Talk:Ukraine news/Current


 * Talk prior to Oct. 2016 is here

Discussion
Donbas keeps to be discussed in prime time news in Russia, Motorola, now future of Minsk agreements (e.g. Soloviev on Russia 1). Split opinion expressed on the latter; some take the line that it is most important to achieve peace so that Russians and Ukrainians do not kill each other ( a chap from Donbas was taking such line). While the host Soloviev was wondering what's the point of keeping Minsk if it is not working. And Kurginian, that what we got now is the best 'we' can get at the moment, and if 'we' wait some more, Ukrainian regime will fall apart and it can get better. So, they need to figure out what line they are actually taking, seems to be no consensus, but some wondering in the open do we still stick with Minsk, despite it is not working. Weird to see Zhirinovskii on all those programs,.why he is there, does he come every day? Did not watch them, just dropped by on some videos; a bit weird impression. They brought Yakov Kedmi to the Syrian part of discussion (as well as Zhirinovskii !), but Kedmi line was quite overwhelmed by other guests. --Resup (talk) 03:50, 19 October 2016 (UTC)

Ukrainian media spread rumors on 'Surkov plan of destabilization of Ukraine' from 'hacking of his email' by "CyberHunta", imitating pro-Russian CyberBerkut style. This appears to be parroting, and an attempt to present genuine economic protests as being organised by Moscow. (No official comment on the issue yet). Ukrainian sources also try to present a known hack of old Russian FM site, replaces by a new one awhile back for whatever unrelated reason, as evidence that 'Surkov hack' is genuine. Looks like bloody nonsense than. Surkov writing to FM a email with plan of destabilization of Ukraine? Should be in humor section. --Resup (talk) 19:38, 24 October 2016 (UTC)
 * Rusvesna: (1) "confirmed" as genuine by Anton Gerashenko on FB (Adviser to the Interior minister of Ukraine, and MH17 Announcer to the Whole World), for some unknown reason (2) contain spelling, grammar, and other errors common for Ukrainians («поджег» (вместо «поджог»), «кумовей» (вместо «кумов»), --yes, so that too, in the first document). Well, that's definitely not the level of Russian of Surkov --Resup (talk) 20:35, 24 October 2016 (UTC)
 * Peskov denied--Resup (talk) 11:40, 25 October 2016 (UTC)
 * Apparently more legs to the story-Hackers leak Putin plan to carve up Ukraine, The Times', 3 Nov. 2016.  Leaked Kremlin emails reveal how Russian operatives botched an attempt last year to foment an uprising in Kharkiv, the second largest city in Ukraine. The emails, obtained by The Times, were apparently hacked from the inbox of Maria Vinogradova, an adviser to Vladislav Surkov, President Putin’s point man on Ukraine. Full article is hidden, requires subscription. Retold as it is by Rusvesna. Includes alleged plan to carve Ukraine into 3 parts, Novorosia, Malorossia (Kiev area), Galichina (West). Also,  foment disturbances in Kharkov, using "Citizen Initiative" (Гражданская инициатива) movement --- said to be attempted but failed. There were some past reports in media about "Citizen Initiative" (here from Oct. 2014).  I' d say, apart from an interesting Rusvesna  photo, does not look too convincing.--Resup (talk) 22:37, 7 November 2016 (UTC)

1 Nov. LPR state security minister Leonid Pasechnik accused Ukraine, Nalivaichenko of plans to stage a terrorist act in Kharkov metro, present it as a revenge for Motorola murder, blame Russia in destabilizing Ukraine --Resup (talk) 14:02, 1 November 2016 (UTC)

Nelya Stepa claims
"Former mayor of Slavyansk Nelya Stepa: I am in prison only because I brought to SBY in Kharkov documents showing that Yatseniuk and Turchinov funded Igor Strelkov squad" -Rusvesna, 30 Oct. 2016. (Presumably the logic is to cause and profit from war, and she says things along such line). Here she says it on video in Ukrainian court. "Slavyansk was not paid for by Russia, Slavyansk was paid for by Yatseniuk and Turchinov" in the end. Here is longer video.--Resup (talk) 12:16, 30 October 2016 (UTC)
 * Strelkov comment can be found here, basically saying it is not worthy to comment. (+Similar type comment by blog author about a theory that Akhmetov funded the militants).
 * Ukrainian Council of National Security and Defense denied Stepa story too.
 * --Resup (talk) 11:30, 31 October 2016 (UTC)

