Civil War in Ukraine: Western Empire vs Russia

[angelburst29]

September 28, 2018 - Once an outcast, Ukraine Patriarch to lead Church Split from Russia
Once an outcast, Ukrainian Patriarch ready to lead church split from Russia | Reuters

“I do not see any obstacles to getting the Tomos,” Filaret told Reuters, referring to the formal announcement that would grant the Ukrainian church “autocephaly”, or independence.

It would mark the end of a strange journey for Filaret, who was once a frontrunner to head the Russian Orthodox Church but switched tack to campaign for an independent Ukrainian church as the country won independence from Moscow.

I get the impression, that (Patriarch) Filaret "once a frontrunner to head the Russian Orthodox Church" was a rouge element, probably on the CIA's payroll - when Russia was the USSR - with the sole purpose of weakening and subverting the Russian Orthodox Church. I'm not aware of the details that caused Filaret's "defrocked and excommunicated" status, but it seems from his own testimony, he went to Ukraine to set up a church - separate from the Russian.

Going back in this thread to Dec.22, 2015, Post 2166 on page 145 - there was this entry:

Quote: The ministry noted that the situation near Rivne was a continuation of a series of similar seizures of churches of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate.

Russian Foreign Ministry: Evidence of Orthodox church seizure in Ukraine shocking
Russian Foreign Ministry: Evidence of Orthodox church seizure in Ukraine shocking

The Russian Foreign Ministry has called the seizure of an Orthodox church near Rivne by Ukrainian radical nationalists a flagrant violation of the right to freedom of conscience and religion.

Moscow is outraged by another unacceptable instance of an attack of the Ukrainian radical nationalists and extremist-minded splitters from the Ukrainian Orthodox Church with the connivance of the local police on the Cathedral of the Dormition of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate in Ptichye village near Rivne with the purpose of its seizure," the ministry said. "The evidence of this flagrant case provided by human rights activists and members of the public, including video footage, is shocking."

The ministry noted that developments near Rivne were "yet another flagrant violation of the fundamental right to freedom of conscience and religion in Ukraine." "This country’s international legal obligations in the field of human rights and fundamental provisions of the Ukrainian Constitution are again trampled under foot," it added.

The ministry noted that the situation near Rivne was a continuation of a series of similar seizures of churches of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate. According to it, ten cathedrals have been fully destroyed, 77 others severely damaged and at least three Orthodox priests have been killed. "Several churches have been seized because of inactivity and sometimes direct involvement of Ukraine’s law enforcement agencies," the Russian Foreign Ministry said. "Many priests fled to Russia trying to save themselves from threats by extremists." (End Quote).


Take note that the date on the report above is Dec.22, 2015. Two months later, on Feb. 28, 2016 - the Catholic Pope Francis made arrangements to meet Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill, on neutral ground in Havana. Other then a ceremonious "meet and greet" nothing more ever came out of the meeting? So, what was really behind Pope Francis's initiative? Apparently, what ever it was, Patriarch Kirill never bought into it and never invited Pope Francis to Russia.

Feb. 28, 2016 - The patriarch and the pope will meet on Friday in Cuba’s Havana for the first time since their churches split in the 11th century.
Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Hopes Churches Can Turn to Single Calendar

As for Yulia Tymosshenko, if she ever replaced Poroshenko, I can only imagine "another major blood-bath like the Maiden" in Ukraine.

“As for our Ukrainian church, I want to say again firmly and clearly that our team and I myself support the decision to grant a tomos to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church with all our heart and all our capabilities in order to make our church independent of the Russian church, so that we can strengthen our sovereignty by receiving true independence of our Orthodox church,” Tymoshenko said at a press conference in Kyiv on Friday.

 

[angelburst29]

This Ukrainian Orthodox Church situation is in stark contrast to the developing Spiritual Renaissance in Russia. Since Putin's first Presidency, numerous churches and cathedrals have been renovated and restored. In Syria, some of the first restoration projects have included their churches.

This article is republished from a new site about the Christian renaissance in Russia, called Russian Faith. Their introductory video is at end of this article.

The Sacred Athos of the North: Putin Visits Valaam on Special Day to Check on Progress of Monastery

Published on Jul 12, 2018 (3:34 min.)

TRANSCRIPT:
Today [July 12, 2018], Vladimir Putin visited one of the most sacred places in Russia. He visited Valaam on the day of the memory of the founders of the Savior Transfiguration Monastery, Saints Sergius and Herman.

However, Putin doesn't need a special occasion to go there. He's been paying close attention to the fate of the monastery. Dmitry Kaistro with the details on the demiurgic energy of Valaam which some call the North Athos:

The main holiday of the Valaam Monastery, the day of Saints Sergius and Herman, was announced by the bell chime piercing the morning silence of the archipelago. The Divine Liturgy began in the Savior Transfiguration Monastery.

Putin celebrated the great holiday at the monastery. The head of the state drove to the monastery by car. Putin first came here as a pilgrim during the times of decline. Since then, he's been visiting the monastery regularly. He's always here on Ss. Sergius and Herman's Day. Since then, the monastery has transformed. The sketes were rebuilt, the walls were repaired, and the central Savior Transfiguration Cathedral was renovated.

[Patriarch Kyrill] "It's an example for all past and future monasteries. It might help people to get the right attitude, the right opinion. on their participation in the life of the nation and our society."

The abbot of the monastery, Bishop Pankratiy, stood at the origins of its resurrection. He dreamed of restoring its former glory.

[Bishop Pankratiy, abbot] "They called it the North Athos, a peasant kingdom, as Nemirovich-Danchenko called it. It was a small country of monks. That's what we're trying to achieve."

In the monastery, Putin bowed to the reliquary with the remains of Ss. Sergius and Herman, which rest in the middle of the church.

