https://southfront.org/conflict-in-eastern-ukraine-can-soon-turn-into-open-war/
This week the military situation in eastern Ukraine has once again escalated as forces loyal to the Kiev government have advanced on positions controlled by defense forces of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DRP) near the city of Gorlovka.
Gorlovka is the DPR-controlled town, located north of the DPR capital of Donetsk. Its pre-war population was about 256,000 people.
On May 21, pro-Kiev troops, backed up by artillery and machine guns fire, stormed positions of DPR forces at the settlement of Golmovskiy, north of Gorlovka. They failed to overrun the DPR defense but killed at least 1 DPR fighter and captured 3 others. At least 10 Kiev soldiers were killed and 4 others were injured, according to the DPR side.
On May 22, a group of Kiev troops, backed up by battle tanks and BMP armoured vehicles, advanced on the settlement of Chigary, northwest of Gorlkova. Firefights also erupted in the settlement of Zaitsevo and in the area of Southern Mine. According to reports, at least 2 pro-Kiev fighters were killed and 4 others were wounded in these clashes.
On May 23, sporadic clashes in the area of Gorlovka continued. A total number of casualties of pro-Kiev forces reached at least 31 killed and 40 injured fighters.
Since the start of the week, artillery units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces increased strikes on Gorlovka and the nearby settlements. The shelling resulted in casualties among civilian population and destruction of buildings in the residential areas.
According to statements by Ukrainian officials and public figures, pro-Kiev forces are pursuing the following goals:
- To establish control over key heights near Gorlovka;
- Using the control over the key heights, to isolate the city and to force DPR troops to withdraw from it;
- To use the captured area as a foothold for further operations against the DPR in the areas of Enakievo and Debaltsevo.
The town of Debaltsevo is a key logistical hub between the DPR and the Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR). In 2015, pro-Kiev forces suffered a devastating defeat during the Battle of Debaltseve. Hundreds of troops were killed, wounded and captured by DPR and LPR forces. The Kiev plan to separate republics via a land advance failed.
However, Ukrainian leadership has not abandoned attempts to interrupt traffic between the LPR and the DPR. Currently, it uses saboteur groups for this purpose. On May 21, a bridge in the area of Ivanovka was blown up by Ukrainian saboteurs interrupting a direct supply line between Lugansk and Krasniy Luch.
Krasniy Luch is known for hosting some weapons depots of LPR forces.
Local sources also report that the Kiev side has concentrated a notable number of troops and military equipment, including battle tanks, in the area of Stanytsia Luganskaya.
The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) has commented on the recent escalation by calling on the sides to stop fighting and to fulfill their earlier commitments. Offensive actions by pro-Kiev forces have not been condemned.
Earlier SF forecasted a possible escalation in eastern Ukraine in May-June. Currently, a first phase of the new spiral of tension is observed. If international observers and the Ukrainian partners do not force the Ukrainian government to halt its aggressive actions, a new open armed conflict will arise in eastern Ukraine in the summer of 2018.
Timing is appropriate, javelins in place, note, that they are not exclusively anti armour pinpoint ammo.
Not, that they are a game changer, but they are a morale booster for the ukers.
President Bolton firmly seated, spokesperson Trump ready with the tweets, let the summer games commence!
The MH17 plane disaster – dusted off and Dutch/Australians blame Russia “legally” for the shooting down of the plane. US State Dept. now wading in too – as planned:
https://www.rt.com/news/427739-russia-rejects-mh17-downing-claim/
Russia rejects the accusations and VVP at SPIEF18 just said was not a Russian missile and why is no one questioning Ukraine. He also said Russia not involved in the investigation so until it is – can’t give any definitive response. He also said to remember those who died and their families.
Here’s the MI6/CIA version through their state propaganda mouthpiece:
MH17: Russia ‘liable’ for downing airliner over Ukraine
Read and gag:
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-44252150
From the ‘I grovel before the USA’ Julie Bishop:
“On the Australian side, Ms Bishop wrote: “The only conclusion we can reasonably now draw is that Russia was directly involved in the downing of MH17″
Not ‘highly likely” as in Skripal script? Perhaps that one’s worn out.
What the heck do the Austrailians have to do with this? Sounds like somebodies been “judge shopping.”
The Aussies took losses. They had members on the JIT (means EU cross-border authorized, nothing more). They put in their time on the out-of-town tryout of the SBU’s case that got laughed off the internet.
When they went home they said they were unable to give the government any finding. The evidence was not probative and would not be admissible in court.
It isn’t just the DPR and LPR which may face attack from Ukraine but Russia itself from the new US bases on the Black Sea.
Stalker Zone published an article in August last year warning that the US plans to turn the whole of the Ukrainian Black Sea coast into a military base with the “transformation of the Yavorov training ground into one of the biggest NATO bases outside the alliance” where “some thousands of US personnel (the main contingent), Canada, Great Britain and Poland with armored machinery are constantly deployed”
If this article was published in summer 2017 one can only shudder at the developments that have taken place there since.
I am continuously amazed that articles about the situation in Ukraine get written but never a word about this.
http://www.stalkerzone.org/entire-black-sea-coast-ukraine-will-become-us-military-base/
Rule #1 in proxy wars is not to start World War III by attacking a major power.
Is this why the Dutch regime are warming up and serving rehashed old accusations that Russians shot down MH7?
