Colonel Cassad (in English) - The first anniversary of the start of the civil war in Ukraine

It might make you hate. But we do not want hate. We want a reasoned understanding of the criminality of fascism and how it should be opposed. We must realize that these murders are the gestures of a bully, the great bully of fascism. There is only one way to quell a bully, and that is to thrash him... (с) Hemingway

Exactly one year ago a civil war started in Ukraine. The people were perishing even before the shooting of people in Kiev on the 20th of February, but it was precisely the 20th of February http://colonelcassad.livejournal.com/1418551.html (in Russian) which became a milestone after which the events turned towards the track that is fatal for the Ukraine. The coup, the disintegration of the country, and large-scale military action, which followed the bloodbath finalized the "Ukrainian path towards Europe". Actually, even before the fact of the coup that happened on the 21st of February, by the evening of the 20th of February it became clear http://colonelcassad.livejournal.com/1419873.html (in Russian) that there are no "clever plans" and that there is a total catastrophe of the ruling regime of Yanukovich, which pulled the Ukraine to the bottom along with itself as it was going down.

As for me personally, then despite all my skepticism towards eloquent tales of "Yanukovich's clever plan", first didn't think that the Ukrainian Gorbachevism will end with an actual civil war a la Yugoslavia. A complete understanding was achieved by me personally on February 16, when the fascists publicly beat up the peaceful protesters in Kiev. Back then I wrote http://colonelcassad.livejournal.com/1410828.html (in Russian) about the civil war against the fascism, not imagining that in the nearest months this war will stop being just a figure of speech.

What can a citizen do when he is facing fascism in his own country? He may accept it and hope to survive the "time of troubles" in the hope that it won't touch him. This is a naive layman illusion, which the rank-and-file Germans enjoyed until the moment when the fascism brought into their cities not just the happy news from the fronts, the goods from the subjugated lands and the eastern slaves, but also the flows of bombs that destroy their cities and kill women and children, and in the end – an utter collapse of the state and the dismemberment of Germany. So those who intend to sit it out are lulled into complacency – as the fascism spreads, it touches everyone.

In this respect it is important to understand that convincing the fascists that they are wrong is a pointless and useless task. Naked force, which is used by the fascism, must be counterbalanced by naked force – that is, semi-militarized units, which must be created by communist and anti-fascist organizations and also by those citizens who understand what is fascism and what it brings. These units are necessary because the security apparatus of the Ukrainian not-quite-state is unable to fulfill the elementary duties of suppressing the fascism.

Naturally, the question of the legality of such actions arises because the officials use their one hand support the fascists and create a maximally beneficial environment for them and use their other hand to block any attempts to self-organize for fighting the threat of fascism. In this respect it is important to understand that, from the point of view of the existing government, the struggle against fascism is illegal. If you, seeing the deception of the current authorities that encourage fascism, try to create a structure for fighting against it and participate in it, then you are most likely crossing the line of the law. Such is the Ukrainian reality, unadorned.

And this is a simple choice. To obey and to limit oneself to peaceful rallies, where the fascists can beat up civilians with impunity or to follow the opponent's example, acting on the principle "of turning a deaf ear".

It is enough to observe how the fascists behave: if the prosecutor's office forbids something, then they do it. If the judge prohibits their rallies, they rally. A minister ruled to disperse? They stayed. Some of the militants were detained? They applied forceful pressure and the authorities let them go. All of these actions are illegal, but they work. Until the anti-fascists will understand that by remaining within the boundaries of the Ukrainian law they disarm themselves in the face of the fascists, the civilians will be beaten up hard, just like when they attacked the veterans of the Great Patriotic War in Lvov several years ago, giving the fascists the pretense to scoff on the subject of weakness and worthlessness of the anti-fascists, who are good only for rallies and for running away from sticks and kicks. And this is a weakness, which only convinces them that they are right, that this is exactly the way for them to achieve their goals.

It is time to get rid of the illusions that your voice of reason will be heard in the twisted world of fascism. The chant of "let there be no war" doesn't work either, because fascism is war, and there is no way to run away.

It must be plainly understood that no matter how the current crisis will end and no matter who will become president in 2015 – Yanukovich, Tymoshenko, Yatsenyuk, or Klitschko, the fascism itself, which showed its teeth during the Kiev winter of 2014, won't go anywhere; it already became a factor of the Ukrainian reality and sooner or later there will be a war to its destruction. And the sooner people will understand it, the lower will be the final price that will have to be paid in the end for the elimination of the Ukrainian fascism.

Complete story at - Colonel Cassad (in English) - The first anniversary of the start of the civil war in Ukraine

Russia invaded by 26 buses of Ukrainian men running from the Kiev junta - Fort Russ

Mechanized BTG (battalion tactical group) "Peregonsk" is marching to Khabarovsk ...

