine’s Avdiivka 'Provocation'
https://sputniknews.com/politics/201701311050211060-kremlin-avdiivka-provocation/

The Ukrainian town of Avdiivka located on the demarcation line has been under attack since Sunday. Water and power supplies were reportedly cut off in the town on Monday.

"Nothing else but a provocation," Peskov told the Russian Dozhd television channel, commenting on the aggravation of the situation in the region.

Peskov said earlier Tuesday that Moscow had reliable data that the Ukrainian independent armed groups, supported by the Ukrainian Armed Forces' artillery, were behind the attack on Avdiivka.

For the first time since 2015 the population of Donbass, Ukraine was shocked to hear explosions coming from Grad Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS). However, the shelling was just the beginning of the horror that lay ahead for the civilians. A RIA Novosti correspondent was on the ground to talk with local people about the incident.

'Smell of Burnt Explosives Hangs Over the City': War Returns to East Ukraine (Video)
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201702011050236564-war-returns-to-east-ukraine/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1D1bkH90uo (1:19 min.)

Oleg, Donetsk - For four days Donetsk was rocked by explosions, people could not sleep at night. There was a constant disruption to the supply of water and electricity. The front line is about 5-7 kilometers from the city center.

Today, due to the shelling more than two hundred miners from Zasyadko coal mine could not come back up from the mine.

Despite the shelling, people are trying to go on with their life and most of the infrastructure in the city is working. Although, according to Oleg such an attitude from the people is because they have “given up on Ukraine.”

“People are beyond panic now, even though, there is a constant smell of burnt explosives hanging over the city,” Oleg said.

Elena, Gorlovka - “There is a complete silence in Gorlovka but the silence is very tense. Everyone knows what is happening in Donetsk, it is all very similar to 2015. At two o'clock the streets were empty here because that is when the shelling started the last time,” Elena told RIA correspondent.

Pozivnoy Lyolya, Donetsk - As of 15:00 the citizens of Avdiivka are being urgently and literally forced to evacuate. Many do not want to leave. The Ukrainian military brought in a huge amount of equipment to the area, so much that the cars cannot always pass,” Lyolya said.

According to her, there is currently panic and hysteria in the city. For third day there have been attacks both during the day and at night.

“In Avdiivka there is no light, heat and there is barely any water running. The nursing home has been evacuated,” Lyolya said.

Anna, Donetsk - A special schedule has been set up in the Donetsk National University until February, 2. Students who are residents of the districts which are adjacent to the combat zone, are not allowed to attend classes, they have part-time education system going on right now.

“Somewhere around 14:00 — 14:10, there was artillery shelling in the Kievsky district. An elderly woman was killed. Everything happened so suddenly she had no time to react,” Anna said.

Natalia, Makiivka - “It is just loud, very loud and nothing is clear. Today I am at home. I only know what is being written on the social media. There is really no information, only rumors and sometimes panic,” Natalia said.

She further said that yesterday she went into the city, where the shops and transport was working. There was only some traffic restriction in the hazardous areas.

Earlier in the day, it was reported that an ambulance driver and a paramedic were injured in a shelling in the eastern Ukrainian town of Donetsk.

On Monday, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko had to interrupt his visit to Germany due to the escalation of the security situation on the line of contact in eastern Ukraine. He also charged his aides with calling for the extraordinary session of the Trilateral Contact Group on Ukraine to discuss the situation.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday that Moscow was concerned about Kiev's actions in the Donbass region, adding that the Ukrainian authorities were derailing the Minsk peace agreements.

Today artillery was fired on the residential neighborhood of Ockobersky in the Kyivs'kyi district of Donetsk. I went to the site and investigated the direction of fire. My conclusion using all the facts available was that the shells had to have been fired from Ukraine Government controlled territory. At least 4 Apt. building were hit.

Proof! Ukraine fired artillery on a residential area today (Video)
http://www.fort-russ.com/2017/02/proof-ukraine-fired-artillery-on.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tah_BKYGU0 (4:25 min.)

An ambulance driver and a paramedic were injured in a shelling in the eastern Ukrainian town of Donetsk, local authorities said Wednesday.

Ambulance Comes Under Fire in Ukraine's Southeast Amid Escalation in Fighting
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201702011050229866-ambulance-ukraine-southeast/

The situation near the industrial town of Avdiivka and neighboring Yasynuvata has been tense for several days, with civilians being deprived of running water, central heating and electricity. The Ukrainian forces and Donbass militia are accusing each other of being responsible for escalation of fighting.

"An ambulance driver and a paramedic were injured due to shelling at the Kalininsky district," a representative of the local authorities said.

