Kiev Burning

Cerebus · May 22, 2014

Міжнародні спостерігачі зафіксували в України відсутність зростання антисемітизму

(International observers recorded no growth in Ukraine Anti Semitism)

After the change of government in Ukraine at the end of last winter, there is no any growth dynamics manifestations motivated by anti-Semitism. A press conference on May 20 in Ukrainian crisis media center ( Kyiv ), said chairman of the Association of Jewish Organizations and Communities of Ukraine Joseph Zissels .

" We have repeatedly stated on behalf of the Jewish community in Ukraine - said Zissels - that no increase in anti-Semitism in Ukraine. Moreover, from 2007 gradually decreases the number of antisemitic incidents in the country."

According Zissels speaking about the growth of anti-Semitic sentiment in Ukraine , the Russian propaganda deliberately distorting the facts - likely to influence the course of the presidential election.

Zissels specifically said that in 2013 was recorded thirteen anti-Semitic incidents across Ukraine ; of them - four mild attacks and nine incidents.

Rudy · May 22, 2014

Khazigstan, Uzbekistan, get ready, you're next on "As Moscow turns"

Cerebus · May 22, 2014

(Please note Russia Today is a state owned mouth piece for Putin.)

RT: Pentagon deploys another warship to Black Sea

"I can confirm the Vella Gulf, a Navy cruiser, will be going in to the Black Sea probably later this week," Pentagon spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby told the press on Tuesday, AFP reported.

Earlier this week, RT reported that a military source had told Russia’s Itar-Tass news agency that the US Department of Defense was expected to deploy a ship towards the Black Sea this week as part of what Moscow is considering a wide build-up of NATO forces in the region.

A good example of "mild" Russian propaganda. Inflammatory headline, follow up with text that reinforces that. Most people will emotionally have made up their mind about the actions already. Even if you later soften it up, the effect has already been made.

The article does go on to explain the US has signed a treaty that bars ships of war from staying in the Black Sea for more than 21 days, and that Vella Gulf is in fact just replacing the Aegis cruiser the USS Taylor. But, any Russian reading this news is just going to emotionally feel the threat from the headline and leading text.

Cerebus · May 22, 2014

Panic in #Luhansk province as separatist call for general mobilization - local journo in chat with me
— Maxim Eristavi (@MaximEristavi)
May 22, 2014

Cerebus · May 22, 2014

Moscow Times: Suspected Car Bomb Explodes in Simferopol

A powerful explosion ripped through a car in the Crimean city of Simferopol, injuring the driver and shattering the windows of a nearby apartment building, a news report said.

The blast occurred when the car was pulling into a neighborhood with a large Crimean Tatar population, Krym.Realii news portal reported Wednesday, but there was no immediate indication that the explosion was politically or ethnically motivated.

This means either 1) there was a planned attack on the Crimean Tartar population, or 2) a Crimean Tartar had an explosive go off at the wrong time.

Either one would be a very bad development. The Crimean Tartars have so far adopted a wait and see approach. The first scenario would stir up a hornets nest for the Pro Russian forces as they would most likely be identified by the CTs as the attackers. CTs are mostly Muslim, and many of them have fought in one Jihadist campaign or other in the last few years. They are also very anti Russian because of the genocide committed against them under Soviet rule.

The second means that some CTs have decided to fight to escape Russian domination, most likely to forge their own autonomous area. The Ukrainians had granted them their own legislative body, and they had some autonomy already, but I would imagine they would be more interested in full autonomy instead of re-joining Ukraine.

greenminer · May 22, 2014

http://www.policymic.com/articles/89761/america-s-two-biggest-rivals-just-made-a-major-strategic-deal-with-each-other?utm_source=policymicFB&utm_medium=main&utm_campaign=social

The news: In a "symbolic blow to U.S. global financial hegemony," China and Russia have agreed to a 30-year, $400 billion gas deal that will provide China with the energy it needs to keep its economy growing and Russia with much-needed capital. And it's all in domestic currencies, bypassing the dollar entirely. Ten years in the making, Russian President Vladimir Putin called the deal an "epochal event" and proclaimed that both countries were very satisfied with the terms

.

Thirty-eight billion cubic meters of gas will flow from Russia to China. Russia's state-run gas provider, OAO Gazprom, will also invest $55 billion in gas fields in eastern Siberia and the new pipeline in what is the biggest deal ever for the company. Gazprom's price rose 2.2% on news of the deal.

Cerebus · May 22, 2014

http://www.policymic.com/articles/89761/america-s-two-biggest-rivals-just-made-a-major-strategic-deal-with-each-other?utm_source=policymicFB&utm_medium=main&utm_campaign=social

This is actually a good development towards de-escalating tension in Eastern Europe. Russia is dependent on selling gas to Europe. That is why they moved so strongly when it looked like the Ukraine might align with the West and give Western counties access to develop their local resources and build new pipelines.

I have no doubt this played a role in getting Putin to call off the Red Army.