I'm in shock. I'm just amazed by the tenacity of the Russian government. On January 19 a mechanized battalion tactical group of UAF "Peregonsk" invaded the territory of Russia. And dissolved on its vast expanses (judging by the silence in the media). Leaving one moron on the rear guard (which is discussed below) to apparently capture Moscow, it orderly broke through the border and have already captured ... Krasnoyarsk. The ultimate goal is ambitious - Khabarovsk. It would not settle for less. However there is one problem. This group forgot to receive the weapons and the summons:

On January 19, the day before the official start of the partial mobilization campaign, about a thousand men from Pereginskaya left to work abroad - in Russia. 26 buses with workers went to Krasnoyarsk.

This was announced at a meeting on the issues of mobilization that took place today in the Ivano-Frankivsk regional state administration with the participation of the military commandants of all districts of the region, representatives of power structures and social activists.

This fact was voiced by an [Maidan] activist from the town of Kalush in the address to Kalush District Commissar, which oversees Rozhnyatovsky district. The activist expressed surprise that this fact was unknown to the military Commissar. Before the Commissar said that it is impossible to locate Pereginskaya men and to subject them to mobilization.

Complete story at - Russia invaded by 26 buses of Ukrainian men running from the Kiev junta - Fort Russ

The Real Ukrainian Offensive against Donbass Is Yet to Come - Russia Insider

I have to admit the increased fighting in the last few days has been a surprise for me. For one thing, I expected an attack later in the year because right now the weather conditions are bad and very much favor the defenders.

I also expected a heavy fire preparation of the battlefield (meaning that the Ukrainians would shell Novorussian positions) followed by a push by Ukrainian armor along several well defined axes. I expected the Novorussians to retreat to pull-in the attacking Ukrainians into firepockets and then gradually destroy them. This is not at all what actually happened.

First, the Ukrainians continued shelling, but not the Novorussian forces, but the usual terrorist shelling of the civilian neighborhoods of Donesk and other cities, Gorlovka, in particular, has suffered terribly and is completely in ruins. That kind of shelling makes the Ukrainians feel good, but it serves no military purpose.

Second, there was not concentrated attack of Ukrainian armor. 2 tanks here, 4 thanks there, but nothing like the heavy armor attack the Ukrainians could in theory launch.

So yes, the Ukrainianss did try to attack at the airport, and the combats there for a while were extremely intense, no doubt about that, but these were limited attack. The same deal goes for the town of Peski which now is mostly in Novorussian hands: the combat operations there were very intense, and the Ukrainians are still dug in the the northern outskirts of the town, but the size of the entire battle is still clearly local.

Complete story at - The Real Ukrainian Offensive against Donbass Is Yet to Come - Russia Insider

TASS: World - Ukraine beginning to fall apart, says country’s first president

KIEV, January 22. /TASS/. Ukraine begins to fall apart and blame for this goes to the Ukrainian elites that adhere to an irresponsible position, the country’s first President, Leonid Kravchuk, told reporters on Thursday.

“The elite is disunited today and its factions are feuding over God only knows what,” he said. “In reality, members of the elite don’t have responsibility in the face of the threat looming over Ukraine, and this threat is extremely high and realistic.”

“Even today, on a holiday (Day of Unification), I can say the state is beginning to fall apart and this is already a proven fact,” Kravchuk said. “We must speak about it like real grown-up people.”

He believes that root-cause of the situation is found in the systemic errors made by successive Ukrainian governments over the past twenty years.

“Did anyone of the presidents ever do anything to assure freedom and unity?” he said. “Did anyone do anything tangible for Donbas? Who understood Crimea in earnest and cared for it properly?”

Complete story at - TASS: World - Ukraine beginning to fall apart, says country’s first president

Russian news: Is Kiev Wildly Understating Combat Deaths? - Russia Insider

In the past two weeks persistent rumors that Kiev has been hiding thousands of killed and wounded Ukrainian servicemen and ‘volunteers battalion’ casualties have forced their way into the Ukrainian press.

The most vocal allegations of a cover-up of Ukrainian combat deaths comes not from Russian media or the leaders of the ‘separatist’ Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, but from right wing MP and Radical Party leader Oleh Lyashko, and from the commander of Kiev’s ‘Donbas Battalion’ Semyon Semchenko.

Last month on his Facebook page Lyashko directly accused President Petro Poroshenko of hiding over 8,000 Ukrainian combat deaths -- a number nearly eight times the ‘official’ KIA figures reported by the English-language Kyiv Post, which as of Friday was still stubbornly reporting ‘only’ 974 confirmed Ukrainian combat deaths - a highly dubious figure that has barely budged since the disastrous battle for Ilovaisk in early September.

