UKRAINE: Russian-backed rebels in eastern Ukraine are preparing for something big [VIDEO]

WASHINGTON Reuters ^ | Apr. 23, 2015, | Lesley Wroughton,

[UMCRevMom@aol.com]

The United States on Wednesday accused Russia of building up air defense systems inside eastern Ukraine and of involvement in training exercises of pro-Russian rebels in breach of a European-brokered truce.

"This is the highest amount of Russian air defense equipment in eastern Ukraine since August," State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said in a statement.

She said the increasingly complex nature of the training exercises "leaves no doubt that Russia is involved."

"The training has also incorporated Russian UAV's (unmanned aerial vehicles), an unmistakable sign of Russian presence," Harf added.

Fighting has picked up in eastern Ukraine in recent weeks despite the ceasefire agreed upon in February, with each side accusing the other of violence. Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov said he believed a surge in ceasefire violations had, however, passed.

But Harf said Russia was building up its forces along the Ukrainian border.

"After maintaining a relatively steady presence along the border, Russia is sending additional units there," she said, adding the increase marked the largest presence of Russian troops on the border since October.

More than 6,000 people have been killed since the conflict in eastern Ukraine erupted more than a year ago, when rebels who opposed the ousting of a Moscow-backed president and the installation of a pro-Western government declared independence from Kiev.

Ukraine and its Western allies have long accused Moscow of sending troops and weapons to support the rebels, a charge Russia has denied.

The United States and Europe have imposed sanctions against Moscow over its role in the Ukraine crisis, warning that the measures will only be lifted once Russia fulfills the ceasefire signed in Minsk.

(Reporting by Lesley Wroughton; Editing by Sandra Maler, Eric Beech and Bernard Orr) SEE ALSO: Former NATO commander: A new Russian offensive in eastern Ukraine is 'imminent'

[UMCRevMom@aol.com]

VIDEO AT LINK: 11 Facts That Show How Different Russia Is From The Rest Of The World

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/rebels-in-ukraine-preparing-for-something-big-2015-4#ixzz3YI5TRkT7

See Also Russia just held a military exercise in a 'breakaway republic' in eastern Europe Poland is building a series of watchtowers along its border with Russia Poland is getting antsy about the war in eastern Ukraine

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/rebels-in-ukraine-preparing-for-something-big-2015-4#ixzz3YI6IW2nF

[Thunder90]

This is one of the reasons that the deal with Iran was a BAD idea...

We should tell the Iranians to shove it, no deal; tell Russia to get out of Ukraine and Georgia, and tell the Chinese “hands off” the Spartleys and Sennikku islands, and that Taiwan can declare independence.

[garjog]

Another European war. Wow. Just what we need. Thanks Obama and Hillary.

[GeronL]

A summer offensive would not be a new thing for an army of a Tsar

[leopardseal]

This seems to be the latest news out of Western Ukraine, that is, the part of the place which our own rogue state department and Barrack Obama support. I don't have the resources to try to vet this but I'm seeing the story from several sources:

http://news-front.info/2015/04/24/21-karateli-iz-azova-raspyali-opolchenca-zasnyav-kazn-na-kameru/

[tcrlaf]

The OSCE has said several times in the last couple of weeks that an “Unidentified third party” has been launching attacks against both the rebels and Kiev forces from the Kiev side of the lines.

Most fingers seem to be pointing at the OUN (sp??) Militia.

Tensions are definitely rising, and several attempts by Kiev forces to retake areas around Donetsk Airport haven’t helped.
Again, the rebels claim it is “Kiev’s forces”, but the culprit seems to be the Independent Militia’s like OUN or Azov.

The Lugansk Rebels seem to be probing at several spots along their lines, as well.

The “Dnepr” groups (Kolomoiski) seem to be out of the picture, at least for now.

And stupid crap like AZOV Nazi’s putting out videos celebrating the crucificion and burning alive of Rebel POW’s isn’t going to help anything, either.
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=5b5_1429903465

Is AZOV copying Syrian ISIS propaganda now?

[GeronL]

Isn’t Russia supposed to be the “third party”, pretending that the rebels actually are rebels.

