The war in Ukraine is far from over
Both sides are preparing for a resumption of hostilities
I
drew this simple map to show the overall situation clearly. The former
Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts of Ukraine have declared independence as
republics. The forces of these rebel states only hold about a third of
their own territory. The front lines have been stationary since the
Minsk II agreement but there is continual low intensity conflict along
almost the entire front.
One good way of following events is to find videos made not by journalists or media professionals, but by the local people themselves. One of the best outlets for such material has been the Youtube Channel Ukraine War Awareness (UWA); in their mission statement is found a succinct explanation of sny such material is so valuable:
The best way to find out about the truth of a war is by Primary, non Journalist, non Media Sources, by what people from the affected region say and write. That’s why I translate their voices to reach here. How would you react if you Government did this to you:WARNING: this video is extremely graphic, do not watch if you don’t want to see many corpses in various states of dismemberment – artillery fire is devastating to the human body.
UWA explained why he is doing the important work of compiling and translating the valuable documentary footage:
I created this account after Debaltseve in March 2015, after it became a frozen conflict. I fear however a third offensive will start soon, with Zaitseve being the prime target. If that happens (god forbid), I will be uploading and translating all the latest. By my own analysis, in my opinion, and I hope I’m wrong, but a new offensive might possibly start between mid-April – late-May.I share his fear that a new offensive by the Ukrainians is going to take place this year an probably sooner rather than later. Despite the Minsk Ceasefire Agreement, there continues to be low intensity conflict all along the ceasefire line with several ‘hot spots’ such as the village of Zaitseve:
21st February 2016; Ukrainian
Commander Sergiy Zhurko reports heavy shelling near Zaitseve. This
contradicts the Minsk Agreements, since Zaitseve Village is badly
damaged, and Civilians Report Shells coming from Ukrainian Side.
Zaitseve is a DPR-Held Village.
Zaitseve is just to the west of Debaltseve where the Ukrainian forces suffered a severe defeat last year.Both sides of this conflict are clearly preparing for a resumption of hostilities as we can see from the training exercises carried out this year by both sides:
NATO-UKRAINIAN 2016:
– Jan 30-Feb 1, 2016 Ukrainian-American Large Scale Military Exercises in Zhytomyr before sent to ATO:
– Jan 30, 2016 Right Sector & Azov Tank Battalion’s Firing Exercises in their New Modernized T-64B1M:
– March 15-18, 2016, Ukrainian-Canadian & Ukrainian-British Training in Zhytomyr & Lviv:
DPR & LPR 2016:
– Jan 14, 2016 Motorola Unit of Sparta Battalion Winter Mechanized Infantry Training Exercises:
– Feb 4-6, 2016 Large Scale Exercises by DPR & LPR in Response to Large-Scale US-UAF Exercises:
– Mar 17, 2016 DPR “Counter-Exercises” in response to Canadian-Ukrainian-British Exercises:
April 16, 2016 Donetsk People’s
Brigade Army Conduct Engineering, Refueling, Alignment, and Firing
Military Exercises. This includes securing an area, repelling an
offensive, and then move in on the Counter-Offensive.
You may be wondering where all the armoured vehicles, weapons and
equipment is coming from. Of course, we know exactly where the Ukrainian
forces are receiving their supplies from – the USA & NATO, this has
been widely publicised. However, it is less clear where the Donetsk
& Lugansk forces are getting their supplies. The Ukrainians claim
Russia has been supplying the rebels with everything, but we can see
this is not true in a series of videos which show the vast quantities of
vehicles, weapons and equipment abandoned and left behind by the
Ukrainians; the sheer scale of munitions and supplies abandoned probably
means they don’t actually need Russia to supply military aid!Many of the tanks and armoured vehicles are destroyed, burned out, but many are repairable. The rebels tow away all that are left on their territory to repair shops and return to service as much as they can; this is where they got all their tanks, armoured vehicles and heavy weapons. From two or three vehicles they make one working unit which is returned to action.
One particularly large haul of ‘goodies’ was obtained after the Debaltseve fighting as the Ukrainian forces withdrew in haste from a salient to avoid being surrounded and annihilated, in their haste they left behind huge quantities of stores and hundreds of armoured vehicles and heavy weapons.