According to Myroslava Petsa, a correspondent for Ukraine’s 5th Channel, Defense Minister Valeriy Heletey refused to discuss the casualties from in the Ilovaisk disaster in a recent parliamentary hearing. Ms. Petsa tweeted on October 1st that Heletey referred to the casualty lists from the Ilovaisk battle as classified. But who is Lieutenant General Heletey trying to hide Kiev’s true losses from, the Donbas militias or the Ukrainian people?

Complete story at - Russian news: Is Kiev Wildly Understating Combat Deaths? - Russia Insider

The Guns of August II - The Unz Review

The piping-hot stage of the Ukraine crisis was over with signing of Minsk cease-fire agreement. It is far from clear how long the cease-fire will last, and whether it will morph into stable peace; still this pause provides a chance to review policies and strategies of the sides. The first part of this essay dealt with the Ukrainian crisis up to the Boeing incident. I wrote there of lacklustre achievements of the rebels and concluded that “without direct Russian involvement, a separatist movement in Novorussia was doomed to fail.”

After the Boeing disaster, the Russians have made peace in Ukraine their priority. Paradoxically, this called for more Russian involvement. From the beginning, State Department claims notwithstanding, Putin did not want the war in the Ukraine, and still less he wanted a war with Ukraine. He would prefer the Ukraine remain neutral and friendly. This dish was not on the menu as the US intended to fight Russia by Ukrainian hands, or at least, to strengthen its hold over Europe by using Russian scarecrow. Still Putin procrastinated hoping things will sort out.

He miscalculated: he did not count on Poroshenko’s military ardour, on the new Kiev ruler’s readiness to inflict huge civilian casualties and to sacrifice his own army. This was unexpected development – after peaceful transition of Crimea, Putin could expect Kiev will honour Donbass desires. Putin could not leave Donbass in flames and forget about it. One million refugees from Ukraine already crossed into Russia; continuation of Kiev’s war in Donbass could dislodge up to five million refugees, too much for Russia to swallow.

Putin was ready to negotiate with Poroshenko and achieve a peaceful settlement; Poroshenko refused. The low-level support for Donbass rebels was not sufficient to change the rules of the game and force Poroshenko to negotiate. This called for a limited victory, at the price of some Russian involvement.

Complete story at - The Guns of August II - The Unz Review

Refugees, neo-Nazis, and super patriots: Heading into the Ukrainian war zone | PandoDaily

NoBC4U Note: A good read, even though the writer is a bit obsessed with Russia and it's role.

CHUGUYEV, UKRAINE — It’s just before noon on August 29 when we pull into a dilapidated military depot filled with Ukrainian armor, sitting just south of Kharkov and a couple of hours north of the rebel breakaway People’s Republics of Luhansk and Donetsk.

I can count nine green Soviet-era APCs — the kind with six wheels, small turrets and sharp angular noses — parked between two rows of crumbling single-story garages. Two mechanics are tinkering with one of them, swearing loudly and trying to figure out how to modify a machine gun mount with a quick release latch.

The mood here can best be described as sullen. There is a group of soldiers milling around a hundred feet away. Some are squatting in silence, others smoking and chatting. Two soldiers are complaining about poor cell reception in the war zone. “It doesn’t matter if it’s KievStar or MTS, I can’t catch a signal.”

I’m here tagging along with a private/volunteer resupply group as it makes its weekly run from Kharkov to Ukrainian army bases in the war zone. The trip is organized by a non-profit called Peace and Order that’s backed by a group of local pro-EU minigarchs, who have taken it upon themselves to provide Ukraine’s bankrupt and moth-eaten armed forces with basic equipment and provisions.

Today, the truck — a generic white GAZelle — is carrying about a ton of goods. Most of the stuff could be mistaken for humanitarian aid and not military supplies. There are about 500 kilos worth of medical goods — IVs, saline drips, bandages and various meds. The other 500 kilos are a mishmash: canned meat, pasta, shaving cream, cigarettes, Bic razors, uniforms, boots, socks, underwear, belts, a single generator, mineral water and a dozen knife holsters.

When our truck pulled into the military base, we were mobbed by a group of soldiers who all asked for the one thing that wasn’t in the truck: warm clothes.

