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]

Obviously any nationalist protest would be lead by nationalists, and yes, 60 years ago the same region would rather have German national socialism than Stalin's socialism. Can you blame them? You are also correct that it is not a revolt over economic issues.

"Liberty or death!"

[annalex]

If you weren't on Grushevsky Street, you are not a man

[cunning_fish]

In fact I believe the majority of Ukrainian population are pro-Russian, but if they can’t organize and stand to this “peaceful” mob attacking “oppressive” government they deserve to be ignored.
Let Ukraine close it’s plans and farms providing millions of jobs and billions in taxes selling goods to Russia.
I guess Western Ukrainian leechers have no idea what freedom is. They simply want their welfare from EU which is longer than Russian. And they don’t really care about hardworking Ukrainians.

[mac_truck]

I don’t know what you’ve been hearing but you’re backing the wrong horse in this fight. Its going to take more than a bunch of Euro-fascists throwing firebombs to collapse the elected government of Ukraine.

I also think the so-called opposition realizes they can’t unseat the government via the ballot-box which is why they organized this McCain/Soros approved ‘pro-democracy’ putsch.

[gwjack]

Hi boxlunch, I hope you are well.

Your reference to Stalinist actions is spot on. It was Ukraine where Stalin murdered millions because of failure to produce increasing amounts of crops. Thes “goals” were set by bureaucrats based on what was needed, not on what was possible. Stalin’s answer was to kill.

I still fear that a crackdown will ratchet up when the Olympics begin. It gives Putin/Yanukovych cover.

The freedom fighters I tweeted with in the Square went radio silent because of the cell phone texts you mentioned. They told me they would write when possible. At this point, from several news sources (BBC, Ukrainian Radio Liberty, and several others) there have been thousands of injuries on both sides. The Protestors have their own triage hospital. They were prepared.

I was there in late November and made a few contacts.

I’m told there are some units from remote areas of the country that are finding excuses not to go to Kiev. Their refusal will lead to troops from Russia being invited into the conflict.

It is interesting to me that people from the Western part of the country are slowly becoming sympathizers with the Revolution. That is what it has been referred to for two months - The Revolution.

My view is that joining the EU or being bailed out by Russia were both bad choices. They are both merely delaying the pattern of Greece.

It is a sad, sad situation. I believe it could be a precursor to what may happen in the USA.

[annalex]

There is no welfare coming to them; it is not even an EU membership, not even an open border agreement. The nationalists simply want a national government. I am very happy for them.

[annalex]

Its going to take more than a bunch of Euro-fascists throwing firebombs to collapse the elected government

Possibly so, but it is a good start. Maybe one day the Russians would rise as well.

Observe: Soros sandwiches

[cunning_fish]

>>>My view is that joining the EU or being bailed out by Russia were both bad choices.<<<

Joining EU is not even an option.

“Ukraine will join EU right next to Turkey. The problem is we all know that Turkey won’t join. Never.” A.Merkel

[cunning_fish]

>>>There is no welfare coming to them; it is not even an EU membership, not even an open border agreement. <<<

That is what they hope for actually.

[annalex]

Maybe some. But these don't look like future welfare queens:

It is not an economics-driven uprising.

[gwjack]

Hi c_f.

Actually Ukraine was invited to join, agreed, and then Yanukovych (after a chat with Putin) cancelled the signing. It was very close to happening. That is one of the triggers of the current situation. Merkel is/was wrong.

Perhaps she said that before the agreement? Merkel is only the head of one of many EU members. Her vote is a minority.

[cunning_fish]

In fact you have to reasearch a little better. No real membership was offered. BTW, it makes no sense. Ukraine is a 3rd world craphole is terms of economy.

[mac_truck]

60 years ago the same region would rather have German national socialism than Stalin's socialism.

Not exactly true. Back then Ukraine's militant nationalists were primarily concerned with cleansing their region of all non-Ukrainian minorities, be they German, Russian, Polish, or Jewish. They collaborated with the Nazis against the Soviets, and among other atrocities were responsible for the mass murder of thousands of Poles.

[cunning_fish]

As I said earlier there are different people among them. Let them have whatever government they want. I don’t think they’ll get either freedom or prosperity anyway. Georgian scenario seems like the most likely. They’ll have their pro-western dictator to who’ll ruin economy cutting Russian ties but won’t be able to take any advantage from his new European ties. He’ll blame Russia and pro-russian folks in Ukraine for his own incompetence to play his people against each other and voila.

[skinkinthegrass]

that said, after the (Soviet) terror-famine of '29-'33; many Russians
were resettled there, after the region was forcibly "de-populated".

[cunning_fish]

Nonsense. Russians dominate parts of Ukraine which were parts of Russia before it’s annexing into Ukrainian SSR by the Soviets.
As for Holodomor it is falsely presented by Ukrainian nationalists as a Russian genocide against Ukrainians. Famine was a result of Stalin’s effort to ruin rural communities and herd people into cities. All the peoples of Soviet Union has suffered, mostly Russians. In case of Ukraine it was Communist Ukrainians who killed non-communist Ukrainians.

[skinkinthegrass]

I know/read that..Soviet Russians in the Ukraine, the forced Soviet collectivation &
the displacement of ppl., the savage treat. of all the Kulaks and wretched populace
I've read The Great Terror & The Harvest of Sorrow, by Robert Conquest.
and (froggily) The Gulag Archipelago & One Day in the life of Ivan Denisovich, A. Solzhenitsyn.
I think argument, is the scope of their plight, (their) revisions of historical events.

[M Kehoe]

Bttt.

5.56mm

[annalex]

Ukraine's militant nationalists were [during the German-Soviet war] primarily concerned with cleansing their region of all non-Ukrainian minorities

Naturally, under German occupation they could do little else since you don't build a national government under an occupation. The past 20 years is their first chance, that they are not occupied by either Germany or USSR.

Post-apocalyptic sleep

[annalex]

Let them have whatever government they want

Right. And this is how one nation gets the government it wants: