The Situation in the Ukraine. #15

Flagship Victory wrote:Maidan demands compensation from Russia for consulate attack.

http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/ukraine-to-demand-compensation-from-russia-after-consulate-attack-in-rostov-on-don-391025.html


6 Maidan bastards KIA and 14 more WIA yesterday.

Interfax UA wrote:Pro-Ukrainian activists occupy building of Odesa communists
11:53 13.06.2015

Representatives of radical and pro-Ukrainian organizations have occupied the building of the Odesa regional committee of the Ukrainian Communist Party in Mechnikov Street.

"Tsarkov, the head of the Odesa regional office of the Communist Party, entrusted the party's regional committee to the care of the Right Sector. Honestly, we ourselves are not fully clear yet. The paper arrived by e- mail. We are shocked and perturbed," Varvara Chernoivanenko, a spokeswoman for the Right Sector, wrote on Facebook.

Eyewitnesses claim that up to 100 activists took part in the takeover of the building, who raised a Ukrainian flag on its roof and burnt the Soviet symbols they had found at the building.

A communist member of Odesa City Council, Oleksandr Paradovsky, was present at the scene. He described the incident as a "raid attack."

Yevhen Tsarkov, first secretary of the Communist Party's Odesa regional committee, is currently unavailable for comment. The website of the party's regional committee is temporarily unavailable either. Continue reading.

Yahoo wrote:Six Ukrainian servicemen killed, 14 wounded in past 24 hours
Reuters 1 hour ago

KIEV (Reuters) - Six Ukrainian servicemen have been killed and 14 wounded in separatist eastern territory in the past 24 hours, despite a four-month-old ceasefire deal, the Ukrainian military said on Saturday.

The truce brokered by the leaders of Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France has stemmed large-scale fighting but skirmishes claim lives almost daily on both sides, and international monitors have warned of the threat of a bigger flare-up.

The situation is particularly tense around the airport near rebel-controlled Donetsk city, military spokesman Andriy Lysenko said.

"The enemy threw tanks, armored personnel carriers and heavy artillery into battle. We emphasize that rebels are also firing at residential areas," he said in a briefing.

The casualties were a result of shelling by pro-Russian separatists as well as encounters with mines, he said.

Meanwhile separatist officials accused Ukrainian forces of firing at the village of Oktyabrsky near Donetsk, wounding two civilians, and shelling three districts of the city over the past day, rebel press service DAN reported.

On Thursday, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe said that despite assertions to the contrary, neither side has completed the withdrawal of heavy weapons as agreed in the ceasefire deal.

(Reporting by Alessandra Prentice and Pavel Polityuk; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky) Continue reading.

Interfax UA wrote:Two fuel tanks burning in petroleum depot near Kyiv – Emergency Service


A fire at a petroleum depot in Vasylkiv district of Kyiv region has resumed after the depressurization of containers, fuel leakage and a subsequent fire outbreak at a neighboring tank, reads a posting on the website of the Emergency Service of Ukraine.

"The depressurization of a fuel tank with a capacity of 900 cubic meters occurred at 11:50 on June 13, resulting in a fuel leak, followed by a jet fire outbreak at a neighboring tank of 900 cubic meters," reads the report.

Some 24 firemen and four tank vehicles are used in fire fighting. Continue reading.

RuptlyTV wrote:Ukraine: Tank battle erupts near Donetsk airport amid continued violence

June 10, 2015. Kyiv. Suvorova street away to the square of Fame. Cries and bustle of people in camouflage uniforms and flak jackets Balaclava with the words "Police". Exclamations are rising and windows gray "Reno" knock examples of machines. Inside the frightened faces of young men. Car surrounds about 10 people: "Come out!" Suddenly the car gradually budge, toured several cars at a traffic light and runs away. Following security forces firing single shots on the asphalt near the machine sews a few bullets in the back of the interior ... The armed men sit on the car and chasing the fugitives. Shooting occurred just under the windows of Public wording as to several journalists managed to take video of the incident from different angles. Kristina Bondarenko, Nikita Myekyenzin and Natalia Sokolenko fixed everything above, and Basil bluegrass and Bogdan Kutepov simply found themselves at the epicenter of events. wrote:

Khepesh wrote:

Rodinazombie wrote:Khepesh, what happened in moscow and rostov last night?