Complete story at - Refugees, neo-Nazis, and super patriots: Heading into the Ukrainian war zone | PandoDaily

Donbas Separatists’ Counteroffensive Gains Momentum: What The War Channels Don’t Report | David Stockman's Contra Corner

by Mike Mish Shedlock • August 28, 2014

In response to Jane’s Defense vs. Colonel Cassad: Someone Seriously Wrong, a close friend wrote …

Jane’s has been in business giving good advice for a century and could only do so by giving good advice. Everything I have read suggests that the rebels (who include a lot of Russian paramilitary) would have been about finished this past week, but for supplies coming in through Russian interference. The captured Russian soldiers two days ago day only make the interference look more like direct assault. Colonel Cassad, on the other hand, appears to be a complete whack job who idolizes Joseph Stalin and thinks Putin is too weak.

My Response

The political views of Colonel Cassad, whether you like him or despise him are irrelevant. His military analysis, denied by Kiev for the past two weeks, took precisely one more day to prove correct.

March to the Sea

For several days, I have been commenting on a rebel “march to the sea”, and the meaning of that march. On Wednesday, mainstream news verified the accuracy of my reports.

For no other reason than Ukraine could no longer hide the truth, Ukraine finally admitted what it could have and should have admitted a week ago: Rebels extend fight against Kiev to Ukraine’s south coast.

Pro-Russian rebels entered a new town in southeast Ukraine on Wednesday while Kiev accused Russia of sending more troops into its territory, dispelling hopes of political progress after talks between the two countries’ presidents.

Rebels entered Novoazovsk, a strategically important town on the Sea of Azov 10km from the Russian border, the town’s mayor announced. It is on the road linking Russia to Crimea, the peninsula Moscow annexed in March, and is some distance south of the existing rebel strongholds of Donetsk and Lugansk.
 

Complete story at - Donbas Separatists’ Counteroffensive Gains Momentum: What The War Channels Don’t Report | David Stockman's Contra Corner

Mother of a Soldier – Protest in Chernivtsi Oblast, Western Ukraine, on June 20, 2014 | No Limit to Our Anger (c) V. M. Molotov

Mother of a Soldier: I am standing here for my son. My son was conscripted on March 26th. I don’t know his whereabouts. I am asking him “Sonny, are you ok?” He says: “I am ok”. I ask: “Where are you?” His only reply is – “in Ukraine, Mom, on the border”. That’s all, nobody tells me anything.

Why, I ask, why did they take our children there? Who needs them there, who? There are different people – some will not say anything, others ask our boys: “Why did you come here? You are a Banderovets!” Why do we send our kids there, if they are mocked as “Banderovtsy”? Why? Why the grown up able-bodied men run to hide here, sending our kids instead?

Why? Why did they make “Maidan”? From this very Maidan everything started. This Maidan they made … And they were paid on Maidan. They were paid to be there. Everything was paid for.

00:55 But here, our kids don’t have even the most basic conditions. Not even drinking water. Can you imagine? Buying water there … How can this be happening? What kind of a country is it? Nobody is thinking of anything.

In Supreme Rada [Ukrainian parliament], they just sit around and every day they “debate certain questions”. Every day. What kind of questions? Empty air. While we are standing here – mothers, wives, children. Not knowing anything.

I don’t know anything. Son says that “everything is Ok,” but I don’t know. He left behind his child. The little boy is just 9 years old. He keeps asking “Mama, where is my daddy?”

Where is his daddy? How is it possible? How is it possible to heap so much abuse on these people? I am sick and tired. I am sick and tired of watching the lies [on TV]. They say “we are winning” but men come and take my son to the East.



Complete story at - Mother of a Soldier – Protest in Chernivtsi Oblast, Western Ukraine, on June 20, 2014 | No Limit to Our Anger (c) V. M. Molotov

The Vineyard of the Saker: Joint Declaration by the Foreign Ministers of Ukraine, Russia, France and Germany

Pressemitteilung:

Joint Declaration by the Foreign Ministers of Ukraine, Russia, France and Germany 02.07.2014

The Foreign Ministers of Germany, France, Russia and Ukraine strongly reconfirm their commitment to sustainable peace and stability in Ukraine. In this context they stress the necessity of a sustainable ceasefire, to be agreed upon swiftly and to be observed by all concerned, thus putting an end to violence in Eastern Ukraine.

Ministers urge that the Contact Group should resume no later than July 5th with the goal of reaching an unconditional and mutually agreed sustainable cease-fire. This cease-fire should be monitored by the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission in Ukraine in conformity with its mandate. In that respect, Ministers agree to take all necessary measures and use their influence on the concerned parties with a view to achieving this goal. Ministers stress the importance of a swift release of all hostages.

Ministers welcome Russia’s readiness to grant Ukrainian border guards access to Russian territory in order to participate in the control of border crossings at the checkpoints Gukovo and Donetsk while the mutually agreed cease-fire is in place. This shall be done in close collaboration between Russian and Ukrainian border authorities and pending the return of the Ukrainian checkpoints Izvarino and Krasnopartizansk to Ukrainian government control.

