Posted on 03/07/2014 1:37:34 PM PST by Jim Robinson
Russia raised the stakes in its conflict with Crimea Friday, reportedly seizing a Ukrainian military base on the peninsula and beginning large-scale air defense drills.
Witnesses say Russian troops broke through the gate of a missile defense base with a military vehicle, trying to break into a command post, but no shots were fired, Interfax Ukraine reported Friday.
Initial Reuters reports said the truck had pushed through the gates of a post in the city of Sevastopol, but there were no signs of damage. There was conflicting information about the circumstances of the raid.
A Ukrainian military official, Vladislav Seleznyov, told Reuters the armed men took over the base without any shooting and no one appeared hurt. Another Ukrainian official told Reuters at the post that he was now mediating between Ukrainian forces and the armed group inside.
About 100 Ukrainian troops are stationed at the base in Sevastopol, Interfax reported, citing a duty officer and Ukraine's defense ministry. About 20 "attackers" threw stun grenades, the report said.
The Ukrainians barricaded themselves inside one of their barracks, and their commander began negotiations, Interfax said.
Earlier Friday, there were reports Russia had begun large-scale air defense drills as tensions remained high over the fate of Crimea.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Ukraine has always existed as a buffer between Russia and the West. When it wasn’t actually part of Russia or Poland. It’s borders have changed so many times I couldn’t afford to buy a map with every different configuration. Crimea is more Russian than anything and Kiev is the original city of the Rus. I say let the Ukrainians and the Russians sort this out for themselves. If the EU wants to get involved that’s their business. Leave us out. If we got involved with the current regime in charge it will end in disaster. A disaster of unimaginable proportions is possible.
Do you have any idea of the SIZE of the Red Army circa 1945? 75 - 80 percent of the entire Wehrmacht was facing the Soviets and it still wasn’t enough. The remaining forces were defending against the US, Britain, Canada & Free French forces.
By December 1944 all the western allies were low on infantry.
Ever heard of George Patton?
I know what you mean.
We could be in a position 20- 50 years from now with a demographic change that results in one or more of our Mexican border states wanting to become independent, or return to Mexican domination.- tom
They were of use in destroying Nazi Germany, but were never on our side. They should have been fought and defeated before they ever obtained nuclear weapons.
~ General George Patton (August 1945)
Patton was not very versed in geography. The European part of Russia goes up to the Ural mountains.
BTW, V.Putin is native from St.Petersburg, 100% European Russian. He has absolutely nothing of an "Asiatic".
I understand.
We would all be better off if he just went on vacation and stayed gone. When he’s at work he’s just thinking of ways to get revenge on America.
The containment of Crimea was left largely to the Romanians, who, like at Odessa, didn’t have the artillery or the airpower to overcome the Russian defenses being resupplied nightly over Kerch.
The Soviets concentrated airpower there, and used it to strike into the flanks of the German advance toward the East, and at the Romanian oilfields.
Hitler put Manstein in charge of taking Crimea, but the first offensive couldn’t take Sevastopol due to the huge Naval gun emplacements (305mm/12 inch) wrecking his supply lines, and a lack of artillery and aircraft. The Russians even had local air superiority for a while.
It wasn’t until the Germans could run the Russians out of Kerch, cutting the main supply route, bring up heavy rail guns, and the huge WW1 mortars, that they were able to reduce the fortifications enough for an assault.
“Patton was not very versed in geography.”
He wasn’t talking about geography...
The whole quote proves an abysmal ignorance, stereotyping stupidity.
Patton was a good soldier, as for the rest ... forget it.
That's exactly what Putin wants. Firing on those supposed "native Crimean self defense forces that have nothing to do with Russia at all, really!" will give the Russians the evidence they'll play to show they're just there to protect people when they come in hard. It's a provocation and the Ukrainians aren't biting. Meanwhile, pressure builds on Putin because everyone can see he's lying about these troops, trashing that image as a democratic leader he tries so hard to project.
“And now both our POTUS and VP are on vacation right now?”
Maybe that’s why the imposters media are so upset about the new Cadillac commercial, hitting a little too close to the white hut?
No surprise, the West is weak and the Russian bear is smelling blood.
Take back the color blue.
Blue Spring
Free Washington
Free Cuba
FUN (F* the UN)
In the News/Activism forum, on a thread titled Russia reportedly seizes a Ukrainian military base, begins air drills in Crimea, Bubba Ho-Tep wrote:
Gutless Russians for not wear insignias and gutless Ukrainians for not firing a shot.
Some western agency should snatch a couple of these guys and find out if they belong to a regular Russian unit not some Crimean milita as Putin claims. Turn them over to the Ukrainians and then call for a UN meet and scream invasion.
The Russians should have been dealt with at the end of WWI
No surprises there - project power and the willingness to use it and the other side is less likely to resist in a meaningful way. You can bet that Russian troops won't have the same crippling ROE put upon our troops.
Not to worry, Obama is planning his next vacation.
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