Situation in Donbass
Anastasiya Mikhailovskaya, introduced as 'Strelkov press secretary', interview, Jul 16, 2015. She spent half a year in Donbass recently. Her story is along the line of Strelkov's, brave dedicated volunteers on front lines, economic and political realities and ills similar to those in present day Russia behind the front lines (not too kind to current republics leadership). Hard living conditions (shelling in flashpoints; also basic necessities available in cities but priced higher-she says 3 times higher-than in Moscow) yet people do not leave. She also describes some push for Donbass to go back to Ukraine (eg many security personnel are former SBU and would be happy to go back to old days, etc); unclear how much she has seen herself as her line here is very close to Strelkov's. Some details:
 * (9:40)(Talks about coal trading with Ukraine, and than): Stirol plant in Gorlovka produces powerful military-use painkillers such as nalbufine, which may be used against pain shock for wounded; it is sold to Ukraine and used in Donbass. Anastasya has to buy those painkillers for wounded, using moneys from Strelkov foundation and private investors. The plant does not give that medicine for free for opolchenie use. When Borodai was there, there was a talk on privatization, but now it profits those who are in power (or close to).
 * (12:30) Humanitarian convoys arrive and are unloaded to warehouses, but there are problems with all that reaching people in need. It is managed using a system first used in Transnistria and Abkhazia (цуф (or ЦУП) system first introduced by Колёский (?)). She says it allows misappropriations/abuse.
 * As for herself, she received requests from medical providers, with all details such wounded person name and medicine needed; and works with a pharmacy in Rostov to fill the order. Pharmacy sends her bills, and she pays of those from the foundation money. She also keeps record of thank you messages from opolchenie for help received. She says that her methods leave no room for misappropriations. As for republics, they provide minimal medicine package (bandages etc) but not specialized medicine. All that is available from pharmacies in Donbass, at higher prices than in Russia. If Anastaiya needs something urgently she buys it locally (at higher price).
 * --Resup (talk)11:30, 31 October 2016 (UTC)

Ukrainian sources
I do not often highlight Ukrainian sources as I feel they are less reliable; and also that part of the story is 'under Obamacare': it has the advantage in coverage by Western mainstream mass media. But nobody has a monopoly on truth, so a look at recent official ATO reports here (official ATO reports are also linked at the end of the main news page).

20 Nov. Commander of UAF reconnaisance group (128 mountain infantry brigade) Constantine Shramko is reported killed near Peski. According to Rusvesna, his group came under mortat fire on DPR territory. Ukrainian sources report his death without giving details.

19 Nov. ATO presser: ''Ukrainian Security Service yesterday liberated Illia Bogdanov who had been kidnapped by Russian intelligence services. Illia Bogdanov is a former officer of the Russia Federation Federal Secrutiy Service (FSB) who refused to obey illegal orders and defected to Ukraine. Law enforcement agencies started searching for Bogdanov on November 14 after they received information that the man was missing. “Owing to joint efforts of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), General Prosecutor’s Office and the National Police we found out that the Russian intelligence planned to kidnap and kill him on the territory of Russia. They planned to take Bogdanov across Ukrainian-Russian border with the help of their recruited accomplices in Ukraine. Alfa special forces unit managed to prevent the crime in time, liberated Bogdanov and detained the enemy’s agents.''

Sharii video disproves/casts serious doubt on the claim. According to Sharii, Bogdanov is a 'border patrol fish inspector' (= neutrally, a border guard), not FSB (Sharii does not give a source but he has many sources on the ground and is typically well informed). Further, he shows Bogdanov kidnappers apprehension video, which is presented by Ukrainian sources as the real deal, filmed right near the border with Russia and preventing kidnappers escaping (they planned to tie Bogdanov to a tree on the Russian side, according to those sources). However Bogdanov himself mentions in an article that he took part in an 'investigative experiment', which implies that the recording is not real. Furthermore, there is no conceivable use of such an 'experiment' which is really a staged apprehension--this is propaganda and there is nothing is to be learned from such staged acting.
 * More doubts raised by journalists (author is US-based Ukrainian diaspora, his contact is Ukrainian, possibly this, working in a company in Ivano-frankovsk ). (1:03) into the video, caller says: there was no snow in Kharkov region (snow is shown on the rescue video); the jeep was stationary, and there were lots of footprints around as if multiple takes were made. 'Alpha' is not acting toughly. Captive has hands tied in front and is sitting on the back seat while his captures are in front--that would not be done in real circumstances. Another video of theirs. --Resup (talk) 04:33, 28 November 2016 (UTC)

Ukraine: 1 civilian woman and 1 UAF soldier injured. UAF soldier wounded 20 days earlier died in a hospital in Dnepr(opetrovsk) -Rusvesna. 2 UAF soldiers died mishandling weapons -Rusvesna.

