Southeast Ukraine: “We Have Built an Independent State”. Interview with Deputy PM, Donetsk People’s Republic, Mikhail Mnukhin
Showing posts with label civil war in Ukraine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label civil war in Ukraine. Show all posts
Sunday, March 08, 2015
It was because of their hatred of Jews and Russian-speakers that neo Nazis burned alive many peaceful demonstrators in Odessa, the event that drove the Crimeans to rejoin with Russia ...and the Russian-speaking people of Southeast Ukraine to secede from Kiev. Here is the story of the secession of Donetsk People's Republic.
Friday, March 06, 2015
While the U.S. government decides whether or not to send lethal armaments to Ukraine to supposedly to fight the "invading Russians" the Russian Army has remained in Russia, and a 17 year old female whose boy friend and father were killed by Ukranian troops in an earlier attack on her village has decided to join the Novorossiyan Armed Forces to repell the next Ukrainan attack with no Russian help ...proving that Washington has been lying.
[eng subs] Interview with 17 years old female NAF soldier, Donetsk Airport
Novorossiyan Armed Forces = NAF
October 24, 2014
http://youtu.be/V5WJ1MLS8MM
Saturday, February 21, 2015
The aftermath of the supposed ceasefire agreement fought on their own soil by citizens of the Donbass, whose families lived there for centuries. Meanwhile the U.S. tries to convince NATO countries that Russia was the aggressor and that the NATO countries should beef up their armed forces in order to drive the Russians out of Ukraine...
Novorossia acquires a treasure trove of UAF equipment abandoned at Debaltsevo
2/19/2015
On the trophies kindly left by the UAF for Novorossia in theDebaltsevo cauldron
By Aleksey Smirnitskiy Translated from Russian by J.Hawk
We are receiving the first reports concerning the approximate numbers of equipment captured in the Debaltsevo cauldron.
- Armored vehicles. By first estimates, Novorossia captured over 80 tanks in repairable condition. Some of them were fully operational, even loaded with ammunition. Some have been abandoned without fuel, others were abandoned after their tracks were damaged, most of the vehicles captured have light or medium damage. This is sufficient for at least two tank battalions.
Over 100 BMPs and BTRs have been captured in repairable condition. The junta managed to take out only about 50.
- Artillery. Not fewer than fifty 122mm and 152mm weapons (not counting 120mm mortars), many of which are repairable, and about 15 BM-21 122mm Grad launchers. At least 500 tons of artillery ammunition.
- A huge amount of small arms, including heavy machine guns, RPGs, RPOs [flame rocket launchers used for assaulting fortified positions and buildings]. Storehouses of food and medicine. Other goods.
- Novorossia commanders are especially grateful to the numerous volunteer organizations which have equipped the junta’s forces so well: the hundreds of night vision devices, digital radio stations, thermal imagers, modern ballistic computers and fire direction gear, wound treatment and anti-shock kits of Western origin, Kevlar helmets (even though Russian ones are better, there aren’t enough of them), modern body armor, will be of great use.
http://www.fortruss.blogspot.com/2015/02/novorossia-acquires-treasure-trove-of.html
NAF thanks the United States for the new LCMR (Lightweight Counter-Mortar Radar)
February 20, 2015
BMPD – Live Journal
Translated by Kristina Rus
Judging by the “LifeNews” report on February 19, 2015 about Novorossia fighters collecting trophies after Ukrainian troops withdrew from Debaltsevo, among other finds, NAF received one whole complex of LCMR (Lightweight Counter-Mortar Radar), supplied by the United States as part of military assistance to Ukraine.
http://youtu.be/kjf95WiAo3g
The U.S. has decided to send to the armed forces of Ukraine 20 LCMR radars, the first three of which were delivered in November 2014. According to the information, received by our blog from the most serious sources, soon after the transfer one of the stations was damaged during transportation, and then another station was damaged by artillery fire of the enemy at the first attempt of its combat use by the Ukrainians. We can assume that the LCMR radar, abandoned by the Ukrainian troops in Debaltsevo is the third of this ill-fated first batch of the three stations.