During its 700-year history, the monastery has been destroyed four times. However, the monks managed to save the saints reliquary by hiding it in the crack of a large granite slab beneath the monastery.

After visiting the church, the president talked to the head of the Russian Orthodox Church about the infrastructure of the monastery.

[Putin] "Happy Ss. Sergius and Herman Day!"

The monks have their own fleet, manufacturing, bakery, and a small dairy factory, where they make delicious cheese. There's also a repair shop where the monks repair vintage cars.

[Monk Veniamin] "We bought it in 2008 at the Vyborg dump for 10,000 rubles ($160). We took it to Valaam and repaired it over the course of three years."

Hundreds of pilgrims come to Valaam from across the country with joy and humility in their hearts.

[Pilgrim woman] "It's a happy and joyful day. It's the anticipation of the last fast day."

The Valaam Archipelago is the bulwark of the ancient faith. This day is celebrated not just by the local monks but by the whole Russian Church and Orthodox believers all over the world for whom the monastery remains an unfading beacon lit by Saints Sergius and Herman.

Intro to Russian Faith

Published on Oct 21, 2017 (4:40 min.)

 

[angelburst29]

27.09.2018 - Vatican corrects Kiev's Claims of Holy See Support for Autocephaly
Vatican Corrects Kiev's Claims of Holy See Support for Autocephaly

The Vatican corrected the claim of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry that the Holy See respected Kiev's decision to establish an independent Orthodox Church, the Apostolic Nunciature in Ukraine said, stressing that it was an internal matter of the Orthodox Church.

"In order to partially correct the news given by official Government sources with regard to the meeting that took place yesterday… the Apostolic Nunciature in Ukraine wishes to once again state the position of the Holy See in the question of the creation of one Local Ukrainian Orthodox Church, namely that this is an internal question of the Orthodox Church, on which the Holy See never did and has no intention whatsoever of expressing any evaluation, in any venue," the statement of Vatican issued on Wednesday read.

The statement was made amid Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko's efforts aimed at establishing a single local autocephalous church in the country based on the non-canonical Ukrainian Orthodox churches.

On Tuesday, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin met with Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the secretary for relations with states of the Holy See. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said afterward that the Vatican was respectful of the Ukrainian people's decision to establish an independent Church.

In mid-September, two exarchs of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople started working in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kiev Patriarchate (UOC-KP), which came as part of Constantinople's preparations to grant autocephaly to the UOC-KP. The initiative has been strongly criticized by the Russian Orthodox Church.


23.05.2018 - Russian Orthodox Church: Kiev Church Self-Rule Impossible Without Moscow Consent
Russian Orthodox Church: Kiev Church Self-Rule Impossible Without Moscow Consent

The global Orthodox community has been thrown into upheaval over the Ukrainian government's initiative to create a "single local church" which would separate Ukraine's largest Orthodox denomination from the Russian patriarchate. Speaking to Sputnik, Russian Orthodox Church spokesman Archpriest Nikolai Balashov explained what's at stake.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko announced last month that the Constantinople Patriarchate had begun the procedure to create an "autocephalic" or "self-headed" Ukrainian Orthodox Church, in a move Kiev claimed would remove unwanted Russian "influence" over Ukraine ahead of next year's elections. The Constantinople Patriarchate has confirmed that it would consider Kiev's request, but added that it would "closely communicate and coordinate with the sister Orthodox Churches concerning this matter."

Archpriest Nikolai Balashov, vice chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate's department for external relations, spoke to Sputnik about the contentious issue to offer a better understanding of the Ukrainian government's initiative, and why the world's Orthodox community, including Constantinople's Patriarch, will be unlikely to support it.

Father Nikolai began by pointing out that the conditions and procedure for granting self-rule were not enumerated in the resolutions of the Ecumenical Councils (the foundational, canonical legislation governing Church administration). Subsequently, they required negotiation and agreement by the world's Orthodox community. Such discussions began in 1961, and made major progress at a session of the Inter-Orthodoxy Preparatory Commission in 1993 in Chambesy, Switzerland. At this time, eight churches presented reports on "Autocephaly and How It Is to Be Proclaimed," with two distinct positions emerging.

The Constantinople, Alexandria, and Jerusalem Patriarchates, as well as the Greek Orthodox Church, emphasized the priority of the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Councils and the Local Councils of the Constantinople Patriarchate in the granting of autocephaly. The Moscow, Romanian and Bulgarian Patriarchates, as well as the Polish Orthodox Church, proceeded from the independent right of each Local Church to grant autocephaly to its canonical part," Father Nikolai explained.

An agreement was reached, however, in that all Churches approved the idea that there could be no proclamation of self-rule without the express agreement of the Mother Church. Furthermore, it was agreed that autocephaly would require "all-Orthodox consent." On this basis, Father Nikolai noted, it was decided that the next step should be to "agree on the [concrete] procedure and details of the process."

It would be many years before the global Orthodox community would return to the self-rule issue. According to Father Nikolai, the meeting of the Inter-Orthodoxy Preparatory Commission in Chambesy in 2009 saw one more important step made in reaching inter-Orthodox agreement on the issue, namely through the finalization of Article 3.C, the final paragraph of rules on autocephaly which could not be approved sixteen years earlier:

"In the expression of consent of the Mother Church, and of all-Orthodox consensus, the Ecumenical Patriarch officially proclaims the autocephaly of the Church requesting it through the publication of a Tomos [a small book containing a major announcement] about autocephaly. This Tomos is signed by the Ecumenical Patriarch and witnessed by the signatures of the Most Blessed Primates of the Holy Autocephalous Churches, invited for this purpose by the Ecumenical Patriarch."

"This paragraph further accented the need for all-Orthodox accord as a condition of autocephaly," Father Nikolai noted. "However, at the same time, questions remained about the content of the Tomos, and the way it would be signed by priests. These were carried over to the next Commission in the search of a unified position of the Churches."