18 Nov 1 UAF wounded

17 Nov, 1 UAF killed in action, one wounded.

16 Nov. 2 UAF wounded

CIA and FBI agents "urgently withdrawn" from Ukraine, Fort Russ--based on controversial Ukrainian ex-MP brief statement apparently made at a talk show--watched those rumbling shows but could not quickly locate him saying it-- and reported in Russian press; translated by Fort Russ (saved here based on date but may go elsewhere later).

...

2 Nov 2 UAF killed and 5 wounded

--Resup (talk) 15:45, 21 November 2016 (UTC)

Kidnappings?
This might be related to the Ilya Bogdanov kidnapping. -- Petri Krohn (talk) 21:16, 21 November 2016 (UTC)
 * Russian Servicemen Kidnapped in Crimea by Ukrainian Operatives - ''Sputnik, November 21, 2016
 * ''The ministry said on Monday that the two soldiers were kidnapped on November 20, and taken across the border to the Nikolayev region of Ukraine with an apparent goal of pressing charges against them. They also expressed concern that authorities may use psychological and physical torture to coerce the two men into falsely confessing to crimes against Ukraine.

DPR/LPR

 * Проникновение украинской ДРГ на территорию Республики: двое бойцов ДНР погибли, один захвачен в плен, (Ukrainian RSG penetrated DPR territory, 2 soldiers killed and one captured), 9 Oct. 2016
 * DPR Kominternovo: walk in the ruined settlement, 9 Oct. 2016
 * Report and video, Trudovskoe, Petrovski district of Donetsk. Family with children lost both their home and temporary summer shed, happened 8 Oct. 2016
 * Report from Avdeevka industrial zone, 'Sut' Vremeni', 15 Oct. 2016
 * Shows craters from large caliber artillery; exploded 'Uragan' cluster munition; UAV above. DPR shoots at UAV, shots than fired in there direction. Medical cords to stop blood loss delivered from Russia, paid by private donations.


 * DPR Zhabunki: Ghost village at the front line (Eng. subs), 15 Oct. 2016
 * Homes destroyed by Ukrainian mortar shelling in the buffer zone. Some damage is fresh. It is said that people left this village at the start of the war, 2014
 * --Resup (talk) 10:29, 16 October 2016 (UTC)

Ukraine

 * Channel 17 (Ukraine), April 24, 2015. Interviews DPR residents on the streets, "how is your life in DPR?". Answers are all of the sort 'difficult, but OK', 'hope for the better', and similar. --Resup (talk) 18:00, 16 October 2016 (UTC)
 * Wooden bicycle invented-"TSN" special project, #EUKRAINE, history of Ukrainians who believed in their abilities and created successful business in Europe, Oct. 2016
 * --Resup (talk) 18:00, 16 October 2016 (UTC)

Photos
Photo report from Zaitsevo, Liza Reznikova, 11 Oct. 2016

Opolchenie
It is reported (also here) that LPR commander Armen Bagiryan "Baggi" was killed, according to Galina Sozanchuk, a volunteer who knew him well. "His car came under fire between villages Rodakovo and Zheltoe, near Salvyanosebrsk", on LPR controlled territory. Baggi was a Russian-Armenian volunteer. Unclear what exactly happened. --Resup (talk) 17:07, 10 October 2016 (UTC)

Motorola killing appears to be aimed at creating chaos, more war. His building was well guarded, raising possibility of accusations of insider job. However there is no reason for this, he was not politically active or involved in commercial part, and he did not associate himself with anybody possibly unpopular among DPR leadership. On the side of Ukraine, military significance of his murder is not really high (he will be replaced as a commander) but it creates more hatred, war, in minds and in symbolic/media imagery (social media war on his public image ongoing). As with journalist Shermet murder in Ukraine, appears to be designed to cause maximal chaos and upheaval--Resup (talk) 11:45, 17 October 2016 (UTC)

TASS Dossier, commanders killed in DPR/LPR, 17 Oct. 2016 --Resup (talk) 19:17, 18 October 2016 (UTC)

Editing, Formats, etc.
We should agree on a date format. As we archive the stuff monthly we don't need year anyway, but atm we have [Number of Day] [Written shortened Month]. on the Syria News and [Written shortened Month]. [Number of Day] here, which looks a bit odd side by side. Peeks into the archive make it look like you Resup have historically used the European format [Number of Day]. [Number of Month]. I think we should definitely keep the written month to not confuse our US-American friends. ;o) My argument for the format I have used the last days, trying to make sense of what intuition told me, is that the point is between the date and the content, which looks a bit more structured. But the other way around would be fine for me as well. --CE (talk) 21:02, 5 October 2016 (UTC)
 * OK, will revert to your format --Resup (talk) 21:32, 5 October 2016 (UTC)