K.R.: Please, McCain – do send more!
http://fortruss.blogspot.com/2015/02/naf-thanks-united-states-for-new-lcmr.html
US-supplied armored Humvee captured by Novorossia militia
2/19/2015
US-supplied armored Humvee captured by Novorossia militia
By J.Hawk
The vehicle was one of the many seized from the UAF at Debaltsevo and its vicinity. It seems to be in perfectly good working order. I suppose the most surprising thing about it is that the UAF had no time to put it up for sale, as it did the British-supplied Saxon APCs…
http://www.fortruss.blogspot.com/2015/02/us-supplied-armored-humvee-captured-by.html
NAF: Thank you to Canadians and Ukrainians for supplies! (Video)
http://youtu.be/I5bUjRUvFbw
February 19, 2015
Novorossia TV
Translated by Kristina Rus
00:00 – 13:00
NAF commander Terek is in charge of a drone recon unit of the First Slavyansk battalion. His unit of 25 people works with drones doing
intelligence gathering near Debaltsevo.
Military correspondents of Novorossia TV delivered humanitarian aid
to the unit from humanitarian battalion “Novorossia.” Some deliveries
are addressed to specific units and fighters.
- Is this a good bulletproof vest?
- It’s average, so so, but better then nothing.
- I am wearing a police one.
- If you crawl on the ground, the pockets start to tear. The detachable pockets are better.
The correspondents asked commander Terek, what they need.
- Thermal boots, or at least warm leather boots
- Everything is mined, there are not enough sappers, so we use
drones to save the lives of our fighters who go on recon missions.
- We need thermal underwear, thermal socks, thin warm hats under helmets, tactical gloves, knee pads and elbow pads.
This is regarding the personal equipment, but as far as military equipment we have plenty of trophies left by Ukrainian troops. New
drones. You know they had truckloads left in Nikishino. When they run,
they leave everything behind. Were do you think our drones come from?
We do need radios with closed channels. They cost 25 000 roubles,
unfortunately. At least a few would be nice. We had to shut them off in
Nikishino. Because their artillery works on signal very well, they
strike on the signal of our drones.
We need serious things, because they get serious things from America and Europe.
- Night vision goggles – at least couple, not to stumble on their positions.
- We have nothing to charge the radios, phones with, no heat, we
need generators, better diesel – because there are problems with
gasoline.
- We got dry meals, thermal underwear, hygiene products for
women. Thank you to the Russian brothers for helping us! The war showed
who is our friend and who is our enemy.
A large amount of ammo and equipment was left by the Ukrainian troops.
- We got lists of who was in Redkodub, even with phone numbers.
Tank ammo, Vasilek ammo, 82 mm grenades, 120 mm grenades, RPG, 762, TURs.
We are almost on a frontline.
This is ammo left by the Ukrainian troops in Redkodub.
This is only a tenth part, a lot has been taken out already.
Mines, bullets, we are not supposed to have anything else.
Several Ural truckloads were taken out just by our brigade.
American, NATO helmets, goggles, about 40 bulletproof vests, good quality, neck protection, 4th generation.
- So you got your own humanitarian aid from Ukrainian volunteers?
- Canadian helmet with excellent quality. Comfortable. Thank you to Canadians and Ukrops for deliveries of supplies!
- Ukrainian army left us some excellent weapons, 120 mortar in great condition.
TUR – anti-tank rocket system
- Why does a mortar unit need TUR?
- We want to be prepared for any breakthrough. We have our own TUR,
RPG, muhi, now we are not just a mortar, but a mobil assault brigade!!!
Thursday, February 19, 2015
Dear reader, If you had watched videos of the ceasefire being negotiated by Merkel, Hollonde, Poroshenko, and Putin, you would have seen Putin offering to save the Ukrainian troops that everyone knew were surrounded at Debaltsevo, if only they would surrender and leave without their arms. However Poroshenko, probably following U.S. instructions, pretended that those troops did not exist and so no plan for their surrender was offered (too bad for them). Moreover, the ceasefire agreement was immediately violated by all elements of the Ukrainian Army, likely again as instructed by the U.S., attacking the secessionists including use of the heavy artillery stipulated in the agreement to have been pulled back.