Since that time, representatives of the world's Orthodox community have met on several occasions to discuss the finishing touches on the matter, specifically the procedure for the signing of the Tomos. According to Father Nikolai, the Constantinople Patriarchate had insisted that the signature of the Ecumenical Patriarch be singled out in a special way, with the Russian Orthodox Church insisting that the Tomos should instead be approved on an equal basis by all the Local Churches. This disagreement prevented the autocephaly issue from being submitted for discussion by the Pan-Orthodox Council, which assembled in Chambesy in early 2016.

Still, Father Nikolai stressed that "Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople assured Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' that neither at the Council nor after it would the Constantinople Patriarchate undertake any actions related to the legalization of a split, or the granting of autocephaly in Ukraine."

Background:
Ukraine has three Orthodox communities – the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (the country's largest religious community, enjoying the patronage of some one in five Ukrainians), the smaller Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyivan Patriarchate, and the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church. The latter churches were established in the early 1990s, and are not recognized by the world's canonical Orthodox Churches. Amid the breakdown in relations between Kiev and Moscow beginning in 2014, the Ukrainian government sought to distance itself from Russia in the political, economic, cultural spheres. This spring, President Poroshenko announced a campaign to continue the effort, this time in the religious sphere. Kiev's move has been criticized by members of the Orthodox community, who have insisted that the Church self-rule issue "mustn't be guided by political considerations."

 

[Aeneas]

Another ammunitions depot is exploding in Ukraine. This time in Chernihiv. It could be due to bad storage facilities, slack security measures, attempted theft or sabotage.
Blast at Ammunitions Depot in Chernihiv, Ukraine Prompts Mass Evacuation

Blast at Ammunitions Depot in Chernihiv, Ukraine Prompts Mass Evacuation


According to the statement of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, restrictive measures have been introduced across the entire Chernihiv region and along Russian border after the major blast at the military warehouse.
A major explosion hit a military warehouse 176 km (109 miles) east of the Ukrainian capital city of Kiev early on Tuesday morning, Reuters reported, citing Ukrainian Defense Ministry. According to the local media reports, at around 3:30 am local time a detonation occurred in the large ammunitions depot near the villages of Druzhba and Avgustovka.

The Ukrainian military has reportedly launched a mass evacuation of the surrounding area and the head of Ukraine's armed forces has gone to the site of the incident.

The scale of the explosion is being specified, while all relevant services and local authorities were promptly notified, according to the ministry. "People are being evacuated. Emergency response headquarters has been deployed," the statement said.

According to the Ukrainian State Emergency Service, the airspace has been closed within 20 km (12 miles) radius from the military warehouse. Some 10,000 local residents have been reportedly evacuated. According to local authorities, there has been no information on casualties.

 

[angelburst29]

Another ammunitions depot is exploding in Ukraine. This time in Chernihiv. It could be due to bad storage facilities, slack security measures, attempted theft or sabotage.
Blast at Ammunitions Depot in Chernihiv, Ukraine Prompts Mass Evacuation

Blast at Ammunitions Depot in Chernihiv, Ukraine Prompts Mass Evacuation

"Law enforcement officers are looking into several versions, in particular, the Security Service of Ukraine is considering sabotage among possible causes," the press release read.

Interesting development, Aeneas! Definitely, sabotage can't be ruled out but I get the odd feeling, this incident is a smokescreen to cover up something else? I wonder - if this massive explosion might be to get rid of biological experimental evidence? Recently, there were these reports and incriminating evidence might have been transferred to the ammunition warehouse in Ukraine for disposal?

* Oct. 4, 2018 - Russia wants answers from US, Georgia on bioweapons at Lugar Center
Russia wants answers from US, Georgia on bioweapons at Lugar Center

* 06.10.2018 - Georgia ready to allow Russian Experts to Inspect Lugar Center
Georgia Ready to Allow Russian Experts to Inspect Lugar Center


Ukraine suspects sabotage after ammo depot explosions
Ukraine suspects sabotage after ammo depot explosions | Reuters

October 9, 2018 Ukrainian authorities suspect sabotage lay behind explosions that tore through an ammunition depot in the early hours of Tuesday, sending fireballs into the sky and causing more than 12,000 people to be evacuated.

No casualties were reported at the depot, located 176 km (about 110 miles) east of the capital, Kiev. Explosions were happening at a rate of two to three a second at one stage, according to the defense ministry.

Ukraine has in the past pointed the finger at Russia for such types of incidents as relations between the two countries have plunged following Moscow’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and support for separatist forces in the Donbass region.

Without providing evidence, Ukraine’s deputy prime minister linked the explosions to a decision pending in Istanbul this week to allow Ukraine to establish an independent national church, which Russia fiercely opposes.

A Reuters witness later saw powerful explosions continuing at the depot. The blasts shattered windows in surrounding village houses while explosions could also be heard in a nearby wood where some ammunition appeared to have come down.

The fact that explosions were set off at intervals in different parts of the depot pointed to sabotage, a defense ministry’s spokesman said.

“Two simultaneous explosions, and after five minutes two more explosions (in another part of the depot) suggest it was military sabotage,” Defence Ministry spokesman Rodion Tymoshenko said at a press briefing.

Authorities closed airspace in a 30 km radius and suspended road and rail transport. The emergency services reported that gas and electricity supplies to the area had been disrupted.

“The rumble started at 3 a.m. It rumbled three times, then I woke up and ran to my family and started waking them up,” said Valentyna Petrenko, a resident in the nearby village of Druzhba.

“We crept into the basement. We took documents, papers, everything we could, blankets, pillows and stayed in the basement.”

Hundreds of people and equipment were deployed to the site, a statement by the emergency services said, joined by Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman and the head of Ukraine’s armed forces Viktor Muzhenko. President Petro Poroshenko had called for a report.

