Civil War in Ukraine: Western Empire vs Russia

[Siberia]

Thanks Thorbiorn for the postings. I think we should make a sott post about the children. It needs telling. What do you think or is somebody already on to it?

I think it sure worth posting on SOTT, Aeneas. The UNICEF has just published a related article in their blog: http://blogs.unicef.org/2015/02/24/in-eastern-ukraine-ceasefire-seems-far-away-as-childrens-needs-grow/. You might wish to use this article as a basis for an English post and add Thorbiorn's videos to it or write your own text and I could also make a similar post for Russian SOTT, what do you think? Maybe anyone else would like to participate?

Also, there is this yesterday's report from PressTV about the children of Donbass: http://www.presstv.ir/Video/2015/02/24/398890/Moscow-doctors-fighting-for-Donbass-children-lives.

 

[Aeneas]

Thanks for the links Siberia. Good idea to make a post on Russian SOTT too. The Russian article I will leave to you ;)

I think it sure worth posting on SOTT, Aeneas. The UNICEF has just published a related article in their blog: http://blogs.unicef.org/2015/02/24/in-eastern-ukraine-ceasefire-seems-far-away-as-childrens-needs-grow/. You might wish to use this article as a basis for an English post and add Thorbiorn's videos to it or write your own text and I could also make a similar post for Russian SOTT, what do you think? Maybe anyone else would like to participate?

Also, there is this yesterday's report from PressTV about the children of Donbass: http://www.presstv.ir/Video/2015/02/24/398890/Moscow-doctors-fighting-for-Donbass-children-lives.

 

[thorbiorn]

Thanks Thorbiorn for the postings. I think we should make a sott post about the children. It needs telling. What do you think or is somebody already on to it?

I saw this article that says that the Ukrainian are pulling out the old artillery pieces from the late 40'ies and restoring them. They obviously have lost a lot of equipment, but even restoring old antic artillery pieces is unlikely to change much, especially if military strategy and command remain the same.

The story about the children, yes it should be told, definitely. And I'm happy that you ask, since I have been so engrossed in finding material that I have not posted anything on SOTT, or even translated.

About the old weapons, well if they get used, they don't have to be stored any longer. And they may be easier to operate, so the soldiers will not die from mishandling them. With correct handling they may be less precise, but the UAF appears to be satisfied with hitting civilian targets.

Below are some finding from today:

Ukraine will be buying arms from the UAE

Ukrainian government has approved a draft agreement with the government of the United Arab Emirates on military-technical cooperation, the Ukrainian political weekly Novoe Vremya has reported.
Counselor of Ukrainian Interior Minister Anton Herashchenko wrote on his Facebook page:
“Arabs, unlike Europeans and Americans, do not fear Putin’s threats of launching the Third World War in case Ukraine is supplied with arms and military equipment. They must owe Russia a grudge over almost double oil price drop and the global instability, hindering long-time development of the UAE. Thus, this will be small revenge on their part”.
On February 23 Russian President Vladimir Putin in his interview told the journalist of the federal TV that war in Ukraine should not be expected. “In my opinion such an Apocalyptic scenario is hardly possible”, — said he.
EU countries refused to supply armaments to Ukraine, and American government is still considering this issue. On February 21 US Secretary of State John Kerry stated that President of the USA Barack Obama will make a decision in regard to provision of aid to Ukraine in the form of armaments in the nearest future. On February 17 Kiev was reported to have sent a list of the military equipment in needed to Washington.

In the comments, people say that UAE does not have its own weapon production, but can only sell what they get from other countries. They also say that UAE can further weapons provided by the US. Is this true? I tried to investigate what weapons they have. To give you an idea:

MBT

France Leclerc - 388 (delivered between 1995-2001)
France AMX-30S - 45 (ordered 1977)
Italy OF-40 Mk.2 - 36

Light Tank

United Kingdom FV101 Scorpion - 76

Tracked APCs

France AMX-10P - 18
France AMX-VCI - 11
Turkey ACV-300 - 133
Russia BMP-3 - 598 (first delivered 1992)

135 to be upgraded to BMP-3M[1]