Events in Debaltsevo — “The lies are obvious…We no longer control Debaltsevo”
2/18/2015 “The Debaltsevo Cauldron had closed. It’s a second Ilovaysk.”
By Yuliana Skibitskaya
Translated from Russian and Ukrainian by J.Hawk
We have collected the statements from combat participants and commentary from social networks concerning the events at Debaltsevo.
Dmitriy Gross, Deputy Commander, 25th “Kievan Russ” Battalion
“We are under fire from mortars, Grads, self-propelled howitzers, small arms, and lots of other stuff. There is close combat in the streets. 90% of the civilian population had left. Debaltsevo is not fully surrounded, but all roads leading into it are under militant [sic] fire. It is practically impossible to enter the city.
“Gusar,” an officer of the 128th Brigade (published on the Zerkalo Nedeli web site):
“We are facing the second Ilovaysk. It’s been five days since the cauldron had closed. When the Donetsk Airport was taken, they lied to people for five days that it’s under control. In reality it was the other way around. Debaltsevo is under de-facto encirclement since five days ago. There used to be a small path out, which they tried to use to break out. They lost vehicles but broke out. The enemy occupied the commanding heights along the road and has it covered with fire. People are telling us nice stories that there are still communication routs, some detours, dirt roads…There was a road like that, but as of yesterday the convoy of five vehicles that left Debaltsevo yesterday lost all five of them. Only seven guys made it out. We don’t know what happened to the rest.”
Viktor Baloga, Politician [Transcarpathia oligarch, governor] (comment on facebook).
“Mr. President. You and I both know well that we no longer control Debaltsevo. I’ll say more. Preventing the media from reporting the true state of affairs will not help anyone. Our own HQ is lying worse than the Russians. Moreover, the lies are obvious—there are so many people there that it’s impossible to conceal the truth. My local guys are there, lots of them. But since nobody is doing anything, they are losing faith.
You know what needs to be done, both in the military and diplomatic sense. In other words, either we cancel the ceasefire which had never existed for the entire region, switch on the artillery and send weapons and ammunition in. Or we decide to withdraw. The decision must be made NOW!”
Deputy Commander of the 25th “Kievan Rus” Battalion
“The situation in Debaltsevo is critical, very bad. 90% of Debaltsevo is under their control. It is in operational encirclement. All three roads to the city are mined and under dense enemy fire. Our higher command is gone. The Sector command and commander were here. But in reality he abandoned this position and caused senseless losses. The command is not in control of the situation here.”
Vitaliy Tilizhenko, volunteer (facebook)
“The Debaltsevo cauldron had closed! There is exfiltration by small groups. Somebody is covering the withdrawal and holding positions, gradually abandoning them and withdrawing. We have lost the police HQ and the rail station in the morning. We lost 1/3 of our equipment at Ilovaysk. We’ll lose 1/5th of all equipment, abandoning it because people are more valuable, and there will be nothing to fight with, as always. All withdrawing groups are falling into ambushes and are losing men and equipment. The ambushes are growing stronger and more fortified with every hour, and the percentage of people making it out of the cauldron is dropping. They won’t say this on TV. Everything is great there. Pete [Poroshenko] outplayed everyone, no need for martial law, Europe is concerned, etc.”
Debaltsevo Update, morning 2/17
“The separatists [sic] fired from all kinds of weapons, from mortars to SP howitzers and Uragan rocket launchers. Our guys held their positions to the last. We had no communications with them. They started to come out of the city at night, in a column of trucks and APCs. There were many wounded in the column. Our intelligence was able to find a relatively save path out. Our guys broke into groups. ‘McCloud’s’ group went second. Tolya was behind them. They fell into an ambush. Lost lots of equipment, but managed to break out. But that corridor is now closed.”
http://fortruss.blogspot.com/2015/02/its-second-
Friday, February 06, 2015
Paul Craig Roberts is interviewed by a Russian magazine on Washington's plan for Ukraine and his American audience..