Embassy of Ukraine in Moscow was attacked by a small crowd and Ukranian consulate building in Rostov was also attacked. Small scale with bricks, eggs and paint thrown. The details here http://colonelcassad.livejournal.com/2232942.html

Rodinazombie wrote:@whir

I dont agree or support a lot of the content of your posts, but I certainly appreciate another point of view and I think others should do too. I dont know whether you agree with the point of view of your links or whether you are simply showing how 'the other side' thinks. In either case its useful to see whats going on from all angles. Please continue to do so.

To my fellow immigrants from that other site, please remember why we disliked that site, and try not to repeat what happened over there.

whir wrote:

Rodinazombie wrote:@whir

I dont agree or support a lot of the content of your posts, but I certainly appreciate another point of view and I think others should do too. I dont know whether you agree with the point of view of your links or whether you are simply showing how 'the other side' thinks. In either case its useful to see whats going on from all angles. Please continue to do so.

To my fellow immigrants from that other site, please remember why we disliked that site, and try not to repeat what happened over there.

As I have explained before I try to mix a few different sources so it's not one sided. I only quote opinion pieces when I see different sources pointing at them even if I don't agree with them. Also I try to avoid pure propaganda sources like RFE and fringe blogs unless they provide exclusive content that obviously can't be found anywhere else, like certain videos, but those are the exceptions. So I don't understand the criticism because I think my position is quite clear. Anyway, thanks for your support.

whir wrote:

Rodinazombie wrote:@whir

I dont agree or support a lot of the content of your posts, but I certainly appreciate another point of view and I think others should do too. I dont know whether you agree with the point of view of your links or whether you are simply showing how 'the other side' thinks. In either case its useful to see whats going on from all angles. Please continue to do so.

To my fellow immigrants from that other site, please remember why we disliked that site, and try not to repeat what happened over there.

As I have explained before I try to mix a few different sources so it's not one sided. I only quote opinion pieces when I see different sources pointing at them even if I don't agree with them. Also I try to avoid pure propaganda sources like RFE and fringe blogs unless they provide exclusive content that obviously can't be found anywhere else, like certain videos, but those are the exceptions. So I don't understand the criticism because I think my position is quite clear. Anyway, thanks for your support.

2SPOOKY4U wrote:Thank you so much for your information, now we know Russia is a threat to the entire world, props up horrible dictators around the world, is a country run by the mafia, and must be contained in a cage.

2SPOOKY4U wrote:We had no clue, but now that you are here and bless us with the light that is the Western media, we now know the truth.

2SPOOKY4U wrote:Your objectivity is legendary.

Sputnik wrote:Kiev Hopes to Reach Agreement on Gas Price With Russia in Next Two Weeks
BUSINESS 21:17 13.06.2015(updated 21:40 13.06.2015)

Kiev expects to reach agreement on gas price with Moscow within next two weeks, Ukrainian Energy Minister Volodymyr Demchishin said Saturday.

KIEV (Sputnik) — Ukraine hopes that the price for the third quarter will be lower, Demchishin said in an interview to Ukraine’s Channel 5.

"The negotiations are underway and, I think, that in the course of the next two weeks an agreement on the gas price will be reached, which we will receive from [Russia's] Gazprom during the third and fourth quarter. We actually insist that this extension [of the discount] remains in force up to the end of the heating season."

Kiev currently purchases gas from Russia with a $100-discount per 1,000 cubic meters, and also receives reverse gas flows from Slovakia, Hungary and Poland.
In the second quarter, the final price for Russia’s gas deliveries to Ukraine has been set at $247.18 per 1,000 cubic meters.

