The Situation in the Ukraine. #3

Group photo of what seems like the best-armed pro-Russian group in Slavyansk right now.
Doubt that grandpa in this photo is part of any Russian special-forces group

Note that they aren't the only ones, we saw a less better armed and ragtag bunch yesterday, the ones that were first there.

Vann7 wrote:I believe so...
But There is no other choice for Ukraine ,NATO will never paid 5 billions to ukraine and waste so much resources
training nazis ,to just exist Ukraine without taking anything back. US and its puppet NATO states simply want  to  use Ukraine to damage Russia economy that what the original goal ,and later install their military bases there.  

Federalization would be a medium-term measure, but a temporary one I think. Ukraine has to get its shit sorted out.

Anyway, if not federalization - then there is another alternative; namely to catapult this rotten government out of power - and put in place a REAL transition government, as well as delaying presidential elections and all the rest of this circus, which the putschists are trying to use to legitimize their usurping of power.

But of course they themselves will never agree to leave power. The anti-Maidan forces can get to the gates of Kiev - then they will have a stronger bargaining position.. but by then it will probably be too late for the survival of the Ukraine as a united state.

The only hope is for Russia and the EU/US to agree to such a compromise, and jointly squeeze the Junta out. I don't think they'll come to an agreement, but basically it's main chance is in the upcoming Geneva meeting in a few days. If not then, then perhaps never; things can spin even more out of control.

- seems like Slavyansk has beaten 'Wave 1'. Now Turchinov has gave them an ultimatum until tommorow, to lay down their arms.
There have been a few more deaths, a car showed up and its 2 occupants shot up - unclear by who. Meanwhile the Ukr. special forces have reportedly requested authority to use heavy weaponry but Kiev refused - so the special forces got pissed off and went back to their staging area. Other than that, the main activity of the Ukrainian forces; by use of about 7-8 BTRs, was probing the main entrance to the town, and then trying to find other possible entrances. Seems that they have surrounded the town; a siege is building-up.
- small rally in Nikolayev today: http://felix-edmund.livejournal.com/62458.html
- Russian Ministry of Foreign affairs has commented on the situation, urgently calling together a meeting of the UN Security Council, and OSCE.
- small amount of pro-Russian protestors in Zaporozhie are under siege, by a larger crowd of Maidanists; who make up several hundred people. 10 pro-Russians have already been taken away by ambulance. Others (women, old men) have been evacuated by the police, reportedly the same was offered to the rest but the men decided to stay. Reportedly a lot of the Maidanists are Pravyj Sektor and Maidan activists from nearby Dnepropetrovsk, and also from Poltava. Kolomojski's guys in other words. Students studying in the city originating from Western Ukraine also turned up. But probably there are a bunch of local Maidanists too.
- Kharkov anti-Maidan has occupied the regional administration today: http://felix-edmund.livejournal.com/62093.html
Pro-Russians had a huge rally there today, and basically displaced the Maidanist protest which was smaller; and which fled the site before the anti-Maidan turned up. They are now trying to free the nearly 70 activists who were arrested at the beginning of last week.
- big march in Odessa today, fortunately violence-free it seems.
- reportedly; tanks and BTRs on the way to Mariupol.
- Mariupol protestors have set up barricades outside the occupied city administration building very quickly

Avakov is calling for the formation of new units of police on the basis of civilian formations all over the Ukraine, up to 12,000 members total.
http://greeden.livejournal.com/285117.html

Basically, he's had enough of unreliable police units in the east of the country, and he needs someway to legitimize all the militias/mobs that the government is supporting and bring them under tighter control - so he's decided to hit two birds with one stone and create special police units out of them.

I guess this is like the formation of the national guard, but the national guard was created for fighting external enemies, and are armed like soldiers are - but what Avakov wants now is to fight internal enemies; hence this move which will draw in fighters from the Maidan self-defense forces (now pissed off that they are left w/o funding), Pravyj Sektor and others.
This will not only bring them into his direct subordination, but also allow them to be trained, equipped, etc... properlly to put down the anti-Maidan movements.

At least that's my take on it.

arpakola wrote:
Supposedly Donetsk today:

Fits in with the anti-terrorist operation supported by the armed forces, that Turchinov declared today.

Heavy equipment & vehicles have also been spotted onroute to Mariupol. And of course around Slavyansk.

Apparently, buildings could be stormed even tonight, according to the head of the SBU. Although Turchinov officially gave everyone 1 night to free all occupied buildings

As Sa'iqa wrote:FP, are there any units of the Ukrainian military stationing in the east? Or maybe the disintegration of the armed forces has reached such an advanced stage that no such thing exists anymore?

Sure, just as there are all over the country; air-defense troops, armour, artillery, airforce bases, etc... especially with the latest tensions, some were redeployed.

Also a whole bunch of the National Guard forces; they are situated on the border mostly, although a battallion is reportedly heading to Slavyansk.

And then you have the border guard forces as well.

etaepsilonk wrote:

arpakola wrote:
Supposedly Donetsk today:

Pardon my possible ignorance on the matter but isn't Donetsk controlled by armed opposition forces?   If so, that Buk can be captured if it isn't already, right?  

No, they only control the regional administration and possibly the SBU building still. I might have heard something about them capturing a police station building but I don't remember.

Donetsk is a big city, nearly a million people; police can come and go, government employees, the military too, and most people are just going about their business without even paying mind to what's going on in with the captured buildings - even if a lot do support them.