February 5, 2015 | Original Here Go here to sign up to receive email notice of this news letter
PCR Interviewed by the Russian analytical magazine Political Education. English language translation of original Cyrillic.
http://www.lawinrussia.ru/node/328645
Russian Interview 2-04-15
What is your viewpoint about the situation in Donbass region? Could you give us some prognosis of further development of the Ukrainian conflict?
For centuries Ukraine was part of Russia and then the Soviet Union. When the Soviet Union collapsed, Washington insisted on breaking Ukraine apart from Russia. This separation was required both by the Brzezinski doctrine and by the neoconservative doctrine of US world hegemony.
The creation of an independent Ukrainian state did not in itself succeed in breaking Ukraine from Russia. The southern and eastern provinces are inhabited by Russians. There is much intermarriage, with relatives in both countries. And long integration within Russia had integrated the Ukrainian economy with Russia. Also, these historic connections resulted in favorable economic standing for Ukraine in trade with Russia.
When the Washington-financed and orchestrated “Orange Revolution” failed to deliver Ukraine into Washington’s hands, Washington spent $5 billion dollars over the next decade cultivating and grooming Ukrainian politicians and creating Washington-funded NGOs capable of organizing mass protests in Kiev.
When Russia used diplomacy to block Washington’s planned invasion of Syria and bombing of Iran, Washington realized that a New Russia had appeared, beyond Washington’s control, that was capable of blocking Washington’s intentions. Consequently, suddenly Washington’s focus shifted from the Middle East to Russia. The groomed Ukrainian politicians were assembled. The NGOs put the demonstrators in the streets. The democratically elected Ukrainian government was overthrown, and Washington’s chosen puppets were put in office as per the intercepted telephone call between Victoria Nuland the US ambassador in Kiev.
Now Russia has an Ukrainian problem, brought to Vladimir Putin courtesy of Washington.
Washington hoped that its grab of Ukraine would result in Russia being evicted from its naval base in Crimea, but this hope was frustrated by the Crimean people, who voted overwhelmingly to reunite with Mother Russia. This enabled Russia to retain its warm water port.
The Russian provinces of eastern and southern Ukraine made the same vote and request, but the Russian government refused the request. Possibly the Russian government was under too much pressure from the West. Alternatively, perhaps the Russian government hoped to retain a Russian population within Ukraine in order to regain a political lever over Kiev. It is not in Russia’s or Ukraine’s interest for there to be conflict between the two.
Statements from Washington’s puppet government in Kiev about killing Russians and prohibiting the official use of the Russian language, together with the destruction of Soviet war memorials in memory of the Red Army’s liberation of Ukraine from Hitler’s Wehrmacht, made the Russian populations of Ukraine feel threatened. These threatened people organized military forces to defend themselves from the attacks from Kiev and formed independent republics. So far the Kiev forces have been unable to subdue the so-called “break-away provinces.”
In my opinion, the Russian government believed that Europe had more sense and more independence from Washington than it possesses. Russia thought that Europe would want to avoid the conflict that Washington was preparing for them and, therefore, would be reassured by the Russian government’s refusal of the break-away provinces’ requests and Russia’s lack of provocative action. Russia is not the problem, Putin kept telling the European vassals of Washington.
As it turned out, Europe is more firmly under Washington’s thumb than the Russian government realized. European politicians are even willing to harm the interests of their own countries in order to serve Washington.
The Russian government now understands that Europe lacks political independence. Putin has publicly acknowledged this fact. This improved understanding of the situation that Russia faces requires a rethinking of the situation in Ukraine.
Of the break-away provinces to unite with Russia, civil war in Ukraine is almost certain. Washington is already moving to arm and to train the weak and disorganized Ukrainian military. The longer Russia waits, the more formidable will be the opponent that Washington creates for Russia. Moreover, Washington might move missile bases into Ukraine, both offensive nuclear missiles and anti-ballistic missile defensive missiles that reduce the credibility of Russia’s nuclear forces.
The longer Russia tolerates the extreme propaganda against Russia, setting Russia up as a threat to the West, while Russia is surrounded with more powerful and threatening US and NATO military bases, the harder it will be for Russia to retain an independent policy and its sovereign existence.