On Tuesday, Russia’s Gazprom Deputy Chairman Alexander Medvedev said that the price of Russian gas for Ukraine in the third quarter of 2015 would stand at $287.15 per 1,000 cubic meters without the discount. Continue reading.

Sputnik wrote:Riga Threatens Black Lenin With 10 Years in Prison for Fighting in Donbass
EUROPE 18:23 13.06.2015(updated 20:32 13.06.2015)

Comrade Beness Ayo has been fighting for free Donbass, and Latvia dislikes it.

Latvian police have initiated a criminal case against Ayo Beness, a volunteer on the side of the Lugansk People's Republic, also known as Black Lenin, TVnet reported.
Latvian citizen Ayo Beness will face up to 10 years behind bars if he is apprehended, as the recently enacted legislation considers the citizens' participation in foreign conflicts a criminal offence.

Earlier, Riga issued a warrant for the arrest of Ayo Beness "for sedition", as the outspoken activist called for the restoration of the Soviet Union.

The son of a Ugandan father and a Russian mother, Ayo Beness was born in Latvia, studied biology and journalism, and lived in the United Kingdom. He has held the role of Secretary of the Communist party of Great Britain and considers himself a Bolshevik. He supports socialist political forces in Latvia and wants Riga to secede from NATO and the EU. Continue reading.

Sputnik wrote:‘Shame': How Did New Ukrainian Armored Car Get Its Nickname?
MILITARY & INTELLIGENCE 21:00 13.06.2015(updated 21:05 13.06.2015)

The Ukrainian Army was due to receive "Dozor-B" armored cars in March, but only one trial model has been manufactured so far... and it broke down.

Despite the promises of high-ranking officials, the Ukrainian Armed Forces are not likely to get the much-touted "Dozor-B" armored cars, Ukrainian ZN.ua said.
On Friday, Ukrainian media reported that the Lviv Armor Plant CEO was dismissed over the inobservance of manufacturing plans, including the production of "Dozors".

Back in June 2014, Oleksandr Turchynov, the commander-in-chief at the time, assured that the army would receive 200 "Dozors" soon. In February 2015, the Ukrainian Defense Industry chief promised that the deliveries would begin in March. Recently he has shifted them to the end of summer.

So far no "Dozor" has entered service in the army.

"The trial model was allegedly completed in early 2015. The workers have dubbed it "shame" ["Shame" is "Pozor" in Russian, which sounds similar to "Dozor" — the car's name]. They told us that border guards drove the "Dozor-B" on the automobile track. The car did not return under its own power," ZN.ua said. Continue reading.

Sputnik wrote:Cold War Relics: Attempts to Make Russia and Ukraine Bitter Enemies Doomed
POLITICS 18:33 13.06.2015(updated 20:52 13.06.2015)

While the West is pouring money in Ukraine, Kiev escalates tensions with Moscow and shows no enthusiasm for implementing the Minsk II accord; however, it is foolish to assume that Ukraine and Russia will live as enemies, S. Nihal Singh noted.


Encouraged by the West, Kiev has recently taken a firm anti-Russian stance, however, just a glance at the map of Ukraine and the Russian Federation will show the absurdity of the assumption that the two countries will live as enemies, Indian author and publicist S. Nihal Singh emphasized.

"The crisis over Ukraine is worsening, but it is far from clear at this point whether it will lead to a Western rethink on integrating the country into its sphere of influence… The country is greatly dependent on Russian goodwill, given the pro-Russian inclinations of roughly half its population in the East and its geographical location. Forcing Ukraine to sign on to a Western agenda does not make sense," S. Nihal Singh noted in his article published by The Asian Age.

The West is pouring billions of dollars into Ukraine, emphasizing the necessity of even more financial assistance to the troublesome region and expecting that Ukraine will become its foothold in the region. These ambitions have long been fuelled by the chaotic days following the collapse of the USSR, the author elaborated. Continue reading.