Wheeled APCs

Brazil EE-11 Urutu - 120
France Panhard AML - 50
France Panhard M3 - 370
Germany Fuchs NBC Recce
South Africa RG 31 Mk5 MRAP
United Kingdom Ferret armoured car - 30
United Kingdom Alvis Saracen - 30
United Kingdom Alvis Saladin - 90
Ukraine BTR-3 - 90 (Marines)
United Arab Emirates Nimr
United States M1114
United States M-ATV - 750, 44 on order[2]
United States Navistar MaxxPro - 3,375 on order[2]
United States BAE Caiman - 1,150 on order[2]

Artillery

South Africa G6 SPG - 72
United States M109 A3 SPG - 87
France AMX-13 Mk F3 SPG - 18
Russia BM-21 Grad MLRS - 48
Russia BM-30 MLRS - 6
United Kingdom L118 105mm Light Gun - 55
China Norinco Type 59-1 FG
Turkey/United Arab Emirates Jobaria Defense Systems Multiple Cradle Launcher
Turkey TR-122 Sakarya[3]

Anti-Aircraft Artillery

Sweden Bofors 40 mm gun
United Kingdom Rapier towed SPAAM
France Panhard M3-VDA w/ Dual 20mm Cannon - 42
United States Terminal High Altitude Area Defense - On order

In short they have plenty of military hardware. If you go on the website, there are live links to the different tanks etc, and it is definitely better than the old stuff they have from the 1950ies.
Regarding the relation of the UAE with the US there is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Dhafra_Air_Base and and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jebel_Ali but it may be all summarized in this article:

Published 10 November 2014

The key military base is central to the Obama administration's strategy against the Islamic State group.

The United States is using a secret air base in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to launch airstrikes over Syria and Iraq, the Washington Post revealed Monday.

Until now, the existence of the base has never been identified in U.S. Air Force public materials, and the UAE government preferred not to disclose its existence due to fears of generating anti-U.S. sentiments.

But UAE officials revealed the existence to the Post, after they felt their efforts in the fight against the Islamic State group are being underestimated.

“We're different from our neighbors (…) We're your best friends in this part of the world,” said Yousef Al-Otaiba, the UAE ambassador to Washington, while stressing that his country has participated in every U.S. led operation since the Persian Gulf in 1991.

The airbase located in Dahfra hosts around 3,500 U.S. military personnel and is the only foreign base with F-22s. It also hosts Global Hawk drones and advanced offensive hardware.

In the past six weeks, U.S. jets have launched flights into Syria and Iraq. On many occasions they are accompanied by UAE jets.

Out of the total air raids against the Islamic State group, the UAE ranks second after the United States.

Furthermore, the UAE also hosts a U.S. base in Jebel Ali, a deep-water harbor near Dubai. It is also the U.S. Navy's busiest overseas port.
[...]

One wonders who brokered the deal between Ukraine and the UAE, any guesses?
It seems that if money is enough, and they can be provided by IMF and the US and allies, weapons will be available. Weapons are good for Kiev, but they still need to stifle the irritating news coming through the internet, non-aligned journalist, protesting Merkels and Hollandes and Russian news. This problem they are going to solve by forming volunteer battalion of internet trolls.

Ukraine is now recruiting an ‘iArmy’
17:37, 23 February 2015 i-army.org
Ukraine’s Ministry of Information Policy announced today that it is now recruiting an “information-army.” Anyone wishing to serve is invited to register on a special website, which then sends them weekly assignments by email.

In the past year, we’ve managed to create a powerful army that courageously defends us in the Donbas. And now it’s time to fight back the Russian occupiers on the information front

In late January, Ukraine’s Minister of Information Policy, Yuriy Stets, promised to create an “information-army” to fight Russian propaganda. “We need to bring people together who are influential in social media and have large audiences who listen to them. We need them to work together, creating a coordinating center between them,” Stets said.

In February, Stets announced the creation of a state television channel called Ukraine Tomorrow, which will broadcast to foreign audiences. “Within a month, we’ll begin broadcasting in foreign countries under the name Ukraine Tomorrow, in contrast to Russia Today. All they have is today, but we have the future,” Stets explained.

Created with the formation of the Second Yatsenyuk Government, after Ukraine’s October 2014 parliamentary elections, one of the chief goals of the Information Policy Ministry is to counteract “Russian information aggression” amidst the ongoing conflict with separatists in Donetsk and Lugansk.