Washington is determined to prolong civil war in Ukraine. Russia should frustrate this intention by accepting the requests of the break-away provinces for unity with Russia. Once the Russian government accepts the break-away provinces, a continuation of war means war with Russia. Europe will follow Washington a long way, but not into war with Russia. However, Europe can be gradually eased into war with Russia, which is why Washington intends to prolong the conflict in Ukraine.
In my opinion, Russia can stop the civil war immediately by accepting the requests for unification or declaring that the provinces are under Russian protection. Perhaps the model is Russia’s success in South Ossetia.
How the US mass media covers the military conflict in the East of Ukraine?
The US print and TV media do not mention that the Russian peoples in eastern and southern Ukraine are under military attack from the US puppet government in Kiev, resulting in the deaths of thousands of civilians. The reports in the presstitute Western media are that Russian tank columns and Russian troops have invaded Ukraine and are in the process of annexing the eastern and southern regions. Americans are told that Putin wants to restore the Soviet Empire. Polls show that 63% of the US population believes the anti-Russian propaganda and regards Russia as a threat to the US and Europe. The cold war has been restarted in a way that could result in a hot war and the end of life on earth.
There are even reports that Russia is preparing to invade the Baltics and Poland. The hysteria is being whipped to a high pitch. The new head of the US Broadcasting Board of Governors, Andrew Lack, has declared the English language Russian TV program RT to be a terrorist organization comparable to Boco Haram and the Islamic State.
Consequently, Washington is sending tanks, military aircraft, and troops to “defend the Baltics”. Washington is working to incorporate both Georgia and Ukraine into NATO so that the next time Georgia assaults South Ossetia Russia cannot repel the assault unless Russia is willing to go to war with NATO and the US.
Americans have forgot all about the “Muslim threat”. Now it is the “Russian threat”. The Russians are the new enemy that will guarantee massive profits for the military/security complex. Nothing is more important to Americans than money, and Russia is the excuse needed to bleed the taxpayers for the money to “resist Russian aggression”.
How do you assess the current political situation in Greece? Do you admit the possibility of strengthening of the cooperation between Russia and Greece, if we take into account the current political situation in the world?
The way the Western financial system works is this: the private banks get governments into more debt than they can service. John Perkins, one of those responsible, explains the process in his book “Confessions of an Economic Hit Man”. Read it and you will understand American inequity. Once a country is indebted more than it can pay, in comes the International Monetary Fund. The IMF tells the country, don’t worry we will protect your credit reputation by lending you the money to pay your creditors.
However, the IMF money is not a gift. It is a loan, and the “rescued country” has to repay the IMF loan by cutting social pensions and social services such as health care, by throwing people out of their government jobs, by lowering the minimum wage, and by selling off valuable public assets such as ports, municipal water companies, and national park lands, such as the protected Greek islands, to clients of the creditor banks.
In other words, the indebted country is looted in order to protect its credit rating.
This is the way Western Capitalism works. It is a looting mechanism described in idealistic language by neoliberal economists and libertarians, mentalities that also flourish in Russia.
No country would agree to the conditions if it were independent. However, under the dollar payments system, no country is independent except the US. Countries are propagandized to believe that they are cut off from credit unless they agree to being looted by the clients of their creditor banks.
This is the way Western financial capitalism works.
The problem for Greece is that the conditions imposed on Greece are so extreme as to produce depression. The IMF/EU “adjustment program” imposed on Greece has resulted in economic collapse. The simple fact is that the austerity program drives down the economy, thus worsening the burden of the debt.
Faced with this challenge, Greeks voted in a new government, but the new government is one with 36% of the vote, a larger vote than its various rivals, but not a convincing majority that allows Greece to stand up to its creditors and to the EU, which is using the “sovereign debt crisis” to destroy the remaining sovereignty of the individual member countries of the EU.
