Posted on 02/17/2022 11:01:42 AM PST by Yo-Yo
London — Russia has been accused by Britain of orchestrating “false flag” attacks in Ukraine as a pretext for an invasion.
The claims by Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Foreign Secretary Liz Truss came as tensions continued to mount between Russian-backed separatists and state forces in east Ukraine, with shells hitting a nursery school.
Truss said reports alleging “abnormal military activity” by Ukraine in the eastern Donbas region were a “blatant” attempt by the Kremlin to fabricate a reason for an invasion.
The prime minister claimed there was a “false flag operation designed to discredit the Ukrainians” and “we fear very much that that is a thing we will see more of over the next few days.”
Western allies fear Russia will carry out or support attacks in Ukraine which it will then falsely blame on the Kyiv government in order to justify an invasion.
Despite Russian claims to be pulling units back to base following the conclusion of military exercises, Britain and the US have claimed that thousands more troops have been deployed, along with supporting assets such as field hospitals and new bridges.
Johnson, speaking at RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire, said: “The picture is continuing to be very grim.
“Today, as I’m sure you’ve already picked up, a kindergarten was shelled in what we are taking to be, well, we know, was a false flag operation designed to discredit the Ukrainians, designed to create a pretext, a spurious provocation for Russian action.
“We fear very much that that is the kind of thing we will see more of over the next few days.”
Truss, who is in Ukraine, said she was very concerned about the exchanges of fire in Donbas and the continued build-up of Russian troops.
Separatist authorities in the Luhansk region claimed there had been an increase in Ukrainian shelling along the tense line of contact, describing it as a “large-scale provocation” and that they then returned fire.
The Kyiv government disputed the claim, saying separatists had shelled its forces but they did not fire back.
A nursery school building in Stanytsia Luhanska was hit, wounding two civilians, according to the Ukrainian military.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said “the shelling of a kindergarten in Stanytsia Luhanska by pro-Russian forces is a big provocation.”
Truss, who has warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin could mount a “false flag” operation to justify an invasion, said: “Reports of alleged abnormal military activity by Ukraine in Donbas are a blatant attempt by the Russian government to fabricate pretexts for invasion.
“This is straight out of the Kremlin playbook.”
Truss said she was “very concerned about reports today of increased Russian aggression: over 7,000 extra troops near the Ukraine border and an attack by pro-Russian troops on a kindergarten in Ukraine.”
She urged Russia to withdraw its troops as there was “still time for diplomacy and de-escalation.”
I’m hearing it was an abandoned school which explains why no one was hurt.
This is not a reason to get anyone’s panties in a knot.
Non-Explosive Shell that travel sideways for miles (not in an arc)?
Looks like a bowling ball attack.
Well at least they got creative and didn’t just attack a radio station.
Yep, no broken windows. Looks more like someone swung or drove a section of telephone pole into the side of the building.
They sure don’t make false flag operations like they used to.
Has logic died on this day?
Ukraine says Russia fired on the Ukrainian school and then the British say the Russians are staging the false flag this way.
And so it begins.
The CIA keeping the war drums beating.
Exactly. There are two rebel positions 8 and ~30 km away. The round used is said 122mm - too far for the latter, too close for the former to hit this way.
I am sure that if we are to find the map and compare the hit with the known positions it won’t make any sense whatsoever.
Low quality wag the dog situation.
Yes. False flag? I do not think it means what they think it means.
Myth Busters brought their Bowling Ball Cannon to Ukraine?
Aspirin was being made there.
Lee Harvey Oswald did it.
Matlock picked up a fragment that said "Thank you for renting from Paradise Leisure Lanes."
Can’t let my hatred for Democrat policies cloud the facts about Putin and his murderous scum. The world would be a better place if he came down with lead poisoning.
Now cry and blame the Russians.
Yep, not sure they're fooling anyone here. A round that size would do a lot more to that old building, and wouldn't hit that way. There's also a pic of a shellhole in the ground nearby, and it's only about 6-foot in diameter, maybe 3-feet deep. I've seen my neighbors blow bigger holes than that with tannerite...
MI6 and the CIA are going to need a better set designer if they want to sell a war.
Seen this and it does not look like an artillery attack. This looks to be propaganda or staged as where the chemical attacks in Syria where OBuggery tried to start something and went home with his tail between his legs.
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