Ukraine’s independent press has labeled the new agency the “Ministry of Truth.” OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatovic has also criticized Kiev’s decision to create the new ministry.
[...]

Well tbe above is not surprising, considering that the US, UK, Israel and others have similar outfits. Now, considering that Sott. net is on the top of South Front youtubes about the situation in Ukraine, I would be surprised if someone would not be assigned to follow SOTT. (With a bit of luck the person(s) may find him or herself "Snowedin" with information). Although, sadly enough and it is painlful to write it, but I can imagiine, these volunteers might also get tasked with identifying people who oppose the system.

On top of the UAE, things just changed while writing this post!!!. Some days ago the British said they would reserve the right to help the UA out irrespective of what other NATO countries did. Then there was this:

Britain should consider arming Ukraine – former Chief of Defence Staff
Published time: February 23, 2015 14:44

and now this:

Cameron commits troops & ‘non-lethal aid’ to Ukraine
Published time: February 24, 2015 16:48 Edited time: February 24, 2015 17:39
Prime Minister David Cameron has said Britain will not supply Ukraine with lethal weaponry in the fight against rebels in the East of the country, but UK troops will support Ukrainians with tactical intelligence, training and logistics.

Speaking to the Liaison Select Committee, David Cameron said UK support would be given “well away from the area of conflict,” adding that the purpose of aid would be to improve Ukraine’s tactical advantage.
[...]

It seems Poroshenko has gained enough support from his allies to remain in power for some more time, and maybe much more than I had expected a few days back.
As one can imagine not everyone thinks that the British are in their right mind to give support to Kiev:

British Hysteria Against Russia Drives Threat of World War
It should not be surprising that the hysteria against Moscow for its alleged transgressions in Ukraine is really coming from London. It began last week, when British Defense Secretary Michael Fallon claimed that the Baltic countries were Russia's next target. He was followed by General Sir Adrian Bradshaw a day later, who warned that Russian irregular warfare could undermine NATO decision making. Then, yesterday, US Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in London to meet with British Foreign Secretary Phillip Hammond. With Hammond by his side, Kerry threatened further sanctions against Russia. Former Defense Secretary Liam Fox, in a Feb. 21 op-ed in the Daily Telegraph, called for providing weapons to the Kiev regime—"the capabilities they most require in order to defend themselves against the military superiority of the pro-Russian separatists and their Kremlin allies."
[...]

And no matter what the British are doing Forbes published an opinion calling on the US to regain its senses:

2/21/2015 @ 9:44AM
Washington's Foolish Foreign Policy: American People Must Say No To More Wars

Finally, it is apparent that at least some countries in Eastern Europe have become aware they are first in the firing line:

In the center of Sofia under the motto "Bulgaria-zone of peace" was solidarity with Russia and Donbass mass action. The demonstrators, including representatives of various political parties and ordinary citizens-participated in a march through the city streets. It ended with a rally in the square opposite the residence of the head of state.
Many were the flags of the separatist republics of Donetsk and Lugansk. Call to stop the war in Ukraine and calls to close the NATO base on the territory of Bulgaria and to stop the policy of sanctions against Russia.
DETAIL http://www.1tv.ru/news/world/278355

[...]
[Comment from Tina] It is an anti-NATO protest and for the non-involvement of Bulgaria in the war in Donbass. It is the third Sunday in a row that it is happening, and not only in Sofia, but also in other cities. The troubling news is that SUDDENLY many Bulgarian men, who are of the age to be army reservists have received invitations (for the lack of a better word) to the local army offices. They are currently recalled only to be informed where to go, in case there are military hostilities, says the government. The troubling news is that a very high number of men has received these recalls... Bulgaria no longer has obligatory military service and our army is very tiny. These men are the only military man-power that can be mobilized... NOBODY in Bulgaria likes this!
[Comment from Tina]Just saw the post of a friend of mine - more people have received these 'invitations' even today... This is so NOT good...

NOT good, although it is great they have the guts to protest. Why does this not happen elsewhere? Okay they tried in Lithuania, but that was knocked down in fascist style.