@pavelsheremet wrote:The queues outside the Russian consulate for passports. Introduced a simplified procedure for issuing Russian citizenship # Tiraspol

News-Front wrote:Fight in the Donetsk airport 12/06/2015. OBTGr "Somalia" [18+]

WarLeaks wrote:Ukraine War 2015 - Chechen Volunteer Fighters In Fighting Against Novorossian Rebels In Shyrokyne

CCTV News wrote:Ukraine fuel depot fire under control

whir wrote:

2SPOOKY4U wrote:Thank you so much for your information, now we know Russia is a threat to the entire world, props up horrible dictators around the world, is a country run by the mafia, and must be contained in a cage.

Nothing stops you to direct your rant at the author of that opinion piece instead of me since I could care less what you or the him have to discuss.

And keep in mind that when one of the most rabid self-hating Russian liberals that lives abroad in a self-imposed exile concludes that West should tend a hand to Russia someone is doing something wrong and it's not me.

2SPOOKY4U wrote:We had no clue, but now that you are here and bless us with the light that is the Western media, we now know the truth.

Not everyone experiences an epiphany, good for you.

2SPOOKY4U wrote:Your objectivity is legendary.

I'm not the one posting images that degrade the forum for the sake of it.

Sputnik wrote:Kiev Hopes to Reach Agreement on Gas Price With Russia in Next Two Weeks
BUSINESS 21:17 13.06.2015(updated 21:40 13.06.2015)

Kiev expects to reach agreement on gas price with Moscow within next two weeks, Ukrainian Energy Minister Volodymyr Demchishin said Saturday.

KIEV (Sputnik) — Ukraine hopes that the price for the third quarter will be lower, Demchishin said in an interview to Ukraine’s Channel 5.

"The negotiations are underway and, I think, that in the course of the next two weeks an agreement on the gas price will be reached, which we will receive from [Russia's] Gazprom during the third and fourth quarter. We actually insist that this extension [of the discount] remains in force up to the end of the heating season."

Kiev currently purchases gas from Russia with a $100-discount per 1,000 cubic meters, and also receives reverse gas flows from Slovakia, Hungary and Poland.
In the second quarter, the final price for Russia’s gas deliveries to Ukraine has been set at $247.18 per 1,000 cubic meters.

On Tuesday, Russia’s Gazprom Deputy Chairman Alexander Medvedev said that the price of Russian gas for Ukraine in the third quarter of 2015 would  stand at $287.15 per 1,000 cubic meters without the discount. Continue reading.

Sputnik wrote:Riga Threatens Black Lenin With 10 Years in Prison for Fighting in Donbass
EUROPE 18:23 13.06.2015(updated 20:32 13.06.2015)

Comrade Beness Ayo has been fighting for free Donbass, and Latvia dislikes it.

Latvian police have initiated a criminal case against Ayo Beness, a volunteer on the side of the Lugansk People's Republic, also known as Black Lenin, TVnet reported.
Latvian citizen Ayo Beness will face up to 10 years behind bars if he is apprehended, as the recently enacted legislation considers the citizens' participation in foreign conflicts a criminal offence.

Earlier, Riga issued a warrant for the arrest of Ayo Beness "for sedition", as the outspoken activist called for the restoration of the Soviet Union.

The son of a Ugandan father and a Russian mother, Ayo Beness was born in Latvia, studied biology and journalism, and lived in the United Kingdom. He has held the role of Secretary of the Communist party of Great Britain and considers himself a Bolshevik. He supports socialist political forces in Latvia and wants Riga to secede from NATO and the EU. Continue reading.

Sputnik wrote:‘Shame': How Did New Ukrainian Armored Car Get Its Nickname?
MILITARY & INTELLIGENCE 21:00 13.06.2015(updated 21:05 13.06.2015)

The Ukrainian Army was due to receive "Dozor-B" armored cars in March, but only one trial model has been manufactured so far... and it broke down.