Ministers invite the OSCE to take all necessary steps to deploy OSCE-observers in response to the Russian invitation at the Russian checkpoints Gukovo and Donetsk while the mutually agreed cease-fire is in place. All sides must contribute to a secure environment.

Ministers stress that this would contribute to an effective control of the Russian-Ukrainian border and called for regular and expeditious exchange of relevant information between Russia, Ukraine and the OSCE.

Ministers emphasize the need to ensure safety and security of journalists working in the area of violence.
-------
Commentary: potentially, this could be huge. Of course, considering that the Ukie side has, so far, violated every single agreement it signed, this could also be just one more irrelevant document. But, if the junta came to the realization that its offensive against Novorussia is going absolutely nowhere from a military point of view and that its only result is to worsen the junta's image in the general public opinion (it was, after all, the junta which resumed hostilities), then this might indicate that Kiev is slowly coming to realize that its plan to either defeat the resistance or draw Russia in is failing. But even if the junta will immediately renege on this agreement, it sets a crucial precedent: Kiev has now officially accepted that a ceasefire will not be contingent upon the disarmament of the Novorussian forces. Of course, such a disarmament was never possible anyway, but what is important is that the junta is coming to the realization that it will have to accept this fact.

Again, it is way way waaaaay to early to rejoice, this all is far from over, but, combined with the obvious lack of any military progress of the junta's death squads in Novorussia, this is yet another solid reason to hope. As Juan always says, this will get worse before it gets better, but there are increasing signs that the junta is coming to the realization that the US imposed strategy has very little, if any, chance to work. Good.

The Saker

Complete story at - The Vineyard of the Saker: Joint Declaration by the Foreign Ministers of Ukraine, Russia, France and Germany

Kiev Is Starting a War to Avoid a Revolution | Global Research

Despite its peaceful declarations, Kiev is gradually transitioning from massacring civilians and bombing Donbas cities to direct provocations on the Russian border and attacks on diplomatic missions of the Russian Federation. In international practice, such actions are an incitement to war. But Kiev does not have the slightest chance of winning a military conflict with Russia. What is prompting Poroshenko to embark on this scheme?

While the Kiev junta is waging war against its own people in the Southeast, throughout the country protests are growing due to a catastrophic drop in the standard of living of the populace. An increase in all utility rates is coming July 1. In particular, gas prices for the population of Ukraine will go up by 55-70%; hot water and heating by 40%; electricity by 10-40%, depending on consumption volumes; and centralized water supply and sewage by 78-96%. The greatest increase is expected in Kiev, where on July 1 the price of hot water for Kievans will increase by almost 70% and the price of centralized heating will increase by almost 60%. And this is only the first stage of price increases for utilities, which will continue to grow incrementally until 2017. According to First Deputy Head of the Budget Committee of the Verkhovna Rada Oksana Kaletnik, in 2015 utility rates will increase by 40%, and in 2016 and 2017 by another 20% per year. The veracity of these figures is dubious, since as of May 1, 2014, for example, the public was paying only 24% of the actual costs for production, transmission and delivery of electricity.

At the same time, the IMF is demanding a rise in rates for the public “to an economically justified level”, that is, total elimination of the system of state subsidies in the utilities field. Given that even now the total debt of the population of Kiev, the richest city in Ukraine, is approaching $80 million, the new rates will be completely unbearable for Ukrainians. And this threatens a real disaster for all vital services systems. Its scale can by estimated judged according to the fact that currently, even before the rate hike, the company Kievenergo is cutting off hot water supplies to 754 apartment buildings in connection with critical indebtedness, and electricity cutoffs have begun in the Pechersk, Holosiiv and Shevchenko districts of the city. Meanwhile, winter is approaching. With the stoppage of supplies of Russian gas, the government is declaring an energy emergency, which could result in frozen residential buildings and hospitals.

But that’s not all. As a result of a drop in the exchange rate of the national currency and an agricultural crisis in the country, some food products now cost twice as much, and medications 60-70% as much. These are the figures officially acknowledged by Minister of Finance A. Shlapak. In fact, consumers are noticing that the price of some imported medications has doubled or tripled.

Complete story at - Kiev Is Starting a War to Avoid a Revolution | Global Research

Ukrainian Government Border-Guards Abandon Post at Russian Border | The Smirking Chimp

Ukraine's central government, located in Kiev, has given up manning the country's border with Russia at areas in the southeast where popular opposition to the Kiev authorities has overwhelmed the Kiev government's ability to police the border there.

The central government's border guards at the town of Severniy abandoned their post, on Thursday June 5th, so that now anyone can cross unimpeded there to and from Ukraine and Russia. This will enable Ukrainians who want to flee to do so, and it will also permit Russians who want to join the rebellion in Ukraine's southeast (or simply to protect family-members who live there) to do so, with no difficulty on either side, and with no fear at the border-crossing.