 

[Siberia]

Thanks for the links Siberia. Good idea to make a post on Russian SOTT too. The Russian article I will leave to you ;)

Okay, thank you. I also have similar links in Russian, so will try to make an article based on them and maybe try to find other sources too. I can't find this subject covered much elsewhere unfortunately, so thank you and thorbiorn for bringing it up because it's really important. If anyone has other related links it would also be great to add them too because there is not much info available on this subject yet.

 

[thorbiorn]

On Sunday there was bomb attack in Kharkow. Here is some analysis of what was behind it:

Video: explosion at the meeting in Kharkov: US citizens in the car full of weapon

Posted By admin on 24.02.2015

https://youtu.be/a5qpmHcCot4?feature=player_embedded

In January last year it was reported that behind the protests in Ukraine was an American non-governmental organization. So January 7, 2014 in the article “American NGO involved in the Ukraine protests” William Engdahl wrote:

“CANVAS: Belgrade U.S.-funded training organization stands behind the carefully organized protests in Kiev. The recent protests in Ukraine are organized from abroad in attempt to destabilize the government of Yanukovych”. http://www.boilingfrogspost.com/2014/01/07/us-ngo-uncovered-in-ukraine-protests/ The attempt, as we know, was successful.

Throughout the war in the Ukraine, we often heard about Serbs fighting on the both sides. The centre for applied nonviolent action and strategies (CANVAS), is formed in 2002 by some of the former members of the organization Otpor!. The most notable figure among the organizers are Slobodan Denovich and Srda Popovich. CANVAS (Centre for Applied Nonviolent Action and Strategies) is funded by the U.S. government, and besides Ukraine it is active in countries such as Azerbaijan, Belarus, Egypt, Palestine, Western Sahara, West Papua, Eritrea,Tonga, Burma and Zimbabwe.

22.02.2014 in Kharkiv there was the explosion during the March in memory of the Maidan and activists who died in clashes. As reported, three people died, about ten were injured. The incident was officially declared as a terrorist attack, in which, in particular were wounded two fighters of the warrior battalion “Kharkov-1″, the girl from “the Right sector”, notable that they had the appropriate symbols. City channel “Obektiv” with reference to eyewitnesses reported that a bomb was thrown into the crowd from a passing car.

Two fighters of the special battalion group of the police “Kharkov-1″ and the girl from “the Right sector”, careless when handling explosives, injured themselves, and the group of four people tried to evacuate them.

Strange actions of this group attracted the attention of the police, and the four were arrested. When checking their it was found out that the car was full of weapons, including automatic mounted grenade launcher AGS-30 ( Russian production).

The head of the group was the U.S. citizen allegedly with Serbian origin, Alexander Kazun nicknamed “ATSA” who was permanently residing in Washington, DC. The place of work: NGO CANVAS. Mr. Kazun was immediately released on the personal order of the Secretary of the Council of national security and defense of Ukraine Aleksandr V. Turchinov.

It is also unclear how at the trainings and seminars of democratic activists around the world the Centre for applied nonviolent action and strategies teaches for the use of automatic heavy grenade launchers – this time they failed to do that in Kharkov. One thing is clear: they prepare people for the non-violent use of explosives very badly. The American government will probably have to increase the amount of grants.

According to recent reports, in the Kharkiv hospital ambulance on Monday, February 23, the victim of the explosion 15-year-old teenager died.

In other words, there we go again, it seems to be another false flag.

 

[thorbiorn]

This is an article that relates to the Western Empire vs Russia

Financial War: US wants to trigger wave of Russian bankruptcies
German Economic News | Published: 02/23/15 - Translated by Eric Zuesse

The US government insists on a tightening of sanctions against Russia, and demands that the EU follow suit. Washington now wants sanctions that will have a "devastating” effect, which Russia must “suffer.” Financial measures are planned to trigger a wave of bankruptcies in Russia.

British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond over the weekend had a visit by US Secretary of State John Kerry, concerning the US plan. Washington expects the EU to cooperate to force the Russian economy to its knees.

The US will drastically tighten sanctions against Russia: US Secretary of State John Kerry said this weekend in London that Russia was "guilty of gravely violating the Minsk truce." Kerry said Russia had the city Debalzewo attacked, and supported paramilitary warriors in the region, and contracted new troops near Mariupol. Kerry said: "This is a violation of the ceasefire. We are serious: there will be more actions that cause additional pain in the Russian economy.”