Now, Russia has a steady customer. Or will as soon as they either build pipelines, or work out some other transport method. It will actually be incredibly difficult to build a pipeline over thousands of miles of tundra/tiaga that is frozen solid in winter and very deep mud in summer. They will probably build export facilities and ship it.

Exactly what the US should be doing to get US gas to Europe, and Europe off the Russian teat.

All About UNT · May 23, 2014

(Please note Russia Today is a state owned mouth piece for Putin.)

RT: Pentagon deploys another warship to Black Sea

A good example of "mild" Russian propaganda. Inflammatory headline, follow up with text that reinforces that. Most people will emotionally have made up their mind about the actions already. Even if you later soften it up, the effect has already been made.

The article does go on to explain the US has signed a treaty that bars ships of war from staying in the Black Sea for more than 21 days, and that Vella Gulf is in fact just replacing the Aegis cruiser the USS Taylor. But, any Russian reading this news is just going to emotionally feel the threat from the headline and leading text.

Just wanted to clarify that the Taylor is a frigate..... Vella Gulf is the Aegis Cruiser.

Frigates are a piece of crap with very limited weapon systems (I was on one for 6 months) but the Vella Gulf (had a girlfriend on that ship) is a different story with the capacity of over 100+ various missiles.

This is actually increasing our presence rather than maintaining existing naval presence. The frigate class is merely a "show the flag" type of vessel while the destroyers and cruisers pack far more of a punch.

Rudy · June 16, 2014

What are the latest Ukranian Sitreps? Especially now that the world is focusing on The fall of Iraq.

Cerebus · July 17, 2014

Hello folks. Things have been ramping up over the last week, even before MH17 went down. The US had already increased the pressure on Moscow by imposing tougher sanctions, but the EU has not followed suit.

MH17 changes the ball game.

If MH17 was shot down, and there is strong evidence it was shot down by Russian backed forces, then a hardline HAS to be taken. Lets take a look at the evidence.

MH17 was cruising at almost 11 KM when it exploded. There isn't a MANPAD system in the world that could hit a target at that height, going the speed it was. That means a radar backed vehicle or ground based system had to be involved. Both the Ukrainians and the Russians have sophisticated enough systems. Russian media already jumped to the defense of the Russian backed separatists by saying that the separatists did not have such a system.

However ITAR-TASS, a Russian governement run news service, already reported on June 29th that the separatists HAD indeed seized a system capable of hitting the airliner.

DONETSK, June 29, /ITAR-TASS/. Self-defence forces of the Donetsk People’s Republic have taken control over a missile defence army unit equipped with Buk missile defence systems, the press service of the Donetsk People’s Republic told Itar-Tass on Sunday.

The Buk (NATO: SA-6 Gryphon) could have shot down the airliner. It was in the region, controlled by separatists forces. Russian advisers (green men) are in the area and could have manned or trained someone on the system. In addition, if you go back through this thread you will see videos where the Russian army was moving their own SA-6's and other sophisticated anti aircraft missile systems into the area.

In addition, there is reason to believe this airliner could have been shot down by Russian forces. In the last two weeks a ground attack fighter was shot down in air to air combat (who else but the Russians could have done that?) and a large troop transport plane flying at close to the same altitude as MH17 was shot down over the Donetsk region.

Most likely: Russian backed separatists shot the airliner down.

Not as likely: Russian forces shot the airliner down.

Least likely: Ukrainian forces shot it down. I find this unlikely as the Russian separatists did not have air assets, and the Ukrainians were purposely keeping anti air craft system out of the region because the only think they could shoot down is a Russian asset. Which would of course give Russia and excuse to escalate.

Cerebus · July 17, 2014

I went ahead and took a screen shot of the ITAR-TASS article as I have no doubt it will disappear soon:

Cerebus · July 17, 2014

Russian language news/social media had reported earlier today that the separatists had shot down a Ukrainian military plane. Those reports have already begun to disappear.

The official Russian line has now changed to "The Ukrainians shot down the airliner because they thought it was Putin's airplane."

Already Russian language social media is being flooded of reports that Russian speaking eye witnesses on the ground saw a Ukrainian jet following the airliner seconds before it was shot down. This is laughable of course since at 11 KM a jetliner is a speck and fighter jet sized object would only be seen by its contrail.

Cerebus · July 17, 2014

Flight aware track of MH17

Cerebus · July 17, 2014

Welp, things are going to get interesting.

AP: RECORDINGS SHOW REBELS SHOT DOWN PLANE

Ukraine's security services produced what they said were two intercepted telephone conversations that they said showed rebels were responsible for downing a Malaysian airliner.

In the first call, the security services said, rebel commander Igor Bezler tells a Russian military intelligence officer that rebel forces shot down a plane Thursday.

In the second, two rebel fighters - one of them at the scene of the crash - say the rocket attack was carried out by a unit of insurgents about 25 kilometers (15 miles) north of the crash site.

Neither recording could be independently verified.