Russia's Permanent Representative to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Alexander Lukashevich said Tuesday the convocation by Ukraine of a special meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council on the situation in Avdiivka was a 'diplomatic cover' for the Ukrainian armed forces' actions in Donbass.

Russian Envoy Says Kiev Convening OSCE Meeting on Avdiivka 'Diplomatic Cover'
https://sputniknews.com/politics/201701311050208687-ukraine-avdiivka-cover/

The Ukrainian town of Avdiivka located on the demarcation line in the Donetsk region has been under attack since Sunday. Water and power supplies were reportedly cut off in the town on Monday.

"The armed forces of Ukraine are on the offensive in Avdiivka, and the permanent representative of Ukraine is convening the OSCE Permanent Council's special meeting for a diplomatic cover. Whom does he want to deceive?" Lukashevich said as cited in the diplomatic mission's Tweet.

The parties to the conflict in Donbass have agreed to withdraw heavy weaponry by February 5, Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office in Ukraine and in the Trilateral Contact Group Martin Sajdik said Wednesday.

Parties to Donbass Conflict Agree to Withdraw Heavy Weaponry by Feb. 5 - OSCE
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201702011050248885-donbass-osce-heave-weapons/

Earlier in the day, the Trilateral Contact Group on Ukraine adopted a statement demanding that heavy armaments be withdrawn from the contact line in Donbass by February 5.

The Russian Black Sea Fleet categorically denied claims by Kiev that a Ukrainian military transport plane came under fire from Russian drilling platforms in the Black Sea on Wednesday.

Russian Military Denies Shooting at Ukrainian Transport Plane in Black Sea
https://sputniknews.com/russia/201702011050248710-russia-ukraine-plane-sea/

The Ukrainian Defense Ministry said earlier on Wednesday that a Ukrainian An-26 transport plane came under small arms fire from two Russian drilling platforms while flying near the Odessa gas field in the Black Sea.

"All Ukrainian claims of the alleged shooting at the An-26 plane are absolute lies," an official from the lack Sea Fleet's headquarters said in a statement.

According to the statement, the Ukrainian An-26 military plane carried out on Wednesday afternoon two provocative approaches at extremely low altitude to Russia's Tavrida and Crimea-2 drilling platforms.

"During the plane's second approach, a security guard at one of the platforms fired four signal flares to prevent a possible collision of the plane with the platform's mast," the official stressed.

The news comes amid the joint naval drills of the seven North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member states with the Ukrainian Naval Forces in the Black Sea, which started on Wednesday.

Moreover, the situation near the industrial town of Avdiivka and neighboring Yasynuvata has been tense for several days, with civilians being deprived of running water, central heating and electricity. The Ukrainian forces and Donbass militia are accusing each other of being responsible for escalation of fighting.

Ukrainian forces renewed artillery fire against Donetsk and the outskirts of the Yasynuvata town, Deputy Defense Minister of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) Eduard Basurin said on Wednesday.

DPR Military: Donetsk, Yasynuvata Outskirts Shelled by Ukrainian Forces
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201702021050257661-donetsk-yasynuvata-shelling-renews/

The situation near the industrial town of Avdiivka and neighboring Yasynuvata in southeastern Ukraine has been tense for several days, with both conflicting parties having suffered casualties and civilians being deprived of running water, central heating and electricity.

"The [Ukrainian] forces’ shelling continues. The Kyivskyi District of Donetsk and the outskirts of Yasynuvata are under fire now," Basurin said.

The Kiev forces and Donbass militia are accusing each other of being responsible for the escalation of fighting.

US President Donald Trump is "aware" of growing violence in Eastern Ukraine, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said in a briefing on Wednesday.

Trump 'Aware' of Growing Violence in Eastern Ukraine
https://sputniknews.com/us/201702011050254359-trump-aware-violence-eastern-ukraine/

President Trump has been informed about the recent escalation of fighting in eastern Ukraine, Spicer said.

"The president has been kept aware… of what is going on in Ukraine," Spicer told reporters.

 

[angelburst29]

Russian President Vladimir Putin explained three reasons behind the aggravation of the Ukrainian crisis.

Putin Explains Reasons Behind Ukraine Crisis Aggravation
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201702021050283647-putin-ukraine-crisis/

He said that first of all Kiev needs financial assistance and attempts to present itself as a "victim," especially in the eyes of the European Union.

The first reason is that the Ukrainian leadership needs money. And it is better to ask the EU, European states, the US and international institutes for money presenting itself as a victim of aggression," Putin explained.

Putin also said that while Ukraine supported a "certain female candidate" in the 2016 US presidential election, and now Kiev attempts to mend ties with the new US administration amid the resumed fighting in eastern Ukraine.