He went on: "There is a serious discussion between us and our European allies, as to what sanctions we will bring next and when they are due to come into force. I am confident that there will be additional measures in response to Russia's violations of the ceasefire.”

British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond fully backed the remarks by Kerry. A few months ago American Vice President Joe Biden explained how the US created the EU’s role in the strategy directed against Russia. The collaboration now appears to function somewhat smoother than it did at first.

At the EU level, politicians can apparently no longer resist America’s pressure. Thus, the EU observer reported several unnamed permanent EU officials saying that further sanctions are inevitable. The EU Observer also quoted a senior US official, explaining America’s strategy. Whether this official is Daniel Fried, who coordinates the sanctions between the US and the EU, is unknown.

The Americans hope that the next step will have "devastating" impact on the Russian economy. Thus, there could be a wave of bankruptcies among Russian companies, because many companies risk bankruptcy if loans due in dollars during the coming year cannot be rolled over. [Bankruptcy would be expected because the value of the ruble has plunged and many more of them will thus be needed in order to pay the balance due.]

To achieve this goal and take advantage of the plunged ruble, the US government intends to resort to a technical trick to shorten the duration of existing loans and credits, which Russian banks, energy companies and arms companies have in European and American banks. US officials told the EU observer: "If we want, we can make sure that they are really suffering. The inability to raise new capital hurts most -- there is no alternative to US and European financial markets.” [Thus, there will be bankruptcy.]

Another US contact said in Brussels, that the exclusion of Russia from the SWIFT payments system [the ability to transact business electronically instead of via paper records] would again be discussed and again reinforced. The Americans had tried this step, which is particularly feared by the Russians, a few months ago, by direct pressure, but failed because the independent SWIFT organization refused to obey Washington. However, when America succeeds on this, the cash flow to Russian companies will be suppressed. Russia is therefore rushing to install an alternative to the SWIFT system, hoping to reduce the impact on the Russian domestic payments when America pulls the plug and disconnects Russia from SWIFT.

The American rating agencies have already strengthened sanctions by classifying Russian government bonds as junk. This downgrade means that some large US pension funds are legally obliged to withdraw from their Russian government bonds. [That forces the ruble’s value down even further.]

EU observer also reports that the Americans intend to deliver weapons soon to Ukraine. This is the next step [in America’s war against Russia], which is set in a recently adopted US law.

The Russian violations of the ceasefire, that are alleged by the Americans, line up with the previously existing [dubious American] argument, as follows:

a: It is completely unclear who shot at Maidan [the coup in February 2014].

b: The shooting down of passenger flight MH17 is also not even beginning to be elucidated.

c: The killers of civilians in Odessa [in a massacre of pro-Russian demonstrators by burning them in the Trade Unions Building on 2 May 2014] are also unclear.

d: Who is shelling Mariupol is likewise unclear.

e: Who was behind the rocket attack on the bus in Donetsk is also unknown.

Each one of these events had been taken by the Americans as an opportunity to impose tougher sanctions against Russia. [Each one of these excuses by America for economic sanctions against Russia was dubious, but the EU went along anyway.]

It is not known whether there will be any response by the West to the actions of Ukraine’s Right Sector and other anti-Russian Ukrainian extremists: The right-wing paramilitary militias have informed that they’ll not even adhere to the Minsk agreements [but Kerry ignores that]. They also have established their own general staff, and refuse to follow orders from the official Ukrainian army regarding their military operations against the pro-Russian rebels.

On the behavior of the extreme right in Ukraine, the opinion of the EU and of the Americans is not known. [Publicly, there is no opinion on that, but only on attacking Russia.]
—————
Investigative historian Eric Zuesse is the author, most recently, of They’re Not Even Close: The Democratic vs. Republican Economic Records, 1910-2010, and of CHRIST’S VENTRILOQUISTS: The Event that Created Christianity.

So while some of us are concerned about the suffering of people, the children in the war torn areas, etc, for some others this is of no concern. It reminds me when a journalist interviewing Kolomoisky confronted him with the allegations that he had something to do with MH-17. He laughed and said that was just a trifle. Somehow Kolomoisky is right. 300 people dead compared to 50000 in Ukraine and many more wounded, who cares about MH17 and 300 people? 300 dead people to put up the heat on Russia with more sanctions, and while a few Ukraiinian nationalists fill themselves with delusions about their own inflated importance, others don't care a bit. For them destroyed cities, destroyed lives, the risk of a nuclear war, it all does not matter. They have different plans, which appear to include aiming to get complete control over resources and the minds of people. It is not really uplifting to think about it, but I guess one has to move on and continue with the next small step, even if it does not seem to matter much.