Published on 4 May 2016
IN RESPONSE TO THIS ARTICLE: “Footage has emerged online showing a column of at least 35 Soviet-made armored vehicles, Some online users are asking where the rebels could have gotten the equipment from, considering Russia has consistently denied supplying the separatists with arms”. (http://www.newsweek.com/heavy-armored-column-spotted-moving-toward-frontline-ukraine-455683?rx=us)
IN RESPONSE TO THIS ARTICLE: “Footage has emerged online showing a column of at least 35 Soviet-made armored vehicles, Some online users are asking where the rebels could have gotten the equipment from, considering Russia has consistently denied supplying the separatists with arms”. (http://www.newsweek.com/heavy-armored-column-spotted-moving-toward-frontline-ukraine-455683?rx=us)
My COMPILATIONS show more than 100
Hardware all together. PART 2 shows Stepanovka in late August 2014 was
captured more than 40 pieces of Hardware alone. Debaltseve was literally
a land of 100’s of abandoned hardware, both in working and repairable
condition. The rest are “donors’, explained further in the description.
– COMPILATION PART 1:– COMPILATION PART 2:
Compilation Video of Novorussian Armed
Forces (NAF) of DPR & LPR capturing / seizing much of UAF
Equipment, Tanks, Ammunition, etc, including Exclusive Ukrainian Tech
(T-64BM Bulat & BTR-4E) and US Humvees. Video starts off in a DPR
Factory of Makeevka and ends in a factory used by the “Vostok
Battalion”. The NAF captures everything left behind by the UAF, from
functioning armor & vehicles to completely destroyed armor for parts
and scrap. When brought to the repair facilities, the DPR Mechanics
gather the parts and scrap, and make a fully operational combat vehicle
from 2-3 non-operational vehicles, as well as modernize vehicles with
remaining scrap for extra layers of protection and defense. The most
number of Ukrainian equipment seized by the Pro-Russian Separatists
occurred in September 2014 (Saur-Mohila, Stepanovka), and again in
February (Debaltseve), after significant battles and right before the
Minsk I and II Ceasefire Agreements (signed during strategical times to
halt the advancement of NAF Separatists). It’s safe to say that most of
their armaments come from the Ukrainian Military.
Of course, we know that a lot of supplies are also coming from
Russia, but rather than being illegal aid from the Russian government
(anything lethal, such as an assault rifle or a box of ammunition is
considered illegal aid) it is being given by all kinds of groups and
organisations; one example is replacement batteries for the armoured
vehicles, the most important of these supplies are the essentials of
life – food, water, medical supplies. There are many videos showing
these supplies being delivered and distributed, such as the one blow:
The uniforms and small arms ammunition
are donated by a non-profit organization donation foundation called
“SpasiDonbass” (SaveDonbass), and I only translated 1 of dozens upon
dozens of videos that they make (they donate to both civilians and NAF)
which is here:
Published on 8 Nov 2015
A translated compiled video of two (2) Humanitarian Organizations reaching Donbass.
– The first Video shows the Foundation of Novorussia “SpasiDonbass” delivering Aid to Motorola’s Unit “Sparta Battalion”. The aid includes non-lethal aid for Separatist Fighters, Food Products, and Ammunition. The Foundation of Novorussia is a Russian-Based Donation Website led by Gleb Kornilov, and all of their videos and deliveries can be found on channel “opasnie”, which is the name of Kornilov’s band (the non-profit organization is run by him and his musical band). They delivery supplies to many units of the “Novorussian Armed Forces” in DPR / LPR, as well as to civilians and children in the most affected regions that are under shelling and bombardment. Most of NAFs supplies come from this organization (including uniforms, bullet-proof vests, etc) whilst the rest is mostly captured equipment left behind by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
A translated compiled video of two (2) Humanitarian Organizations reaching Donbass.
– The first Video shows the Foundation of Novorussia “SpasiDonbass” delivering Aid to Motorola’s Unit “Sparta Battalion”. The aid includes non-lethal aid for Separatist Fighters, Food Products, and Ammunition. The Foundation of Novorussia is a Russian-Based Donation Website led by Gleb Kornilov, and all of their videos and deliveries can be found on channel “opasnie”, which is the name of Kornilov’s band (the non-profit organization is run by him and his musical band). They delivery supplies to many units of the “Novorussian Armed Forces” in DPR / LPR, as well as to civilians and children in the most affected regions that are under shelling and bombardment. Most of NAFs supplies come from this organization (including uniforms, bullet-proof vests, etc) whilst the rest is mostly captured equipment left behind by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
– The second video shows the Official
“Illegal” Russian-Government Humanitarian Aid Convoys, reaching their
destinations to multiple schools throughout Donbass (only one school
shown in this video to get the point, otherwise it would just be hours
of teachers and students thanking Russia for the Aid). Despite what
Western and Ukrainian Media write about the illegal Humanitarian
Convoys, Russia has sent over 60 Convoys since 2014, with video proof of
them reaching their destination, as well as the contents of the trucks
in the convoys. Donbass is officially blockaded by the Ukrainian Army,
as well as cutting all Electricity and Gas to the regions, leaving
millions without food and utilities. Russia proceeds with the convoys
“because nobody else will, and there will be nobody to send aid to by
the time the blockade will be lifted”. The convoys are illegal because
of Ukrainian Suspicions that they actually bring weapons and arms to the
Separatists.