Several large fires have hit ammunition and weapons depots in recent years, an additional drain on Ukraine’s military. Fighting between Ukrainian troops and Moscow-backed separatist rebels has killed more than 10,000 people since 2014.

Last year, massive explosions at a military depot in the Vynnytsya region, 270 km west of Kiev, forced the authorities to evacuate 24,000 people.

Slideshow (10 Images)
Ukraine suspects sabotage after ammo depot explosions | Reuters

 

[sToRmR1dR]

"Law enforcement officers are looking into several versions, in particular, the Security Service of Ukraine is considering sabotage among possible causes," the press release read.

Interesting development, Aeneas! Definitely, sabotage can't be ruled out but I get the odd feeling, this incident is a smokescreen to cover up something else? I wonder - if this massive explosion might be to get rid of biological experimental evidence? Recently, there were these reports and incriminating evidence might have been transferred to the ammunition warehouse in Ukraine for disposal?

* Oct. 4, 2018 - Russia wants answers from US, Georgia on bioweapons at Lugar Center
Russia wants answers from US, Georgia on bioweapons at Lugar Center

* 06.10.2018 - Georgia ready to allow Russian Experts to Inspect Lugar Center
Georgia Ready to Allow Russian Experts to Inspect Lugar Center


Ukraine suspects sabotage after ammo depot explosions
Ukraine suspects sabotage after ammo depot explosions | Reuters

October 9, 2018 Ukrainian authorities suspect sabotage lay behind explosions that tore through an ammunition depot in the early hours of Tuesday, sending fireballs into the sky and causing more than 12,000 people to be evacuated.

No casualties were reported at the depot, located 176 km (about 110 miles) east of the capital, Kiev. Explosions were happening at a rate of two to three a second at one stage, according to the defense ministry.

The fact that explosions were set off at intervals in different parts of the depot pointed to sabotage, a defense ministry’s spokesman said.

“Two simultaneous explosions, and after five minutes two more explosions (in another part of the depot) suggest it was military sabotage,” Defence Ministry spokesman Rodion Tymoshenko said at a press briefing.

Slideshow (10 Images)
Ukraine suspects sabotage after ammo depot explosions | Reuters

Explosions at ammunition depot in northern Ukraine continue at intervals of 25-30 seconds

According to the 112 Ukraine TV channel, the explosions are currently taking place at intervals of 25-30 seconds

State Emergency Service of Ukraine will start eliminating the consequences of explosions at an ammunition depot in the Ichnya settlement in northern Ukraine (the Chernigov Region) after they decline in intensity, the emergency service’s Facebook page informed.

"Currently, we are observing explosions of various intensity on the territory of the ammunition depot," the emergency service informed, adding that they can begin their work only after the frequency of explosions declines.

According to the 112 Ukraine TV channel, the explosions are currently taking place at intervals of 25-30 seconds. The emergency ministry added that for emergency prevention purposes, they cut off gas supply to Ichnya and 11 more settlements. They also halted train and air traffic in the region, and devised a bypass of the emergency zone for motor vehicles.

As of 18:00, 12,500 people have been evacuated from Ichnya and nearby settlements, the emergency service stated, adding that so far, there have been no reports of casualties.

On October 9, an explosion was reported at an ammunition depot in Ukraine's Chernigov Region, resulting in a fire. The Security Service of Ukraine considers three possible causes for the explosion: a diversion, violation of fire safety or ammunition storage codes, and arson with the aim to conceal ammunition theft.

 

[Aeneas]

Definitely, sabotage can't be ruled out but I get the odd feeling, this incident is a smokescreen to cover up something else? I wonder - if this massive explosion might be to get rid of biological experimental evidence? Recently, there were these reports and incriminating evidence might have been transferred to the ammunition warehouse in Ukraine for disposal?

It is a possibility, but the distance from Georgia to this depot would probably be close to 1000 km, not to mention that Ukraine and Georgia don't share a common border makes it less likely.

There are talks by some people that Poroshenko will try to create more chaos including war, so that he can cancel the coming elections. If war is on the cards, then perhaps some people opposed to a fraternal war in the Donbass could limit the amount of firepower by sabotaging the weapons depots.
Then there are the reasons that the Security Services of Ukraine put forth:

The Security Service of Ukraine considers three possible causes for the explosion: a diversion, violation of fire safety or ammunition storage codes, and arson with the aim to conceal ammunition theft.

Theft is certainly a possibility as the conflict in the Donbass has shown that theft and corruption is rampant in Ukraine as a direct consequence of poverty and a societal breakdown. Many things that were given by NATO countries, were sold on the black market, even to the defenders of Donbass. There is also all the private armies in Ukraine with the skills and most likely also the know-how of what these depots contain, who could steal some ammo and then conceal the theft by arson, not to mention the possibility that the theft didn't go according to plan and some accident happened.

 

[Aeneas]

Here is a possible reason for the fire at the ammo depot and it sounds quite plausible to me:
"Buk" Missiles And Their Accompanying Documentation Were Burned in the UAF Warehouse Fire in Ichnya • СТАЛКЕР/ZONE

“BUK” MISSILES AND THEIR ACCOMPANYING DOCUMENTATION WERE BURNED IN THE UAF WAREHOUSE FIRE IN ICHNYA

Stocks of 9M38 “Buk” SAM system missiles were stored in a military warehouse in the Chernigov region, which, “completely coincidentally”, burned down together with their accompanying documentation. This was stated by the official representative of the Armed Forces of the DPR Daniil Bezsonov on Tuesday, October 9th, at a briefing.

He emphasised that the fire happened at a time when the world community demanded data from Ukraine about the “Buk” SAM system missiles in the arsenal of the UAF for a full and objective investigation into the death of 298 people during the crash of the passenger airliner in the skies over Donbass.