 

[thorbiorn]

About the history of modern post Sovjet Ukrainian nationalism there is this:

An ethnic Greek, native of Donbass now living in France, offers a word of clarification
February 23, 2015
A brief essay by Yelena Delville
Translated from French by Tom Winter

I have had more than enough of hearing the term “pro-Russian” that the media use to designate those who have risen up against the Kiev junta (I ought to actually say against the Galician junta installed at Kiev). The word “Russian” [“russe”] that we use in the French language expresses two very different concepts. The word “Russkii” denotatively pertains to Russian ethnicity and/or culture, — and the word Rossiiskii pertains to the geographic zone, i.e., relating to a part of the country which is the Russian Federation.

Before 1991 a large part of the population of Ukraine, a Soviet Republic formed out of pieces, was “Soviet Russia”. To illustrate — the IDs of people in the Soviet Union included two concepts: “nationality”, which signified ethnic origin, and “citizenship” belonging to the country that was the USSR. So in Ukraine there were soviet Ukrainians, soviet Russians, and there also was a big diaspora of soviet Greeks, particularly in the south part of the Donbass. (In fact, the city of Mariupol was founded by their Greek ancestors in 1780, in the reign of Catherine the Great) and soviet Germans, soviet Tartars, soviet Georgians, even soviet Koreans! . . . and the list is long. And then one day, all this little microcosm of the wide world went to bed soviet, and woke up … Ukrainian, without anyone asking….


But they did it saying that Ukraine was the sister of Russia and of Belorussia, and that the ties of blood were sacred and ineradicable (in the Russian world you never get mad to the death with family members — it is simply inconceivable); they did it saying that moving out of the common house and taking another apartment, getting out on one’s own, would never end up in profound discord. But they were wrong! Because the patch, the “daughter-in-law” who had already shown herself less than loyal, this time had a downright Machiavellian plan — she wanted to sever Ukraine from her family for good, using the kids in whom she had inculcated quite different values and in particular, a history with different heroes…. She even went prostituting herself to achieve these aims. There’s a Russian saying "It’s the one who pays, that orders the music" [essentially equal to “Who pays the piper calls the tune], [and they’ve called up] the “music” of terror, and prisons, and bombs, and genocide for the ones less willing to go along.

And this

"There is no such thing as Russian language"--Poroshenko Block Deputy
2/15/2015

Poroshenko Block Deputy: There is no Russian language, there is only the northern dialect of Ukrainian.

Translated from Russian by J.Hawk

Rada Deputy Ivan Vinnik said that there is no such thing as a Russian language during the commemoration of the Heavenly Hundred.

First one of the Self-Defense party members complained that the head of the Kherson city administration Andrey Putilov speaks only Russian and does not want to learn Ukrainian.

Then it was Vinnik’s turn at the microphone, where he said that the Russian language does not exist at all.

“Maybe this is going to be unexpected, but I’d like to emphasize the fact that the Russian language does not exist. There exists the northern dialect of Ukrainian. You have to keep in mind that in the 15th century Russia did have a language at all, there was Mongolian, German, and then they imported Ukrainians who wrote the first book in Russia. Therefore I’d like to stop all insinuations concerning the language,” the deputy said.
[...]

[edit]: For a more detailed look at where languages and dialect are spoken try: http://www.muturzikin.com/carteseurope/europe2.htm or for a langauge tree http://www.theguardian.com/education/gallery/2015/jan/23/a-language-family-tree-in-pictures#img-3 [/edit]
At the elections last year the ultra nationalists struggled to get represented, at least according the the poll results that were published, but it seems their ideas flourish very well among the people in power at the moment, as well among many citizens. Here is one example of a Ukrainian woman who dared to speak up for what she believed in, and as a result has suffered public harassment leading to poor health.