This abandonment was reported by Agence France Presse. Russia's Itar-Tass News Agency reported in more detail, saying that the decision was made by Ukraine's central government and had broader scope than just Severny: "'To prevent the emergence of threats to the population's life or health as a result of dangerous events taking place in certain areas, the cabinet [in Kiev, in the northwest] agreed with the State Border Service's proposal to stop the operation of checkpoints,' the government press service said in a press release on Thursday."

Itar-Tass went on, to mention that Severny was one of a total of six abandoned border-crossings: "In Ukraine's Lugansk region, the operation of the following checkpoints has been stopped: Dolzhansky, Chervonopartizansk, Krasnaya Mogila, Novoborovtsy and Severny. In the Donetsk region, the Marinovka checkpoint will be closed. The Ukrainian government has instructed the Foreign Ministry to inform Russia about the decision."

Complete story at - Ukrainian Government Border-Guards Abandon Post at Russian Border | The Smirking Chimp

Western Ukraine, Lviv Oblast. Parents are blocking the military base.

In L'viv, the heart of Banderastan, it seems not everybody there is looking forward to serving in Kiev's fascist army.

The Vineyard of the Saker: June 3rd combat SITREP update by "Juan"

• No sleep from 05:00 02.06. Please excuse spelling mistakes.
• During a protest near Lviv in west Ukraine by women demanding the return of their conscripted sons and husbands the women were beaten by Tyagnibok's Svoboda Party operatives. Two women are in hospital.
• Artillery fire commenced against the town of Severodonetsk 04:20 local time.
• Slavyansk and Kramatorsk heavy fighting resumed dawn today.
• 3 enemy BTR's destroyed before dawn 03 June 2014 Kramatorsk area. Casualties unknown.
• Lugansk fighting and artillery bombardments started dawn in outskirts. One flats building hit by artillery and on fire. Casualties unknown.
• 27 children including some milk babies were successfully evacuated from Kromatorsk after dark 01 June. Destination unknown.
• Intense fighting around Kramotorsk Aerodrome from dawn today. The distinctive sound of a German MG3 was clearly heard. This weapon is known to be in Nats armories in small numbers and some rechambered for Russian 7.62 x 54 round from NATO 7.62 x 51 round. High cyclic rate of fire.
• Ukraine Army is blocking all traffic in and out of Donetsk City and Slavyansk. No medical supplies are allowed in to either area. The prohibition of evacuating children from both cities is still in effect by Junta. Sick and severely wounded evacuation is prohibited.
• Reports of very heavy fighting suburbs of Slavyansk 08:10 local time. Reports of tank cannon fire in the area of fighting are unconfirmed. Tank cannon have a distinctive sound different from artillery of the same caliber.
• 09:29 local time column of tanks and BTR's have fought their way in to Slavyansk with right sector infantry. Very intense fighting extant in actual city.

Complete story at - The Vineyard of the Saker: June 3rd combat SITREP update by "Juan"

War Nerd: What’s happening in Eastern Ukraine is very simple, rational, and straightforward | PandoDaily

.....

That didn’t happen because Putin infiltrated the ranks of the Eastern Ukrainian Russian militias. We’re seeing ridiculous stories to that effect, like one in the New York Times headlined “Russians Revealed among Ukraine Fighters.”

No kidding—Russians are among the members of an ethnic-Russian militia in a Russian-majority area of Ukraine, bordering Russia? Scary stuff!

Some of these Russians, the NYT discovered, come from Grozny in Chechnya, or Crimea, or other areas now outside Russia. That’s hardly surprising, because when the USSR dissolved itself in 1991, huge areas with ethnic Russian majorities were abandoned to the tender mercies of other ethnic groups which began enforcing anti-Russian policies. Russians in Kazakhstan, the Baltic States, and even lowly Moldova encounter daily hostility, paying for decisions the Soviet Union made without consulting them as it played Great-Power politics.

And yet ethnic Russians, both in Putin’s constituency in Russia, and among ethnic Russian communities shut out of the Russian Federation, like the cities of Eastern Ukraine, continue to be willing to give their lives for Russia. Their grievances, their love for Russia, and their courage are real, not the creation of SpetzNaz or security-service infiltration as jingoistic American journalists like Eli Lake keep claiming.

But those noble qualities, and the lives of the people who hold them, are just expendable assets—straw dogs—to cold-eyed practitioners of Great-Power politics like Putin. They’re fighting at this moment to form a Russian secessionist republic in Eastern Ukraine, but the odds they’ll meet anything but betrayal from Moscow are very dim.