“I want to separately note the fact of storage in this warehouse of 9M38 Buk SAM system missiles and all accompanying notes and technical documentation,” noted Bezsonov. “I want to note that last week the location of the 6th arsenal was visited by a group of foreign officers, among who there were senior NATO representatives”.​

 

[goyacobol]

Interesting development, Aeneas! Definitely, sabotage can't be ruled out but I get the odd feeling, this incident is a smokescreen to cover up something else? I wonder - if this massive explosion might be to get rid of biological experimental evidence? Recently, there were these reports and incriminating evidence might have been transferred to the ammunition warehouse in Ukraine for disposal?

That's an interesting observation about the biological experiments. Why not both stealing and destroying evidence?

 

[angelburst29]

October 11, 2018 - Ukraine wins approval for Historic Split from Russian Church
Ukraine wins approval for historic split from Russian church | Reuters


Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko (L) meets with Patriarch Filaret, head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kiev Patriarchate, in Kiev, Ukraine October 11, 2018. Mykhailo Markiv/Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via REUTERS

Ukraine secured approval on Thursday to establish an independent church in what Kiev says is a vital step against Russian meddling in its affairs, but the Russian clergy fiercely opposes as the biggest split in Christianity for a thousand years.

A three-day synod presided over by the Ecumenical Patriarch in Istanbul, seat of the global spiritual leader of roughly 300 million Orthodox Christians, endorsed Ukraine’s request for an “autocephalous” (independent) church.

The synod will “proceed to the granting of Autocephaly to the Church of Ukraine,” a statement said.

The synod took several decisions to pave the way for Ukraine to set up its church, including rehabilitating a Ukrainian patriarch excommunicated by the Russian Orthodox Church for leading a breakaway church in the early 1990s.

In retaliation, the Russian Orthodox Church said it would break eucharistical relations with the Ecumenical Patriarchate, Interfax news agency quoted a spokesman as saying.

The tussle over Ukraine’s spiritual future flows from the poisoning of relations between Kiev and Moscow after Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the outbreak of separatist fighting in Ukraine’s east that has killed over 10,000 people.

Ukraine accuses the Russian Orthodox Church of wielding a pernicious influence on its soil, allowing itself to be used as a tool of the Kremlin to justify Russian expansionism and support of separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine.

Ukraine’s victory on the church issue could bolster pro-Western President Petro Poroshenko’s campaign in what is expected to be a tight election race next year.

“The decisions of the Ecumenical Patriarch and Synod finally dispelled the imperial illusions and chauvinistic fantasies of Moscow,” Poroshenko said. “It is a question of our independence, national security, statehood, a question of world geopolitics.”

The Russian Orthodox Church has compared Ukraine’s moves for independence to the Great Schism of 1054 that split western and eastern Christianity, and warned they could lead to an irreversible rupture in the global Orthodox community.

On Thursday, its spokesman said Istanbul had “crossed a red line” by reversing the excommunication of Patriarch Filaret. Filaret hopes to lead the independent church.The Kremlin also voiced its displeasure, saying it opposed anything leading to a split in the Orthodox faith.

Filaret told reporters that Thursday’s decision paved the way for Ukraine to merge its three main Orthodox church branches into the new independent entity.

HOPES FOR PEACE
Ukraine and Russia trace their Orthodox Christian roots to Volodymyr the Great, the prince whose baptism in 988 in Kiev led to the christianisation of the region known as the “Kievan Rus”.

The church known as the Moscow Patriarchate, which is aligned with the Russian Orthodox Church, earlier dominated in Ukraine but has been challenged by a rival known as the Kiev Patriarchate formed after the 1991 break-up of the Russian-dominated Soviet Union.

Led by Filaret, the Kiev Patriarchate has championed an independent Ukrainian church and Ukraine’s closer integration with the West. He is an outspoken critic of Russia’s political leadership, charging that Vladimir Putin is possessed by Satan.

The Moscow Patriarchate denies its church is a security threat to Ukraine and, far from being a Kremlin stooge, says it has done much to promote peace in the country’s east.

The Russian Orthodox Church has attacked Ukraine’s bid for independence as a gambit by Poroshenko to shore up his flagging popularity. It calls the Kiev Patriarchate illegitimate and its spokesman warned that the split would lead to a “tragic and possibly irretrievable schism of the whole Orthodoxy”.

In retaliation for the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew’s support for Ukraine, the Russian Orthodox Church decided last month to stop participating in structures chaired by the patriarch and would no longer commemorate him in services.

It has threatened to go one step further by no longer recognizing him as the first among equals in the Orthodox world.

Asked about Russian warnings that the church split could lead to violence in Ukraine, Kurt Volker, Washington’s ambassador to the Ukraine conflict, said on Thursday: “I hope there are not protests and violence orchestrated as a result of this decision. I think it would be tragic to see that.”


October 12, 2018 - Russia vows to defend Believers in Ukraine Church dispute
Russia vows to defend believers in Ukraine church dispute | Reuters


Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko (L) meets with Patriarch Filaret, head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kiev Patriarchate, in Kiev, Ukraine October 11, 2018. Mykhailo Markiv/Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via REUTERS

Russia vowed on Friday to defend Russian church believers in Ukraine from any illegal activity against them following Kiev's moves toward a historic split from the Russian Orthodox Church.

Ukraine wants to establish a national church, free from its traditional ties to Russia, which it says is a vital step to tackling Russian meddling in its affairs. Moscow opposes the move, arguing it would cause a schism in Orthodox Christianity.

The Kremlin’s comments could inflame tensions between Kiev and Moscow, whose relations collapsed following Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the outbreak of a Moscow-backed separatist insurgency in eastern Ukraine.

FILE PHOTO: A general view shows a monument to Grand Prince Vladimir, who brought Christianity to the precursor of the Russian state, near the Kremlin walls in central Moscow, Russia, November 4, 2016. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov/File Photo

Critics of Ukraine’s plan for an independent church say it could lead to violence and forced takeovers of churches loyal to the Russian Orthodox Church.