Lvov Professor Faces Persecution for Supporting Novorossia
2/24/2015

They are killing me

By Olga Zagulskaya

Translated from Russian by J.Hawk

The two weeks of persecution have had their effect. Now I am suffering from hypertension. Yet another act of psychological torture had its intended effect. When I was going to work, I was warned that the students are preparing a boycott. Young people easily agreed to attack a person who always acted on the principle “I’ll give children my heart.” They were set upon me by the “intelligentsia” of Miroslav Popovich, Yuriy Vinnichuk ,and Otar Dovzhenko. At least three SBU men were circling around me, which means it’s not a purely student event.

Journalists targeted me even earlier. In response to my sincere expression of beliefs and their sources, they titled their articles “Lvov National University professor openly supports terrorists,” in other words, without any pangs of conscience they accused me of violating the Criminal Code.

I asked them not to publish their materials in those issues which contain the TV guide, since my 77-year-old mother reads them, and she’s ill. Why cause her the stress? But that’s exactly what they did, they even published a photo of me. When my mother went to church on Sunday, they showed them those newspapers. Even during the Stalin era there was a saying that children are not responsible for their parents. But the perpetrators of the so-called “dignity revolution” don’t know how to act in a humane manner.

Journalists from the TV channel 24 were invited to the event, so as to make my suffering even more public. The dean called me to ask why I wasn’t in class. My absence was noted and witnessed probably for the first time in the modern history of the department. I, someone who has not taken even sick leave the whole time I was at the university, am about to be fired for absenteeism. So as to avoid any legal proceedings. Only three years before retirement.

At one point I felt so dizzy that I could no longer stand. I sat for a little while and went to the doctor. He performed all the necessary procedures, and now I am in treatment, possibly for a long time. All because I am not indifferent to what is happening in my Motherland and to the fates of people, because I have my own understanding of events, my own position, and which I express in public. But, as Taras Shevchenko once said: I incur punishment, I suffer, but I do not repent!

J.Hawk’s Comment: Olga Zagulskaya’s “crime” was to criticize the Kiev authorities on her blog for the war on the people of Donbass, including naming them as the responsible party for the rocket bombardment of Mariupol. I doubt we’ll see a “Je suis Zagulskaya” movement in Europe any time soon. Freedom of speech is not meant for people like her.

The complicity of the Western medias is unbelievable, such incidents are not likely to get reported, and I'm sure she is not the only case. The people in power wish to make an example of how they terrorize dissidents to dissuade others and force them to applaud their own misdoings.

 

[thorbiorn]

More videos about children in the Donbass area:

https://youtu.be/DEnwMOyuTwo?feature=player_detailpage
How live children in Donetsk now (South-east of Ukraine or Novorossia ).
Svetlana Tovkach It has only 83 views and was posted Januray 8, 2015. It is 10 minutes long and begins with a small boy who got tramautized due to shelling,then began to stutter and needs to see a doctor. There are also poems from children

https://youtu.be/b3fjVGPo-cs?feature=player_detailpage
Ukraine Crisis Seriously Affects Children Lives: 1,000 children live in Donetsk underground shelters UKRAINE TODAY 228 views, 1 minute long. Shows the cellars, kids playing, and includes a short interview with a child psychologist.

https://youtu.be/Be73VxhXsww?feature=player_detailpage
"Save the children of Donbass !!!" - Андрей Незванный This is a song about a resistence fighter, who tell why he fights, but also why and especially what a person should do if bombs begin to fly. A lot of live combat footage, pictures of children in basements etc. It is 8 minutes and has 1576 views.

Other links:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxMRQijpFDU 4:30 min long, has still fotos of medium quality and is set to music. In the series of pictures there is a small girls that is shown several times, both before and after she lost her mother including when she sits crying next to the corpse of her mother!

A report from Reuters: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYB636BnGeU Ukraine's children of war It is about a Unicef report and how much money they need for the children. It is about 1 minute long and has 587 views.

 

[Jeremy F Kreuz]

the wishfull thinking of Stratfor: their vision for the next decade: Collapse of Russia will prove major test for US.

http://rt.com/usa/234983-stratfor-decade-forecast-russia/

 

[Joe]

Kazzura has published Maxim Fadeyev's documentary "Donbas under fire: On the roads of war", 53 minutes, with english subtitles.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bz-bqC8kpO4

This one is excellent and tragic.