[tcrlaf]

“A summer offensive would not be a new thing for an army of a Tsar”

I think the rebels are going to wait for Kiev to attack first. They got hurt pretty badly in the offensive battles around Debaltseve, losing a couple of their top field commanders, and one of their best organizers, who were leading from the front.

There are tensions building in Kiev that may soon blow off, like CoalMaidan. Unlike in the past, the reports of unrest in Kiev-controlled parts of Ukraine are less anecdotal, and more persistent.

[Shadow44]

Annexation? I’m sure Putin will cite Kosovo like he did with Georgia.

Obama will fiddle while Ukraine burns, while simultaneously selling out to Iran in a vain attempt to gain some kind of credentials for his pathetic legacy.

[tcrlaf]

The training has also incorporated Russian UAV’s, an unmistakable sign of Russian presence,”

This one I’m going to have to call BS on.

While we sent several of our most useless UAV’s to Kiev, both sides have greatly increased the use of commercially available UAV’s.

A Rebel-supporting group in Russia that buys boots, Uniforms, etc, bought a couple of hundred UAV’s of several different types off of Alibaba a few months ago.

The vids from these have been up on Youtube for a couple of months now. It’s surprising how effective even the $79 UAV’s are.

[Axenolith]

What’s really amazing is not seeing reams of $79 UAVs being used with 1/4 pound of C4 or Semtex on them yet...

[tcrlaf]

“What’s really amazing is not seeing reams of $79 UAVs being used with 1/4 pound of C4 or Semtex on them yet...”

The key word being... YET.
The cheap ones can’t carry much weight. Go-Pro HERO’s are only 4 ounces, or around 7-8 with the whole mount.

The bigger ones can carry more weight, of course, but they are much more expensive, and easier to see/Shoot-down.

There are several vids on YouTube of rebels/Kiev troops shooting down some of these larger drones.

[DesertRhino]

What is the provenance of that video? Is it proven authentic? And is it proven it was Azov?

[Axenolith]

A buddy of mine got a big one that he’s using for serious stuff, work etc... It could carry a few pounds and even at full price would be easily worth the expenditure. You could program it with a destination GPS coordinate and it would be as good as a guided missile, albeit slower.

Asymetrically though, something like that would be devastating, if it merely caused the OpFor to expend it’s AA assets engaging them.

His small one though, it cost less than 100 bucks and is flow through a POV headset and goes close to 50 mph... You could off someone with one of those easily, heck, the payload could just be a needle and poison.

[DesertRhino]

I think Azov is Nazi, literally Nazi. I just can’t put my finger on it, but something makes me have doubts about that video being real.

[DesertRhino]

I know this is kinda radical, but maybe Ukraine doesn’t need new ways to kill. That area of the world has suffered through NKVD, starvation, Nazis, Einsatzgruppen, cities flattened and battled through numerous times, nuclear meltdowns, Molotov cocktails,, and now modern Nazis.

It would be nice for them to have a few decades without murder.

[caww]

There’s still Oligarchy Militia’s operating there....trying to retain their control of the areas they held....they really never stopped and where most of the gunfire was occuring.

However I do think Russia’s interested in taking Maripol...and that strip of land....understandable why. Ukraine doesn’t want to loose anymore land but they may find there’s more to fight for. It’s not over...especially as Nato continues to arm up along Russia’s borders and the US continues to send armor and military into Ukraine.

Imagine what we would do if Russia was in Mexico arming up and landing troops......although Putins’ pretty busy in S. America recently.

[caww]

April 23, 2015....Meeting with President of Argentina Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner. By Invitation of Putin to come to the Kremlin.....It's good to keep an eye on this guy....Putin's also been 'in Siberia' for their Crisis...Fires in Siberian destroyed almost 2,000 homes,... affecting in total around 7,000 people...the disaster zone covered 39 populated localities.

[caww]

Not to mention 'Poroshenko' just closed his candy factory this week in Mariupol

[Greetings_Puny_Humans]

This one I’m going to have to call BS on.

A ridiculous assertion on par with your early claims that Russia wasn't invading Ukraine at all. Russian use of UAVs has been constantly reported from the very beginning. It's the number one killer of Ukrainians since it allows accurate firing of artillery.