Complete story at - War Nerd: What’s happening in Eastern Ukraine is very simple, rational, and straightforward | PandoDaily

Meanwhile, in the Ukrainian Army… | MicroBalrog

This post is originally by Gennady Volkov, a Ukrainian reporter. Translated by MicroBalrog  from this post

I have recently visited the “eastern front”, at the camp of the 51st Separate Mobile Brigade of the Ukrainian Army. This is the unit that had recently lost to an unknown attacker (presumably the separatists) – 17 dead and 30 injured.

My impressions from the trip are dire. Let me sum it up.

The brigade numbers just over 4,000 men and is manned by West Ukrainians, mostly from Volyn. The logic is clear – it will be easier for “westerners” to shoot at “easterners”, whose mentality is alien to them. Sadly, however, reality is far more complex.

On the roadblocks, the soldiers are very vigilant. The recent tragedy has served as the best reminder that combat regulations are written in blood, and that their life is in their own hands alone. I have noticed that for roadblock crews, vigilance is a capital-letter word. HOWEVER: As the soldiers have admitted to me in an off-record conversation, the roadblocks are mostly irrelevant: the separatists easily bypass them by unpaved village roads and go wherever they need to. “We are protecting ourselves here.”

Our convoy, led by jeeps carrying Volyn people’s deputies that carried gifts for their neighbors in the military – ballistic vests and useful gadgets, like night vision goggles and IR scopes – was escorted by a truck that carried a squad of troops and an officer. It turned out the soldiers had not seen the enemy yet. Only the commander had been shot at before – by our own men. He told us the story as follows: a group of soldier were sent to greet some Colonel who lost his way on his UAZ. In the location where they were looking for him, the search team did see an army Jeep by the roadside – and suddenly from the bushes emerged men in black mask and camouflage, carrying rifles. The team took them for separatists and stepped on the gas, and the men, in turn, opened fire. As a result, the driver was killed, another man was injured, and the masked men turned out to be from the local defense battalion. The prosecutor arrived on location totally drunk, the cops ignored it. As per the man who told us this story, nobody was punished. This is how it is when men with identical uniforms without rank badges and with identical guns fight each other.

Speaking of uniforms – the Ukrainian Army cannot properly dress it men. The soldiers on the roadblocks resemble either Mexican rebels or Caucasian Mujahedin – some kind of paramilitary gang wearing a mix of camouflage uniforms from around the world and civilian clothing. Many men’s clothing is heavily worn and unwashed.

Which brings us to the next topic. I don’t mean to spread panic, but you can’t take words out of a song – and the words the soldiers asked me to relay are thus: “We are held here against our will in animal-like conditions, everyone has lied to us.”

Complete story at - Meanwhile, in the Ukrainian Army… | MicroBalrog

Kiev's bloody eastern Ukraine campaign LIVE UPDATES — RT News

Kiev has pledged to continue what it calls an “anti-terrorist” operation in eastern Ukraine after the presidential election. Unrest in the region has already resulted in dozens of deaths as well as the Donetsk and Lugansk regions proclaiming independence.

Monday, June 2

04:55 GMT:

A firefight continues in the city of Lugansk where militia from the self-proclaimed People's Republic of Lugansk are trying to storm the headquarters of the State Border Service of Ukraine, allegedly also used as a base by militants of the ultranationalist Right Sector union.

At least one member of the assault team has been shot dead, while the number of casualties among the besieged military unit is unknown.

The installation was sealed off soon after midnight by armed militia, demanding the servicemen lay down their arms and leave the military base. After four hours of negotiations, the militia launched an assault using assault rifles and grenade launchers.

Several attempts to enter the installation have ended in vain. The Kiev authorities are unable to send any forces to rescue the unit so they dispatched a Sukhoi fighter jet, which made several passes over the city but could not launch a missile attack because the pilot failed to identify the targets, the Ukrainian State Border Service’s press department reported.

03:09 GMT:

The self-defense forces of Lugansk are fighting with members of the nationalistic Right Sector and the National Guard army near the border guard post in the southern part of the city, Itar-Tass reported, citing the press service of the self-proclaimed People's Republic of Lugansk.

01:24 GMT:

Two rival rallies took place in Odessa on Sunday, Ruptly reports. Anti-Maidan activists gathered at Kulikovo field, showing support to the people of Donbass. The theme of their demonstration was 'Children against Nazism.' People held flags and banners which said "Ukraine against Nazism" and "Fascism is a shame of Ukraine.” The Pro-Maidan rally began almost simultaneously in another part of the city. Both rallies went off without incidents.