Despite the promises of high-ranking officials, the Ukrainian Armed Forces are not likely to get the much-touted "Dozor-B" armored cars, Ukrainian ZN.ua said.
On Friday, Ukrainian media reported that the Lviv Armor Plant CEO was dismissed over the inobservance of manufacturing plans, including the production of "Dozors".

Back in June 2014, Oleksandr Turchynov, the commander-in-chief at the time, assured that the army would receive 200 "Dozors" soon. In February 2015, the Ukrainian Defense Industry chief promised that the deliveries would begin in March. Recently he has shifted them to the end of summer.

So far no "Dozor" has entered service in the army.

"The trial model was allegedly completed in early 2015. The workers have dubbed it "shame" ["Shame" is "Pozor" in Russian, which sounds similar to "Dozor" — the car's name]. They told us that border guards drove the "Dozor-B" on the automobile track. The car did not return under its own power," ZN.ua said. Continue reading.

Sputnik wrote:Cold War Relics: Attempts to Make Russia and Ukraine Bitter Enemies Doomed
POLITICS 18:33 13.06.2015(updated 20:52 13.06.2015)

While the West is pouring money in Ukraine, Kiev escalates tensions with Moscow and shows no enthusiasm for implementing the Minsk II accord; however, it is foolish to assume that Ukraine and Russia will live as enemies, S. Nihal Singh noted.


Encouraged by the West, Kiev has recently taken a firm anti-Russian stance, however, just a glance at the map of Ukraine and the Russian Federation will show the absurdity of the assumption that the two countries will live as enemies, Indian author and publicist S. Nihal Singh emphasized.

"The crisis over Ukraine is worsening, but it is far from clear at this point whether it will lead to a Western rethink on integrating the country into its sphere of influence… The country is greatly dependent on Russian goodwill, given the pro-Russian inclinations of roughly half its population in the East and its geographical location. Forcing Ukraine to sign on to a Western agenda does not make sense," S. Nihal Singh noted in his article published by The Asian Age.

The West is pouring billions of dollars into Ukraine, emphasizing the necessity of even more financial assistance to the troublesome region and expecting that Ukraine will become its foothold in the region. These ambitions have long been fuelled by the chaotic days following the collapse of the USSR, the author elaborated. Continue reading.

@pavelsheremet wrote:The queues outside the Russian consulate for passports. Introduced a simplified procedure for issuing Russian citizenship # Tiraspol

2SPOOKY4U wrote:Needs more Russland Today.

The New York Times wrote:U.S. Poised to Put Heavy Weaponry in East Europe
By ERIC SCHMITT and STEVEN LEE MYERSJUNE 13, 2015

RIGA, Latvia — In a significant move to deter possible Russian aggression in Europe, the Pentagon is poised to store battle tanks, infantry fighting vehicles and other heavy weapons for as many as 5,000 American troops in several Baltic and Eastern European countries, American and allied officials say.

The proposal, if approved, would represent the first time since the end of the Cold War that the United States has stationed heavy military equipment in the newer NATO member nations in Eastern Europe that had once been part of the Soviet sphere of influence. Russia’s annexation of Crimea and the war in eastern Ukraine have caused alarm and prompted new military planning in NATO capitals.

It would be the most prominent of a series of moves the United States and NATO have taken to bolster forces in the region and send a clear message of resolve to allies and to Russia’s president, Vladimir V. Putin, that the United States would defend the alliance’s members closest to the Russian frontier. Continue reading.

xdg zDG wrote:Roth on military exercises

World Conflict Films wrote:Ukrainian Artillerymen Receive Accurate Counter Battery Fire

Полк "Азов wrote:Celebrating the anniversary of the liberation of Mariupol

News-Front wrote:"Congratulations," the Day of Russia on ukrov: voenkor NEWS FRONT came under shelling during shooting

NATO aircraft flying with identification devices turned off

According to the German magazine Spiegel, NATO warplanes are flying with identification devices switched off. In particular, article says that NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg repeatedly criticised Moscow for turning of transponders when flying to the borders of alliance. thus been a threat to the civil air traffic. Now, NATO confirmed that its warplanes do the same.