As I explain in my book, The Failure of Laissez Faire Capitalism, Greece is the test case for establishing two new principles: One is that creditors are not responsible for over-lending or for making bad loans. Instead, the people of the indebted country are responsible. The other is that the tendency of governments to over-borrow means that the EU government takes over their fiscal policy and makes the tax and spend decisions for the EU member countries. In other words, European countries are to be ruled from Brussels just as the 50 American states, despite the US Constitution, are ruled by Washington. If the EU and the private banks decide that they will not accept any renegotiation of the debt conditions from Greece and that the only issue is pay up or else, the new Greek government has the alternative of applying to the BRICS for financial support.
If Greece is faced with Western intransigence, Greece’s alternative is to leave, or be kicked out of, the EU, the euro, and NATO and to ally with support offered by Russia and the BRICS. Intransigence on the part of the EU and Greece’s creditors could result in Greece turning to Russia and the BRICS. If this were to happen, other EU member countries, such as Italy, Spain, and Portugal, which are threatened with the same horrific consequences of austerity, could also turn to the BRICS. The consequence would be to unravel, the EU, the euro, and NATO, a highly desirable outcome in terms of peace and justice.
Clearly, Russia has handed Greece the trump card. But does the new Greek government dare to play it? From Iran through Africa, South America, and Indonesia, leaders of governments who have diverged from Washington’s policy have been overthrown or assassinated. Stephen Kinzer’s book, The Brothers, provides case studies of the overthrow of governments by CIA Director Allen Dulles and US Secretary of State John Foster Dulles. The US even tried to overthrow Chavez in Venezuela whose electoral support was far higher than the new Greek government.
Does the US government face the credibility gap from the American society? If so what measures should be undertaken to overcome this internal political situation?
The American people show conflicting signs. Polls show that there is very little support for President Obama and for the Congress. The majority of the population is disgusted. The question is: what precisely is the public disgusted about, because polls also show that the public, or 63% of it, has accepted the anti-Russian, anti-Putin propaganda put out by Washington and the Western media.
So this is a paradox. Americans know that the US government lied to them about Saddam Hussein, Libya, Assad of Syria, Afghanistan and the Taliban, Iranian nuclear weapons and a long list of other things. Yet, despite this awareness, the American people have accepted the latest lie that Russia is a threat.
The US does not have an independent media. The print and TV media serve as a Ministry of Propaganda for Washington and the powerful private interests, such as Wall Street, the military/security complex, the Israel Lobby, the extractive industries (energy, mining, timber), and agribusiness (Monsanto). For an American to be informed requires much time spent visiting Internet sites and learning which are reliable and accurate. Few Americans, pressed as they are to earn enough to pay their bills with many working two or three part-time jobs, simply have not the time or energy to devote to being informed.
How do you see the future of the European Union? Do you admit the possibility of the new alignment of political forces in the world and subsequent establishment of the new world order?
The “new world order” means different things to different people. The neoconservatives who control US foreign policy are determined that the ONLY world order is Washington’s hegemony over the world. No other “world orders” are permissible. The question that the world faces is whether this determination on the part of neoconservatives to dominate the planet results in nuclear war that destroys us all. Washington under neoconservative leadership and control is the greatest threat that humanity has ever faced.
Possibly, Western economic collapse and/or a successful reorganization of economic life by the BRICS and associated countries can curtail Washington’s appetite for power as Washington’s power goes into decline. If so, the world could enjoy an era of peace and prosperity. It really depends on how clever Russia, China, and allied nations are at remaking the world.
How the American audience reacts to your works/viewpoints/articles/statements and so on? Whether such political views get a big response in the American society?
On a scale of 1-10, my website has a viewer ranking of 6, which is the highest ever attained by a one-person website. Only large institutions, such as Harvard University and Amazon.com are found among the higher ranking. Moreover, a large number of other websites, both large and small, reproduce my columns. Additionally, my columns are translated into many languages. The translations about which I am informed are Chinese, Russian, German, French, Danish, Dutch, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Polish, and Czech.
I receive many interview requests from alternative media within the US and from foreign countries and many requests to travel to foreign countries to speak at conferences.
Although I seem to be one of the most well known “public intellectuals”, only a small percentage of the US population knows who I am. The same was true when I was one of the principle members of the Reagan administration. For the most part, the Americans are an insouciant people. Their grasp of the world in which they live is very limited, and it is this failure that dooms them.
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