Escalation in Ukraine

January 23, 2014 | Various

[annalex]

Escalation in Ukraine

Digest by Annalex

Two significant recent developments are:

1. First fatalities, apparently from live ammunition, among the demonstrators.

Injuries, including serious injuries are in the hundreds if not in the thousands. The rubber bullet can gouge an eye and therefore, at a right angle can be itself fatal. The sun grenades reportedly rip through flesh if the explosion is next to it. Ironically, neither of the two confirmed fatalities are Ukrainian: one is an Armenian from Eastern Ukraine; the other is a Belorussian resident of Ukraine.

One fatality (linked content here and below is rather graphic);

I suspect injuries among the military police. Watch, for example, how stoically they take Molotov cocktails; this has to leave marks.

Molotov cocktails

This is a long series of photos showing the combat technology.

Different bullets


The blogger describes this as “traumatic and strike ball” weaponry


Stun grenade


“Rumor has it, Bertkut (militarized police) tape bolts and nuts to stun and gas grenades”



Molotov cocktails. These are, someone explains, not properly done: straight kerosene or gasoline, rather than something more gooey; they invariably hurt the thrower as well.


Catapult 1 (it broke, they built another, of simple construction)


Archer


People got much better building the barricades.


Priests and monks often stand separating the combatants.

Much more on this topic, and in full resolution available, is in Zyalt’s blog

This Israeli blogger believes the fatalities were on order form the Kremlin. Yanukovich was ready to compromise with the protesters, so Putin made sure that, with mass shedding of blood, Yanukovich has no game left but toe the Kremlin’s line.

2. Other regions, naturally, in the West, are rising as well.

The country is divided, fuzzily, in two parts: ethnically Ukrainian West and mixed Russian-Ukrainian East. This blogger, Basmanov, writes in Russian and for Russians:

If you are a TV watcher, and think that the Russian Federation is your state and that the power structure of Putin pederasts [common swear in Russian] is for you, or if you are simply a fool, quit reading now. This is the material for them who understand that the Russians are an oppressed nation in the RF, its land is long since occupied and it is still to be re-conquered in the future. There is no other road for us: against the background of the Russians dying off, the mass foreign colonization policy conducted by the RF government is death to our people. So the question is stark: either the Russians throw out the power that be or the power that be slowly destroys out people. It is not important if you support Yanukovich or not. The technology is important. Learn carefully. When it is time to give a fight to the anti-Russian regime that seized power in RF and is oppressing our nation, you will approximately know what to do.

The map of provincial governments taken (red) or blocked (pink)

A news roundup follows with links:

• Citizens of Sumi took to the streets
  Video
• City Council and District parliament of Khmelnitzky recognized the power of People’s Rada (People’s Council, or Parliament, a rebel organization)
  Link
• It is confirmed that Ternopol administration is taken
  Link
• Rovno Militia (police) resigned
  Link
• In Zhitomir the demonstrators blocked the central street and demand resignation of the mayor and the governor
  Link
• Ternopol district administration is taken by the protesters
  Link
• In Khmelnitzky the Maidan forces began action
  Link
• In Cherkassy the demonstrators storm the district Administration – militia barricaded themselves inside
  Video
• In Cherkassy the protesters storm the district administration
  Link
• March on Rovno administration. They chant: Rise, Rovno!
  Link
• The assault on Lvov administration
  Video
• In Khmelnitzky near the administration barricades were erected
  Link
• How they seized the Administration in Rovno
  Video
• Protestaers took over the administration in Lvov and in Rovno
  Link

We live in interesting times, folks.

[annalex]

The date should be 1/22/2014.

The large sign is signed “People of Ukraine”.

[JadeEmperor]

I’ve been reading that nationalist groups have been taking over some of the protests (Ukrainians for the Ukraine, not Russia or EU). If it is true, we won’t hear much more about getting behind “the people” from the media anymore.

Some of these nationalist groups are rabidly Antisemitic (such as "Svoboda".) Of course, YOU like it.

[dfwgator]

Some of these nationalist groups are rabidly Antisemitic (such as "Svoboda".) Of course, YOU like it.

And they support the murderer of thousands of Poles, Stepan Bandera.

[JadeEmperor]

I actually grew up in Kiev during the late USSR-era. Beautiful city.

I hope that rational, pro-Western forces prevail in these protests. I hope there will not be a time of civil war and anarchy and roving bands under various banners.

But historical experience (if it is to be given any consideration) does not bode well for my people. Ivan Gonta, Bogdan Kmelnitsky, Simon Petlura, Stepan Bandera. I hope I will never have to speak these words: I'm glad my family got out in time.

[annalex]

I suspect Kremlin is heating the anti-Semites up in order to discredit all nationalists, just like they inserted live-ammo snipers in there. Oldest trick in the book.

[JadeEmperor]

"I suspect Kremlin is heating the anti-Semites up in order to discredit all nationalists, just like they inserted live-ammo snipers in there. Oldest trick in the book."

I certainly would not put it past them. It would be a tremendous boon to Putin, if it could be shown that the protests are nothing but a bunch of racist football hooligans, and an excuse to clamp down domestically.

Time will tell. Right now there is a lot of "fishing" in the murky waters with a potential for a power play by outside actors.

[Democrat_media]

yes true. but still a lot of us see a lot of economic opportunities going away that were there in America before. opportunity should be growing not shrinking , with the increasing tech and productivity and new technologies