President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov laid out the Kremlin’s stand.

“In the event that the events which are developing take the course of illegal activities, then of course, just as Russia defends the interests of Russians and Russian speakers - and Putin has spoken about this many times – Russia will defend the interests of the Orthodox,” he told reporters. “This is an absolutely grounded and absolutely understandable position.”

Peskov said the defense would consist exclusively of political and diplomatic measures. However, to Kiev his comments were uncomfortably close to the language used in the run-up to the Crimean annexation and the separatist rebellion.

“We have heard similar messages on the ‘protection of the Russian-speaking population’ from the Russian Federation as justification for its aggression against Ukraine,” Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mariana Betsa tweeted.

Ukraine secured approval on Thursday from a synod in Istanbul, seat of the global spiritual leader of Orthodox Christians, to establish what is known as an “autocephalous”, or independent, church.

Late on Friday, Putin discussed the decision with members of the Russian national security council, the Kremlin said in a statement.

The next step is for Ukraine to reunite its various strands of Orthodox faith in that new church, which includes deciding the fate of church buildings and monasteries, some of which are aligned to the Russian Orthodox Church.

“I urge against provocations and speculation,” Ukraine’s Interior Minister Arsen Avakov wrote on Twitter.

“The Ministry of Internal Affairs will ensure security and law and order. If there is a need to prevent extremism and religious hatred, it (the ministry) will act rigidly - and let it not come as an unexpected surprise for the ‘hotheads’!”

Slideshow (3 Images)
Russia vows to defend believers in Ukraine church dispute | Reuters

 

[angelburst29]

Oct. 14, 2018 - Blasts resume at north Ukrainian ammo depot on fifth day of firefighting effort
Blasts resume at north Ukrainian ammo depot on fifth day of firefighting effort

Ukraine’s state emergencies service said munitions again started to explode at a munitions depot near the northern Ukrainian city of Ichnya at about noon Saturday, where fire broke out early on Tuesday.

Rescuers said that no blasts were registered on Saturday morning, and one explosion took place between 8:00 and 12:00 local time. However, three explosions were heard between 13:00 and 14:00 local time.

The number of blasts increased sharply on Saturday evening.

"During the period between 17:00 and 18:00, up to 44 blasts were registered on the territory of the munitions depot," the emergencies service said.

Currently, air surveillance and firefighting aircraft, as well as other special equipment, continue to work in the area. Earlier, a special train to deliver water to firefighters began operating near the disaster-hit zone.

Besides, specialists continue to clear the adjacent territories from unexploded ordnances.

"No death or injuries were reported as a result of this emergency situation," Ukrainian rescuers said.

Early on October 9, explosions were reported at an ammunition depot in Ukraine's Chernigov Region, followed by a fire. According to the local administration, 63 people have sought medical assistance due to inhaling toxic products of combustion. A criminal case has been opened into negligence during military service, which triggered grave consequences. Kiev considers a sabotage act as a key possible cause of the explosion.


Oct. 13, 2018 - Ukrainian forces shell LPR territory 4 times over last 24 hours
Ukrainian forces shell LPR territory 4 times over last 24 hours

Ukrainian forces used mortars, weapons on infantry fighting vehicles and machine guns.

Ukrainian forces have shelled the territory of the self-proclaimed Lugansk People's Republic (LPR) four times over the last 23 hours, LPR people's militia said on Saturday.

"The settlements of Pervomaysk, Kalinovo, Golubovskoye and the train station Maryevka came under fire," LuganskInformCenter news agence quoted a spokesperson for LPR people's militia as saying. Ukrainian forces used mortars, weapons on infantry fighting vehicles and machine guns.

The last agreement on ceasefire in eastern Ukraine was reached at the Contact Group meeting in Minsk. The ceasefire was supposed to start overnight to September 29, right before the beginning of a school year. Since the start of the conflict, the sides have agreed on a ceasefire over 20 times already, but violations keep occurring.

 

[angelburst29]

Sat, Oct 13, 2018 - 'Clear Sky' drills: US, NATO hold joint Military exercises in Ukraine (Video - NBC news)
‘Clear Sky’ drills: US, NATO hold joint military exercises in Ukraine

The United States will engage in “Clear Sky” training exercises with Ukraine, Romania and Poland as part of Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis’ plan to prepare for potential conflict with Russia or China.


Sat, Oct 13, 2018 - Did Israel Secretly Participate in Military Maneuvers in Ukraine?
Did Israel Secretly Participate in Military Maneuvers in Ukraine? - Fort Russ

At the end of September, Russia delivered S-300PM air defense systems to Syria. Although these have not yet been used in combat, they have attracted much attention from the international media.

On Wednesday, a Vietnamese portal reported that US and Israeli military personnel had secretly visited Ukraine to study systems similar to the S-300 missiles that are in service with the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

In particular, the edition said that in the maneuvers in Ukraine was the participation of 18 F-15C Eagle fighters, manned by Israeli pilots. The aim would be for them to know the capabilities of the S-300s and collect information that the Israeli Defense Forces could later use in Syria.

But Andrei Kots explains why the information in the Vietnamese media does not seem to correspond to reality.

Firstly, the Vietnamese author Khang Minh in reporting on the alleged visit refers to the Russian media, but in fact, no Russian edition wrote about it.

For their part, Kiev and Washington admit that the F-15C were deployed to Ukraine, but clarify that the aircraft arrived on October 6 to participate in the Clear Sky 2018 maneuvers. The training involved 8 European countries but not Israel, added Kots.

Second, it is unclear why the military chose F-15C fighters because they were manufactured between 1979 and 1989 and are not the best “adversary” for the S-300PM systems.