Complete story at - Kiev's bloody eastern Ukraine campaign LIVE UPDATES — RT News

The Vineyard of the Saker: May 30th Ukraine combat SITREP by "Juan"

1. Sporadic and heavy at times fighting around Slavyansk and the outlying villages on 29 May with no notable successes for the Nats Army and national guard units. Some losses reported for the national guard units.

2. A half battery of Grad missile launchers, BM-21, is in position within range of Mariupol. As of this morning that unit has not fired. Range of Grad missile is up to 35 kilometers.

3. A half battery of Grad missile launchers is in position within range of Slavyansk.

4. I have no positive verification of a Grad missile attack on Slavyansk. This does not mean an attack did not occur. Something very large and multiple did hit the outskirts of an outlying village but I have no source at the impact spots to verify what the impacts were.

5. Sources report that the Donbas Army action at Donetsk Airport was a trap involving proposed negotiations with certain Ukraine Army units under the auspices of a western organization in Donetsk at that time. Sources report that shortly after the negotiations started the Ukraine Army sent in by air strong reinforcements to their unit in airport as the Ukraine Army units in airport attacked the Donbas Army unit.

6. The transport of the Donbas Army wounded in convoy out of the airport area late Monday evening was arranged as a truce to succor the wounded. The two Kamaz transport trucks were each flying a red cross flag and a white flag of truce. They drove in to an ambush set up by right sector/national guard units. The drivers of both trucks were killed. One truck overturned after striking a curb. The other truck was hit by an RPG round. The surviving wounded were killed by right sector on the spot. As the wounded were being killed the two flags were removed from each truck by right sector operatives.

7. Partisan activity has started 3 days ago in Kharkov Oblast around Kharkov City among other areas targeting national guard/right sector units. 29 May losses to two national guard/right sector units were heavy in ambushes.

8. Vostok Battalion 29 May started an operation around Donetsk Administration Building of the Donbas Republic to stop looting by certain Donbas Army members after strong complaints from citizens. Metro supermarket near the airport was heavily looted by Donbas Army members as were several other shops and stores and much of the loot was stored in 3 tents in the area of Donbas Administration Building, one tent having the contents and perpetrators shown on video. Reports are 7 looters were arrested and are awaiting trial. Reports from Ukraine and west media that the looters were shot are false.

9. After the anti looting operation was completed Vostok Battalion had the square in front of Donbas Administration Building cleared of the barricades to provide access for citizens to the facility and to facilitate easier defense of the area in the event of a Ukraine attack.

10. Civilian casualties in Donbas are mounting with the random artillery attacks by units of the Ukraine Army and national guard/right sector. 29 May saw 8 civilians killed in Donbas and a like number of wounded. Some of these casualties were caused by air burst antipersonnel rounds fired from howitzers of the Ukraine Army. Targets are living areas with flats buildings with no visible Donbas Army units in the areas.

(MORE)

Complete story at - The Vineyard of the Saker: May 30th combat SITREP by "Juan"

CrossTalk: Bleeding Ukraine (ft. Graham Phillips)

Looking for Ukraine by Tim Judah | The New York Review of Books

Sloviansk—Every now and then I can hear distant explosions and bursts of gunfire. But most of the time, here in the center of Sloviansk, which since early April has become eastern Ukraine’s separatist stronghold, everything is quiet. Since the small town is chopped up by barricades and many businesses and factories have closed down, there is not much going on, so that when the wind blows you can hear it shimmer the leaves of the silver birches that line the streets. If you were looking for war here, it would be hard to find.

Ice creams are still getting through the checkpoints around town and there is a steady stream of people buying them. As I chose a chocolate bear, Irina, aged fifty, who sells them, told me that she liked being here among people, because the worst thing in this situation was being at home, alone and anxious.

When we come to look back on the Ukrainian conflict, it will be hard, if it moves from its current low-level state to a full-blown war, to say that such-and-such a date marked its beginning. Was it the day that some forty people died, many after being trapped in a building that then caught fire in Odessa? Was it the day that seven people or was it more than twenty or perhaps more than one hundred died in Mariupol, another Black Sea town? For people here the numbers they believe depend on whether they follow the Russian or Ukrainian press and, since both are lying and distorting slivers of truth, it is not surprising that people are being dragged down into a vortex of war.

But while it will be hard to agree on a date, it is already easy to say what is happening in people’s heads. Six months ago everyone here just went about their normal business. They were worried about the things that everyone worries about, and here especially: low salaries, scraping by, collecting money for all the bribes one has to pay, and so on. And then something snapped. The rotting ship of the Ukrainian state sprung a leak and everything began to go down. In people’s heads a new reality has gradually begun to take shape and, in this way, everyone is being prepared for war.

Complete story at - Looking for Ukraine by Tim Judah | The New York Review of Books