Trying to taint the World Cup in Russia is a guess. It’s all petty stuff from the Western degenerates. Listening to politicians here in Australia and else where is nauseating.
Artem Shirokov – Ukraine removes the witnesses of the crash MH-17
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YV72aj5BNF4
MH17 – Ukrainian ex-officer supplies new insight
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YUV10o81JE
You can change the videos’ subtitles to English
Corection – the right link to Artem Shirokov
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLINLsil2Qk
All in place for the soccer tournament. But Putin must have foreseen this. So it can hardly be stupidity, hosting the event.
So what would be the underlying grand strategy???
@ Rootman
All in place for the soccer tournament.
– My thoughts exactly. Nothing would be sweeter and juicier for Ukraine government and their sponsors than ruining the World Cup, especially as Ukraine and USA teams have not qualified for the event. Otherwise the date for an all-out attack would be postponed after the Cup. I’m writing this as if the assault has already taken place, which it has not and hopefully never will, and yet a lot of data point in that direction
They will start big offensive actions right at the beginning of the world football cup, mark my words.
And there will be other provocations, possibly attacks in Russia, or, perhaps, a chemical attack, using Novichok, of course, in, say, New York.
champions league final is in kiev this sunday. liverpool vs real madrid. liverpool fan attacked by masked hooligans. 3 liverpool fans’ flight has been cancelled. uefamadrid is corrupt.
I read this in Spanish sport news, some of them (“el mundo deportivo” from Catalunya) are as corrupt as “El Pais” so they were blaming Russian hooligans!!! for this. It was encouraging though to read the comments section were almost nobody believed this version. Some quite funny like:
RUSOS EN uKRANIA ?
Mas creo que son merenguesn como Roncero,guiti,alfredo ect ect ect, que estan dando su inicio a que si es posible que expulsen a los seguidores del liverpool, yaprovechar para echaarle una mano a los que estan siempre por la labor de que rusia este en la polemica y tratar de sabotiar el mundila, como lo han hecho en otras competiciones internacionales
——————
Google-translate [Mod]
But I think they are meringues like Roncero, guiti, alfredo ect ect ect, that are giving their start to if it is possible that they expel the followers of liverpool, and to take advantage of to throw a hand to those who are always for the work of which Russia is in controversy and try to sabotage the world, as they have done in other international competitions,
Great job Mod!, sorry for being lazy to translate. In the second half of this comment, this commentator speculates that this is done as an attempt to sabotage the world cup in Russia (“el mundial”) as they have tried before in other competitions (he refers probably competitions held in Russia like the winter OS).
For the last few decades, the huge security problem that the hosts of any international futbol tournament have had, and especially for those held in Europe, is the hooligans amongst the English futbol fans. They’ve been known for starting riots in the past. Typically, the hosts try to isolate the games involving the English team (and thus the English fans) to remote cities where they can clamp down with extra security to try to keep the English hooligans from starting their usual riots.
Yes, Kiev, backed by NATO, is obviously planning something to coincide with the World Cup in Russia. However, as I have written before, the Donbas Russians are well dug in, having more than three years to do so. The two mentioned attacks by Kiev failed, as was to have been expected, with Ukrainian forces losing more men than the Donbas Russians. Alas, we are going to see more fighting in the Donbas, as planned by the neocons in the US.
It looks like the Ukies have got their instructions from their bosses in Washington.
Expect to hear a lot about Gorlovka on the news in the run up to the World Cup.
Someone could have saved a lot of money if they had just decided up front that they were going to publish whatever Bellingcat says. Oh wait, wasting money by giving it to your friends is a fine and honorable western tradition.
all this thanks to Chrysta Freeland – Foreign Minister to Justin Trudeau – that bitch who is Ukrainian – through and through – West Ukrainian
Russia should consider Kadyrov a unique, irreplaceable natural resource. ;-D
Only Russia can save Ukraine, Kadyrov tells Poroshenko
https://www.rt.com/politics/427734-kadyrov-russia-save-ukraine/
“Soon after facing new sanctions from Kiev, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov stated that this would not alter his brotherly attitude to the Ukrainian people, who can always expect help from Chechens and Russians in times of trouble.
“[Ukrainian President Petro] Poroshenko is slapping sanctions on me, while our ancestors saved thousands of Ukrainians who were forced into the North Caucasus by famine from certain death. Chechens provided shelter, food, clothes, and footwear to countless women, children, and elderly people,” Kadyrov wrote on Telegram Friday.
“Not a single refugee was left without shelter or hungry, their descendants live in Chechnya to this day. This is not some remand or claim, this is a reminder to Poroshenko that only the people of the Russian Federation will help Ukrainians when disaster strikes, not Americans and their satellites,” the Chechen leader wrote.
Kadyrov also said he would always treat Ukrainians as brothers and sisters who remain close and dear to Russia in spite of the problems that have arisen in recent years.
His comments come after Ukraine imposed sanctions on 1,750 Russian citizens, including Ramzan Kadyrov, on Thursday.
In late 2017, Kadyrov was put on the US sanctions list for alleged involvement in human rights violations. The Chechen leader said at the time that the situation only made him proud and that the US should search for real human rights abusers at home, “in the White House and the Pentagon.”
Kadyrov insisted he was sanctioned, not because of alleged human rights abuses, but rather due to his relentless, lifelong fight against terrorists, many of whom were “fosterlings of the American special services.”
He also jokingly noted that Washington has no reason to worry because he had not received orders to step on US soil yet.”