The Situation in the Ukraine. #4

flamming_python wrote:

So we have
Donbass militia,
Crimeans,
Ossetians,
Chechens,
Russians who fought in Chechnya,
Russians who thought in Afghanistan,
Probably some other Russians (incl. Cossacks).

Wouldn't be a surprise if the Transdniestrians tag along.
This will be like a rebel superbowl.

magnumcromagnon wrote:Calling Carl Bildt pond scum would be an insult to the dignity of pond scum:

Look at Ukrainian troops https://vk.com/video97003702_168579671
Rebels have no chance, not in numbers, not in weapons. They seem to abstain from fighting guerilla war. And Ukrainians are throwing everything they have against them.
Even partisan methods won't help much as numbers are so uneven and they are surrounded.
Rebels will be martyred in a matter of days. A massive respect to them dying as real soldiers.
Putin is in a corner. He has to save his face. He will lose support home if he leaves it like that.  

Regular wrote:I'm not saying Ukrainian army is uber alles. Their tactics and punitive operation are flawed. 
The point is rebels in Sloviansk are in big disadvantage. We can talk about how Russia would wipe out them in a seconds, but reality is people in Slovyansk are standing alone. They don't have enough bodies or even heavy equipment like ATGMs which is a MUST in countering armour. Every living soul lost is a severe blow to them. If it wasn't for their BMDs they captured even those 5 guys would be gobe. It looks like Babay didn't make it. May he RIP.

flamming_python wrote:The trouble with the volunteers, is that if they start coming from any other place than the Crimea perhaps - is that their presence is actually going to rally the demoralized Ukrainian forces around their leadership, no matter how many of them don't want to carry out orders or view their government as illegitimate.
...

So as you can see, the Ukrainian forces are in huge disarray. But is it worth risking them rallying to the cause and orders of Kiev (and I don't know if they will or won't, but it is a risk), for the pay-off or reinforcing the rebels with several hundred more trained fighters and weapons, supplies?

GarryB wrote:Perhaps UN peacekeepers... but none from Europe...

Morpheus Eberhardt wrote:Picture from the victory parade practice.

Does the St George's Ribbon indicate that the parade would be a combined parade to celebrate both victories?

Hannibal Barca wrote:I know Putin is the greatest Russian leader after Alexander Nevsky and Ivan the Terrible but no matter what the cynical approach might be I feel a pain watching the Eastern population to be mistreated like this.

flamming_python wrote:

Morpheus Eberhardt wrote:

Regular wrote:I'm not saying Ukrainian army is uber alles. Their tactics and punitive operation are flawed. 
The point is rebels in Sloviansk are in big disadvantage. We can talk about how Russia would wipe out them in a seconds, but reality is people in Slovyansk are standing alone. They don't have enough bodies or even heavy equipment like ATGMs which is a MUST in countering armour. Every living soul lost is a severe blow to them. If it wasn't for their BMDs they captured even those 5 guys would be gobe. It looks like Babay didn't make it. May he RIP.

Can someone tell me who Babay is.

This guy   

flamming_python wrote:

Morpheus Eberhardt wrote:

Regular wrote:I'm not saying Ukrainian army is uber alles. Their tactics and punitive operation are flawed. 
The point is rebels in Sloviansk are in big disadvantage. We can talk about how Russia would wipe out them in a seconds, but reality is people in Slovyansk are standing alone. They don't have enough bodies or even heavy equipment like ATGMs which is a MUST in countering armour. Every living soul lost is a severe blow to them. If it wasn't for their BMDs they captured even those 5 guys would be gobe. It looks like Babay didn't make it. May he RIP.

Can someone tell me who Babay is.

This guy   

macedonian wrote:

GarryB wrote:Perhaps UN peacekeepers... but none from Europe...

I actually beg to differ on that Gary.

Why not UN forces from here in the Balkans? Everyone here is considered a puppet to either NATO or the EU, or both.
If forces from the Balkans are used in a UN mission, they'd be considered NATO assets, but because of political pressure back home they'd HAVE TO defend the proRussians. And here's why I think it would work: it's been empirically proven! During 2004 when Kosovo was occupied by NATO, and the Albanians there started burning Orthodox Churches and killing monks, there was a Greek contingent that was guarding the monastery of Sokolica in western Kosovo. I've spoken to some of the monks from Kosovo back then, and they told me that it was the most defended monastery in whole of Kosovo. Other monasteries that were 'guarded' by the American soldiers were allowed to be torched, but the sisters in Sokolica were safe. The Greeks didn't fire warning shots, mind you - they FOUGHT against the Albanians who were attacking the Monastery inflicting MASSIVE losses in each attack.

So, imagine that we had a mixed Greek/Serbian/Slovenian/Macedonian/Montenegrin force there. Russia wouldn't object knowing full well that they WILL defend the proRussians. NATO couldn't object because they'd have to say to NATO/EU members (or aspiring members): we don't trust you. That would be a massive political blow to NATO and the EU. It's a win-win situation.

Besides, I'd really like to see our forces used for something truly humanitarian, rather than the effin' Iraq and Afghanistan fiasco. Oh, we also send our 'peace keepers' in Bosnia