One of the fighters, who states he is at the site of where the plane came to the ground, describes seeing scattered debris. He later describes finding the documents of somebody he identifies as an Indonesian national studying at "Thompson University."

Cerebus · July 17, 2014

Radio Free Europe: Ukraine Separatist Social Media Site Claims Plane Downing

Shortly before reports surfaced that a Malaysian Airlines Boeing 777 had crashed in eastern Ukraine, a social media site purported to belong to a separatist leader claimed that insurgents had shot down an aircraft.

In a post on VKontakte, Russia's largest social media site, which has since been taken down, separatist leader Igor Girkin, aka Strelkov, wrote: "In the vicinity of Torez, we just downed a plane, an AN-26. It is lying somewhere in the Progress Mine. We have issued warnings not to fly in our airspace. We have video confirming. The bird fell on a waste heap. Residential areas were not hit. Civilians were not injured."

Cerebus · July 17, 2014

Leaked intelligence reports say that US assets in the area:

1) noticed a ground based radar system paint the sky, and then begin to track the airliner.

2) noticed a missile launch.

3) noticed a huge heat blast incident.

Conclusion: Shot down.

They should be able to track the path of the missile to a launch site. In fact I am 100% certain they already know.

Cerebus · July 17, 2014

#Russia'n cmdr Strelkov commented on downed #MH17 (thinking it was Ukrainian): "We warned - do not fly in our skies" pic.twitter.com/hkXoaD3xvT
— Ukraine Reporter (@StateOfUkraine)
July 17, 2014

#Donetsk people's republic say they will hand over #MH17 black boxes to Moscow. So that #Putin can lie all he can http://t.co/zhgGRkwRm3
— Myroslava Petsa (@myroslavapetsa)
July 17, 2014

Separatist bragged:"How An-26 was downed.That's Buk captured by DPR's spec forces. Got fixed&works"-pic via @svaboda pic.twitter.com/p27R1jwGzm
— Myroslava Petsa (@myroslavapetsa)
July 17, 2014

Al JazeeraTV says "pro-Russian separatists" (Russian agents) keeping reporters away from the #MH17 crash site & have the black box. #Ukraine
— Andrea Chalupa (@AndreaChalupa)
July 17, 2014

UNT90 · July 17, 2014

Leaked intelligence reports say that US assets in the area:

1) noticed a ground based radar system paint the sky, and then begin to track the airliner.
2) noticed a missile launch.
3) noticed a huge heat blast incident.

Conclusion: Shot down.

They should be able to track the path of the missile to a launch site. In fact I am 100% certain they already know.

Oh, to be a fly in the phone line during the Putin/Obama conversation... Edited July 17, 2014 by UNT90

Harry · July 17, 2014

Wow this is unbelievable. You murder 295 innocents and boast that you didn't impact residential areas? Cerebus is right -- shit fixin to hit the fan. This is scary.

Cerebus · July 17, 2014

Biden just said two things:

1) Plane was shot down.

2) Americans were likely onboard.

Harry · July 17, 2014

Looks like Strelkov is back peddling:

"We did warn you — do not fly in our sky," he wrote.

Thinking it was a Ukrainian transport plane, Strelkov added that “a plane has just been downed somewhere around Torez, it lays there behind the 'Progress' mine,” referring to the mining town of some 80,000 people.

“And here is the video proving another 'bird' falling down,” he continued. “The bird went down behind a slagheap, not in a residential district. So no peaceful people were injured,” Strelkov wrote, adding that there is also information about a Ukrainian military plane shot down.

However, Strelkov deleted the post when he found out it was actually a commercial jetliner carrying 295 innocent people — not a military aircraft.

http://mashable.com/2014/07/17/malaysia-airlines-ukraine-russia-rebel/

UNT90 · July 17, 2014

Wow this is unbelievable. You murder 295 innocents and boast that you didn't impact residential areas? Cerebus is right -- shit fixin to hit the fan. This is scary.

If it was a US, British, French, Chinese (wouldn't have that been interesting), or Indian airline, things would definitely be getting interesting.

It's not. It's Malaysia. Unless there were a ton of Chinese on board, the black boxes will go back to Russia and the truth will be lied about forever.

Cerebus · July 17, 2014

It's not. It's Malaysia. Unless there were a ton of Chinese on board, the black boxes will go back to Russia and the truth will be lied about forever.

Don't think the EU is going to let this slide. I expect they are much more open to US level sanctions now.

UNT90 · July 17, 2014

Don't think the EU is going to let this slide. I expect they are much more open to US level sanctions now.

I think it depends on who was on board the plane. If there were not a lot if European nationals on the flight, I wouldn't look for the EU to change their stance one bit.

Cerebus · July 17, 2014

I think it depends on who was on board the plane. If there were not a lot if European nationals on the flight, I wouldn't look for the EU to change their stance one bit.

We'll have to disagree.

Someone asked what is the operational ceiling of the Buk? 25 KM, over twice the altitude that the airliner was cruising.