"During the pre-election campaign in the United States, current Ukrainian authorities one-sidedly supported one of the candidates. Moreover, some tycoons financed this female candidate (to be precise) supposedly with the approval of the political leadership," Putin continued.

According to Putin, "now they need to mend ties with the current US administration amid a conflict… It's always easier to drag the current [US] administration in solving Ukrainian problems and establish a dialogue this way."

Moreover, Ukrainian authorities attempt to fight opposition, distracting attention from this aim by the escalation of the situation in Donbass, Putin said.

"The third reason [for the resumed fighting in Donbass] is an internal one. Amid [Kiev's] obvious failures in its social and economic policies, [Ukrainian] opposition intensified its activity. It should be hushed up by mobilizing the population around the acting leadership. It's easier to achieve this goal amid the resuming of a conflict," Putin said.

However, Putin said that he hoped that common sense will prevail and Kiev will not let the "worst scenario" unfold in the southeast of Ukraine.

The Russian president said that that "Ukrainian authorities are not ready to abide by the Minsk agreements and are searching for a pretext in order not to implement them."

Putin also said that "as for the escalation [in Donbass], our position is well-known: it was provoked by the Ukrainian side. Last Friday, the fighting began. On Sunday, the so-called Ukrainian volunteer battalions gained control over one of the strongholds of the opposition and entered territory controlled by militia. On Sunday, their attack was repelled."

The DPR Emergencies Ministry has evacuated about 80 civilians from the Donetsk areas of the city, the ministry told Sputnik on Thursday.

Some 80 People Evacuated From Shelled Areas in Donetsk - Emergencies Ministry
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201702021050280750-donetsk-donbass-ukraine-evacuation/

The Emergencies Ministry of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) has evacuated some 80 civilians from the areas of the city that came under fire, the ministry told Sputnik on Thursday.

"In the past days we have evacuated 79 people, including 12 children, from Kuibyshev and Kiev areas of the city," the ministry said, adding that the people were transported on armored vehicles. The evacuation started late on Tuesday.

According to a DPR official, the Ukrainian Armed Forces are concentrating troops and armaments near the town of Avdiivka for an offensive.

Ukrainian Army Concentrates Troops Near Avdiivka for Offensive - DPR
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201702021050268950-dpr-ukraine-army-avdiivka/

The Ukrainian Armed Forces are concentrating troops and armaments near the town of Avdiivka for an offensive, deputy commander of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) Operational Command Eduard Basurin said Thursday.

"The Ukrainian army continues to concentrate its forces in the vicinity of Avdiivka for an offensive," Basurin told reporters.

The Crimeans are calling on Western countries to take control of “barbaric” policies of the Ukrainian authorities in their attempt to unleash a conflict on the border with Russia, a Russian lawmaker representing Crimea said Thursday.

Crimeans Urge West to Curb Kiev’s Conflict-Provoking Actions - Lawmaker
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201702021050268487-crimea-russia-ukraine-provocations/

On Wednesday, the Russian Black Sea Fleet said that the Ukrainian military plane An-26 had carried out two provocative approaches at extremely low altitude to Russia's Tavrida and Crimea-1 drilling platforms in the Black Sea.

“The Crimeans are extremely outraged by this incident. It has been a long time for the West to realize the danger of such a policy and to clam down Kiev’s regime, which is intentionally creating artificial conflicts on the border with Russia in order to bargain through political blackmail for yet another tranche [from the West],” Ruslan Balbek, a Russian lawmaker representing Crimea, said.

He noted that the Crimeans had already got used to such provocations of the Kiev authorities and their “pirate and barbaric methods.”

Following the provocative maneuvers by the Ukrainian transport plane, the Russian Defense Ministry summoned on Wednesday a military attache at the Ukrainian Embassy in Moscow to hand a protest note over the incident.

OSCE did not make reports on 29, 30, 31 January when Ukraine tried to break through DPR positions and started shelling populated districts

Finally OSCE left hotel to make inspection in 3 days of shelling. They saw tanks and talked to Ukrainian side (Video)
http://novorossia.today/finally-osce-left-hotel-to-make-inspection-in-3-days-of-shelling-they-saw-tanks-and-talked-to-ukrainian-side-video/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GD-nZGM96QE (0:13 min.)

Only yesterday, February 1, they departed to Avdeevka. They talked to Ukrainian militarily units there and they saw which armament used by Ukraine.

For yesterday were fixed Three civilians killed by shell of UAF, eight more got wounds of diffrent stages.

Twelve soldiers killed having defended the motherland, they did not let to the enemy to break through and seventeen more were hospitalizes with wounds.+

Today became known about 5 more wounded civilians.

Couple in the Novoazovsk region got wounds as a result of shelling by Ukrainian hostilities.