The analyst notes that the Israeli Army has only 17 F-15C fighters and these are not the newest model at its disposal. For example, Israel could have opted for the F-35Is, designed to overcome air defense systems.

If we take into account that the Ukrainian missile systems cannot be equated with the current Russian systems, the meaning of the supposed visit becomes even less clear.

Military analyst Milhail Khodartenok notes that the S-300s of Ukraine were produced before 1991. They were the first models and since then the weapon has changed dramatically in Russia.

Moreover, Israeli pilots do not need to fly over Ukrainian territory to test systems, since a modern aircraft is able to record the frequencies that armaments use even without entering their range.

In conclusion, the author of the article recalls that Ukraine is not the only country to own S-300, there are several. Moreover, the Israeli military has already had the opportunity to study the capabilities of the S-30 during the joint maneuvers in the 1990s with Greece.

“After all, it is unlikely that Israeli pilots would waste time doing a historical reconstruction with the S300PT and the F-15C,” concludes Kots.

In early October, Russia’s Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced that Moscow had completed the delivery of 49 components of the S-300 air defense system to Syria. This measure was taken after the accidental overthrow of a Russian military aircraft by Syrian anti-aircraft batteries. The aircraft was allegedly used as a shield by the Israeli Air Force and the incident killed 15 military personnel on board.


October 13, 2018 - Russia vows tough response to Ecumenical Patriachate over Ukraine
Russia vows tough response to Ecumenical Patriachate over Ukraine | Reuters


FILE PHOTO: Ecumenical Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew I and Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill conduct Sunday service in the Patriarchal Cathedral of St. George at the Ecumenical Orthodox Patriarchate in Istanbul, Turkey July 5, 2009. REUTERS/Osman Orsal/File Photo

The Russian Orthodox Church said on Saturday it would respond firmly to the Istanbul-based Ecumenical Patriarchate over its decision to back Ukraine's request to establish an independent, or "autocephalous", Church.

Kiev sees the move, endorsed by a synod meeting in Istanbul on Thursday, as a vital step against Moscow’s meddling in its affairs, but the Russian clergy fiercely opposes it as the biggest split in Christendom in 1,000 years.

Alexander Volkov, spokesman for Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill, said the Holy Synod of the Church would “express its position”, without elaborating on what measures it might take.

“The Synod, which will convene in Minsk (on Monday), will give its final assessment,” Volkov told reporters.

“At any rate, the response will be in kind and tough,” he added.

Last month the Russian Orthodox Church announced it would no longer participate in structures chaired by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, deepening the row over the Ukrainian Church’s bid to break away from Moscow’s orbit.

The long-running dispute has worsened since 2014 when Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula and gave support to pro-Moscow separatists in eastern Ukraine.

Arriving in Minsk on Saturday, Patriarch Kirill, who has close ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin, told reporters: “I hope the Orthodox Church will find the strength to overcome hardships... to stay united.”

The Kiev Patriarchate’s leader has been sharply critical of Putin and in 2014 suggested he was possessed by Satan.

 

[thorbiorn]

Is something happening in Ukraine? On Stalkerzone there were a few headlines:
Scandal in Sumy: Ukrainian "ATO" Troops Were Congratulated With a Video of the Donbass Militia • СТАЛКЕР/ZONE We are talking about this video, that probably has been linked to way back in the thread:

There was also another news, which perhaps explains why the Scandal in Sumy occured, - internal sabotage.
80% of Conscripts in Kiev Do Not Respond to the Military Commissariat's Summons • СТАЛКЕР/ZONE
Even parts of the press are getting tired:
March of UPA in Kiev: Ukrainian TV Gave Banderists the Cold Shoulder • СТАЛКЕР/ZONE

 

[youlik]

Беда по имени Петя (ФОТО)

Translation

Trouble by the name of Peter (PHOTO)
Ukrainian politician and public figure Elena Lukash - about why, watching President Petro Poroshenko, you can unwittingly become superstitious.

13 October in Kherson during a solemn March a busted wooden stick on which hung the Ukrainian flag.
The cadet who was carrying the flag couldn't hold it, and it broke.
Fortunately the parade was visited by the commander-in-chief. Got another sign. Signs are always symptomatic and very eloquent.
And you need to pay attention to these signs, not money, gunpowder.
First fell soldiers of honor at the inauguration, which was held on memorial Saturday.
Later, a soldier with a presidential standard fell to the ground at a time when Poroshenko announced a minute of silence.
During the prayer on the day of the flag in the Cathedral son Poroshenko became ill. In Minsk behind Poroshenko fell the Ukrainian flag. "Buk" rammed the business center on the hem before the parade, and on the parade two soldiers fainted.
Just the Trouble named Peter.

I become superstitious.

Olena Lukash

Беда по имени Петя (ФОТО)

 

[sToRmR1dR]

Ukrainian Su-27 crashes during war games with US, American serviceman killed

An American serviceman has been killed in a Su-27 fighter jet crash in Ukraine, Kiev’s military prosecutor has confirmed. The jet was taking part in a military exercise with NATO.

The Su-27 crashed during a simulated combat flight. The Ukrainian General Staff initially issued a statement on Facebook that mentioned the citizenships of the two pilots.

“We regret to inform that according to the rescue team, the bodies of two pilots have been discovered: one is a serviceman of the Ukrainian Air Force, the other is a member of the US National Guard,” it said.

However, the Ukrainian military prosecutor's office later confirmed that one of the fatalities was a US serviceman and another a Ukrainian.

The jet was reportedly taking part in Clear Sky 2018, a joint military exercise with NATO members taking place October 8 through 19 in Western Ukraine. Other participants include the US, Belgium, the UK, Denmark, Poland, Estonia, the Netherlands, Poland and Romania.

When advertising the drills on his Facebook page, he said NATO soldiers have “a lot to learn” from Ukrainians, and warned that, if Russia launched airstrikes against Ukraine, the cost would be “very high.”