 

[Joe]

the wishfull thinking of Stratfor: their vision for the next decade: Collapse of Russia will prove major test for US.

http://rt.com/usa/234983-stratfor-decade-forecast-russia/

Their previous "prediction" for 2005-2015 was woefully inaccurate, no reason to think this one won't be the same. They public CIA "wish lists" mainly, and pretend they are visions. Pathetic.

 

[thorbiorn]

This is a short poem by one of the commanders in Novorossiya, Alexei Mozgovoi, about life and appreaciating the moment, because we do not know when life ends.

https://youtu.be/OcW_oikMx9g?feature=player_detailpage

 

[thorbiorn]

Earlier I wrote Ukraine made an agreement with the UAE. Below there are more details about this arms deal, the alternative possibility to supplied arms and the effect on social spending.

ABU DHABI, February 24. /TASS/. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has announced that Ukraine has concluded a number of contracts on weapons supply to Kiev at the IDEX-2015 arms show.

"During the IDEX-2015 arms exhibition Ukraine has concluded some 20 contracts on arms supplies," he said.

According to the president, European, American and Middle Eastern companies will supply defensive weapons to Ukraine.
[...]
The Ukrainian leader stressed that it's very important to get foreign currency revenues for modernization of the country's armed forces.
[...]
Poroshenko pointed out that the United Arab Emirates was the first country to supply Cougar and Spartan armored vehicles [manufactured by Streit Group].

Is it possible that Ukraine could blackmail other countries?

MOSCOW, September 17. /ITAR-TASS/.
[...]
“If the Ukrainian president decides to create nuclear weapons, ‘the dirty bomb’ with conventional explosives and radioactive element which can be generated at Chernobyl nuclear power plant can be produced literally in a few days,” Klenov said with confidence.

On September 14, Ukrainian Defence Minister Valery Geletei stated the possibility to develop nuclear weapons, if the West refuses to help Ukraine: “If we cannot protect [Ukraine] today, if the world does not help us, we will have to return to creation of these weapons to protect ourselves from Russia.”

How does the military spending help the life of the people?

KIEV, December 17. /TASS/.
[...]
The government has already announced plans to cut state spending on the social sphere by almost $1 billion.

Ukraine’s Finance Ministry has introduced a new social policy under which some 100,000 teachers are to be sacked over two years. Currently, the number of unemployed in the country with a 42 million-strong population reaches 2 million. The spending on Ukraine’s science and education will also be cut by $200 million. Over 400 schools in rural areas will be closed, and some social benefits, including free meals and extra payment for academic degrees, will be scrapped.

This is bad news for the people of Ukraine, also because the Hrivna is decreasing in value.

 

[thorbiorn]

What can come in the way of military escalation is a more severe collapse of the economy. In western Ukraine it is reported that some shops are running low on stocks.

Food Maidan: Shortages and Panic Buying in Lvov
[...]
“People are buying up flour and sugar by the sackload, we have a shortage of groats, sunflower seed oil, and frozen goods. Groats sell the best, because they are sold by weight and are cheaper than the packaged kind,” write the local media. Other popular items are salt, matches, candles, and napkins. The people in half-emptied supermarkets are asked not to panic since new goods have already been ordered.

“To be sure, many of these goods are no longer to be found even in warehouses, and due to the new prices the suppliers are unwilling to purchase more. There may be a shortage of coffee, tea, household chemicals,” an administrator of one of Lvov’s supermarkets admits. Nobody explains how a city famous for its coffee is going to bet by, but considering the prices on imports Lvov may soon drop that aspect of its image.

Local media also write that there was a terrible fight in Ternopol over sunflower seed oil that was on sale for 15 hryvnya per liter. Two women were hospitalized.

It sounds like Ukraine is reverting to the shopping situation of the early nineties. The popular items also gives an idea of what is useful to have in stock.

 

[Siberia]

More videos about children in the Donbass area:

[...]

Thank you, thorbiorn. Those videos are all heart-breaking. The Russian SOTT article is ready (not sure if you speak Russian, but if so, you might wish to read it). I also added there the info from the UN, the Russian Child Ombudsman, the UNICEF and from newspapers: Russian Vzglyad and British The Sunday Times.

It probably also worth making another similar article on this subject later using these other videos that you provided above: it worth reminding people of the most bitter sufferings of any war.