Another inconvenient fact exposed by the capture of all the huge
piles of equipment, weapons and supplies abandoned by the Ukrainians is
the existence of mercenary forces fighting on the Ukrainian side; the
western weapons and equipment they left behind is clear proof that the
west has been arming and equipping these mercenaries. The presence of US
Humvees that were given to Georgia as military aid during the South
Ossetia conflict is proof of the involvement of Georgia, not least via
former Georgian President Saakashvili who was appointed governvor of the
Odessa Oblast of Ukraine last year – the Humvees came from Georgia
along with Saakashvili. German and Polish weapons, vehicles and supplies
have also been found.
Even if Putin is sending arms to
Ukraine, so was NATO before their official announcement (as seen in the
part 1 Video, a stash of M-16’s will be found at the Donetsk Airport,
and in part 3, a US Portable Jamming Radio with a serial number that was
produced in early 2014).
1) “White Aid Trucks” are Government.
This Video may change your mind about them carrying weapons, and note, I
cut the Video from 1 hour to 5 minutes, because they literally made
deliveries to 18 schools. I just showed the principle of it thus I only
cut it to 1 school, no point in translating 17 more school teachers
speaking essays of their thanks, but maybe I should have had for
evidence:
2) SpasiDonbass is based in Russia,
yes. But Russia is a Capitalism Nation. Having a Non-Profit Foundation
isn’t as different as having for example the British Based Syrian
Observatory for Human Rights. If you watched the first Zaitseve Video in
my previous comment, you would see them giving aid to toddler children.
Here is their official channel (no eng subs) where they record all
their deliveries, including to children and seniors living in bomb
shelters and basements, as well as the shipments they receive to their
apartment garage and list the donators and food company donations as
well: https://www.youtube.com/user/opasnie Here’s the Zaitseve SpasiDonbass Video with Civilian Interviews in December 2015:
3) If you would watch the part 2 of
the capturing Video I linked you, you’ll see captured Grads there too,
with a warehouse captured with hundreds of shells and Grad missiles. The
Ukrainian Army always fleed and literally left everything for the
taking. Also, you may not know this, but Donetsk has for 70 years the
largest warehouse storage of weapons of the entire Eastern Europe, made
by the Soviets for Weapon Storage after WWII. Here is a Western Article
showing ordinary protesters guarding the warehouse: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/apr/24/protesters-ukraine-weapons-cache-mine
4) Yeah, Russia sends some small arms,
maybe a tank here and there, but so was NATO before their “official”
aid delivery after the ceasefire, and again the capturing Video shows
proof of that. Cache’s of M-16’s 9 (not in service with Ukrainian Army),
NATO boots and ballistic vests on almost every UAF soldier, and I’m
compiling a part 3 where there’s a NATO radio and jammer that was left
and captured by DPR in Debaltseve.
5) Both NATO and Russia have advisers in Ukraine. Both only admitted in 2015.
6) There are foreign volunteers from
many countries on both sides. Chechnyans are both on DPR and UAF sides.
Croatians on UAF, Serbs on DPR. That doesn’t mean that Serbia, Croatia,
Poland, etc sent their Armies to Ukraine. The same applies to
Belorussians and Russian Volunteers.
So the current situation in eastern Ukraine is quite worrying. The
civilian population continues to suffer, sporadic fighting and exchange
of artillery fire continues along almost the entire front while both
sides are training and preparing for a resumption of large scale
fighting in the near future. The fighting is likely to be more intense
and deadly than before as both sides are now better equipped – the
Ukrainians lavishly supplied by the West and the rebels having bolstered
their arms greatly with all the ‘trophies’ left behind by the Ukrainian
forces.Clearly the war in Ukraine is far from over and what is to come may eclipse what has already happened in terms of violence, destruction and death.
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