Morpheus Eberhardt wrote:Ladies and guys,

User "whir" has been voted up 12 times (net equivalent) as of now. Can someone please explain this? Is it that another account of "his" is being used to vote him up? Any explanations?

The signals seem clear enough. Nevertheless, it's already June 13 and Kiev still has not officially defaulted. How long do we have to wait for D-Day?

Bloomberg analysts compiled a minefield of 11 dangerous dates which Ukraine's finances will have to overcome in the immediate future. The nearest one is June 15, Monday.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-05-18/eleven-dates-to-watch-for-on-ukraine-s-road-to-debt-resolution

June 15. The first IMF inspection

IMF is demanding that  Kiev convince its creditors to write off some of its debt. If it can't do that by June 15--which now seems unlikely--IMF may stop its cooperation with Kiev and refuse to transfer the next tranche ($1.7 billion) to Kiev in order to plug its biggest financial holes.

June 20. $75 million to Russia.Russia is not demanding to pay its $3 billion debt incurred during the Yanukovych presidency ahead of schedule. However, Kiev still has to pay interest, just as it will have to pay back the principal in December, when the time to pay it comes up.

Naturally, $75 million is a small sum, even for today's bankrupt Ukraine. But it can't be taken for granted the budget will have even that much by June 20. Now every straw can break the swine's back.

July 27. Ukreksimbank debt comes due

The Export-Import Bank has to return debts worth $750 million. That is a substantial sum, and the bank may well not be able to meet it. Actually, the bank was supposed to pay it already April 27, but the creditors gave it three more months. Therefore it is somewhat likely the bank will have to declare default on July 27.

September 15. Second IMF inspection.

IMF has to decide if Kiev is to receive another $1.7 billion tranche, or whether it's not worth it.

September 23. Sovereign bond payments

Here Ukraine has to pay $500 million on eurobonds. Merrill Lynch analysts believe this will be a major test for Ukraine's finances.

October 13. Sovereign bond payments.

Yet another sizable payment, $600 million.

December 15. Third IMF inspection.

If IMF is still happy with Kiev, it will receive another $1.7 billion.

December 20. Russian bond payments.

Here Kiev has to pay back $3 billion from the Yanukovych era, a loan that was issued shortly before the coup.

If Kiev somehow survives until then, the $3 billion brick is practically guaranteed to send its finances to the bottom--especially if Washington is not able to bend the IMF to its will and the IMF holds back even one of the three tranches.

In conclusion

Yesterday morning an artillery shell damaged a high-pressure gas pipeline linking Kramatorsk with Donetsk and Mariupol. Repair crews have not been able to start work due to shelling. Repairing the pipeline as quickly as possible is crucial, given the potential consequences which may be dramatic and...irreversible.

Kiev declared a hard blockade of the Donbass some time ago. Apart from sharply restricting cargo movements, by a strange coincidence water pipelines which are under junta control and which supply water to the Donbass started malfunctioning. By an equally strange coincidence, railroad links near the front similarly were damaged by explosions. Now the time has come for the gas pipelines. I won't mention my suspicions.

Figure out who benefits, and chances are you have identified the cause.

In the meantime, let's talk about what the consequences might be.

Yesterday the DPR People's Council Chairman Andrey Purgin announced that "Drinking water situation in DPR is simply catastrophic. Their reserves may be exhausted in one month."

Purgin also explained that DPR authorities are doing everything they can to avert that problem, including supplying the city from the Verkhnekalmius water reservoir. However, even here there may be problems since, according to Purgin, the reservoir is not self-refilling.