#17:What are your sources re the Ukrainian govt is moving BUK units into eastern Ukraine? And why? The Soviet-created insurgents don’t have any fighters or bombers that I know of. Did they capture any in Donestk, etc?
The BUK units, either Soviet or captured Ukrainian ones (according to one unverified report), would be well guarded by the GRU-led “insurgents”. Strelkov is no amateur, unlike Obama.
A BUK complex, like that of the old SAM II/III systems, has a number of units - trucks/radar, missiles/chassis, etc. in order to function properly. These are not “shoot and scoot” MANPAD missiles.
The Russian Defense Ministry released satellite photos of Ukrainian BUK mobile missle batteries in position on the outskirts of Luhansk as of July 14th 2014. The Russians also called on the United States, which they know has a satellite active in the area, to release their satellite photos as well.
As to why the Ukrainians would have moved BUK systems into eastern Ukraine and who's control they are under there, its anyone's guess. We do know that the Ukrainian Defense Ministry and the Ukrainian Interior Ministry have given conflicting accounts about their presence there.
The bottom line is that the Russians have made specific claims about Ukrainian BUK radar activity from specific locations in eastern Ukraine and backed those claims up with satellite images that support their position.
Time for the US to do the same.