Two Pilots Die Following Su-27 Fighter Jet Crash in Ukraine - General Staff

The Su-27 fighter jet has crashed near the village of Ulanov (Vinniitskaya region) during the execution of a combat training flight, the press service of the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces reported on Tuesday.

"Today, around 17.00 local time [14:00 GMT], a Su-27 plane crashed near the village of Ulaniv [between the towns of Berdychiv and Khmil'nyk] during a combat training flight. Search and rescue activities are being carried out," the press service said in its Facebook blog.

https://www.facebook.com/theministryofdefence.ua/posts/2026444254084736

In another statement, published on Facebook, the Ukrainian General Staff wrote that both pilots, including a US serviceman, died in the incident.

"We regret to inform that, according to a report by the search and rescue team, the bodies of two pilots were found: one is a Ukrainian air force pilot, and the second is a US Air National Guard pilot," the press service said.

The message, however, was deleted later.

Earlier, it was reported that the Ukrainian Su-27 and the US F-15 fighter jets conducted a training mission within Clear Sky 2018 military drills.


Israel and US send secret military group to train against S-300 air defense system – report

The United States (U.S.) and Israel have allegedly sent a secret military group to Ukraine to train against the S-300 air defense system, Israel’s Hadashot TV reported yesterday.

The U.S. and Israel have yet to comment on this report.

In early October, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that they had successfully delivered the S-300 air defense system to Syria.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said the move to supply Syria with the S-300 system was purely defensive and should not threaten any neighboring country.

Since the Russian delivery of the S-300 system, Israel has not bombed or entered Syrian airspace.


Ukrainian forces shell LPR territory 7 times over last 24 hours

Ukrainian forces used 122mm artillery, mortars, weapons on armored vehicles, grenade launchers and small arms

Ukrainian forces have shalled the territory of the self-proclaimed Lugansk People's Republic (LPR) seven times over the last 24 hours, LPR people's militia said on Tuesday.

"The settlements of Donetsky, Kalinovo, Mikhaylovka, Kalinovka, Sokolniki and Lozovoye came under fire," LuganskInformCenter quoted a spokesman for LPR people's militia as saying. Ukrainian forces used 122mm artillery, mortars, weapons on armored vehicles, grenade launchers and small arms.

The last agreement on ceasefire in eastern Ukraine was reached at the Contact Group meeting in Minsk. The ceasefire was supposed to start overnight to September 29, right before the beginning of a school year. Since the start of the conflict, the sides have agreed on a ceasefire over 20 times already, but violations keep occurring.


MAJOR INSIDER REVELATION: ‘UKRAINE HAS BEEN FORCED TO BECOME EUROPE’S TRASH-COMPOST, AUTHORITIES ARE TO BLAME’ – RUSLAN KOTSABA

The situation in Ukraine continues to deteriorate, due to the corruption and huge misjudgments of its authorities. Increasingly, well-known human rights activists have taken great risks – under threats and duress from Ukrainian authorities – to speak directly to European authorities whom have some sway over Ukrainian policy.

One such campaigner is Ruslan Kotsaba, a well-known insider and Ukrainian activist and presently a prisoner of conscience. He has just attended the recent international round-table “Minsk II or War: Challenges to Conflict Resolution in Eastern Ukraine”, held in Brussels on October 10th. His underlying point was that Ukraine is forced to become the trash-compost for Europe, a genocide of civilians is taking place in Donbass, and the Ukrainian authorities messed up.

According to Kotsaba, Ukraine has become ‘mulch’, a fertilizing trash-compost of ‘cheap labor’ for EU countries:

“European countries are benefiting from the Ukrainian conflict, especially Poland and Czech Republic, that receive many Ukrainian migrants thus reinforcing their economic growth. We become a scrap-heap for Europe, and the Ukraine itself is kicking the bucket.”​

Kotsaba described the Donbass situation to Eurodeputies:

The situation in Donbass with temporary checkpoints is awful, people are simply dying, the Ukrainian State has humiliated them and makes them die.. I consider it to be a Ukrainian civil genocide,​

He also mentioned, that Ukraine is caught between a rock and a hard place in geopolitical conflict between Russia and the US, and Ukrainian authorities really failed in their attempt to play both sides.

He just came from Strasbourg where the PACE meeting was held and where he witnessed the Ukrainian MP and the PACE deputy Alexey Goncharenko receiving a particular warning from the Chair “We’re not in a theatre or circus tent”. Goncharenko was wearing Hazmat gloves because he was afraid of “Novichok”, he said. Kotsaba grinned: “I think, in this case it’s him being drunk”.

He also added that all deputies were shocked when the PACE Secretary General was not able to speak because the Ukrainian delegation started making a ruckus just like they do back home, in the Verkhovna Rada.

Kotsaba appealed to the Eurodeputies to restrain the Ukrainian authorities: “I ask you to restrain the Ukrainian government, because it more or less follows your orders. They have already killed the Ukrainian economy, but international loans and financial infusions allow it to behave wildly.”

“The Ukrainian government is guided by hate and destruction”, said Kotsaba. If Europe can restrain it, all political prisoners will be released and all the captives will be exchanged”.

The Ukrainian prisoner of conscience also noted that there are extreme rightist parties ruling Ukraine, and Europeans do not want to recognize that: “Why do you keep silence when the Ukrainian delegations arrive? You must know that Andrey Parubiy, the Ukrainian parliament speaker, is a founding member of Social-Nationalist Party of Ukraine that was registered by Department of Justice? Why don’t you say that Parubiy was criminally prosecuted for throwing smoke bombs during the previous parliament sessions”?
“They should be persona non grata, you know?”, said Kotsaba.

For Ruslan Kotsaba’s full speech in the Europarliament, you can watch it here: