Crisis in Oekra�ne #118 And so it begins

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Op maandag 18 augustus 2014 19:14 schreef deelnemer het volgende:
The New York Times
Rebels Killed Dozens in Attack of Refugees, Ukraine Says

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“The Donetsk People’s Republic and Luhansk People’s Republic did not shoot at refugees with Grad supposedly provided by Russia,” he said.

All Grad rocket launchers in Luhansk, he said, were captured as “trophy” weapons from the Ukrainian Army, not provided by Russia. About the refugee convoy, he added, “we would not form a column ourselves and then shoot at it ourselves.”

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Dozens of people, including women and children, were killed on Monday when a convoy carrying refugees was hit by rocket fire near the eastern city of Luhansk, a Ukrainian military spokesman said.

Government forces and pro-Russian rebels accused each other of the attack on the vehicles, which were evacuating civilians from the towns of Khryaschuvate and Novosvitlivka.

"The rebels were expecting the convoy and destroyed it entirely. We haven't been able to count the number of victims ... dozens (were killed)," spokesman Andriy Lysenko said in a briefing to journalists.

Another military spokesman, Anatoly Proshin, said that evacuees were being transported by military vehicles flying white flags, which were hit by mortars and Grad rockets.

"As a result, there were a huge number of casualties. People were burned alive in the vehicles that were taking them out," Proshin told the Ukrainian Pravda newspaper.

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Op maandag 18 augustus 2014 19:31 schreef deelnemer het volgende:

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In het kader van:

Als Het Westen stelt dat Rusland invloed heeft op de Pro-Russische strijders in Oost-Oekraine, dan stelt Rusland dat Het Westen invloed heeft op de pro-Oekrainse paramilitaire strijders.

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"I want to stress that ... Article 5 of the NATO contract - the duty to provide mutual support - is not something which just exists on paper, but is also something which must be filled with life," said Merkel on a visit to the Latvian capital, Riga.

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Merkel told a joint news conference with Latvian Prime Minister Laimdota Straujuma that Germany would start "air policing" flights in Latvia from Aug. 20.

"But we must also now supplement this with further exercises and maneuvers, so that we can react swiftly and without hesitation," she said. "Everything must be done so that we have the infrastructure in the Baltic states to react quickly."

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Op maandag 18 augustus 2014 19:40 schreef meth1745 het volgende:

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yep, en extra aandacht vestigen op het dreigement van Right Sektor...

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Op maandag 18 augustus 2014 19:45 schreef deelnemer het volgende:

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... die desnoods even zouden oprukken naar Kiev.

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The Right Sector demanded that President Petro Poroshenko cleaned out the Interior Ministry staff members they considered disloyal and closed all criminal cases launched against the movement’s members, threatening to otherwise withdraw from the conflict zone in eastern Ukraine and start moving toward the Ukrainian capital.

In turn, Interior Minister Arsen Avakov responded to the ultimatum of the Right Sector, accusing Yarosh of lying to his own people. Avakov doubted that the Right Sector militants were present anywhere near the front line and claimed nobody had actually seen them "other than on photo and video."

On August 17, Right Sector leader Dmytro Yarosh reversed his statement, saying the demands were met in part and that the militants will continue to fight against the independence supporters in the east of Ukraine and will not march on Kiev.

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Russian Military Vehicles Seen On Move Just Inside Ukraine
16:07 (GMT)

A YouTube video, purportedly shot today in the town of Sukhodolsk, just across the border and a little to the north-west of the Izvarino crossing, shows a large column of military vehicles on the move:

Суходольск 12 50 по ул Шоссейная проехала колонна КАМАЗов груженные людьми и рус скорые на Луганск

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The vehicles seen include Kamaz trucks (some towing artillery,) military ambulances and, at the end, a BMD-2 infantry fighting vehicle.

The vehicles appear to lack number plates
In fact, they closely resemble ones photographed yesterday in Russia by Polish journalist Wojciech Bojanowski:

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President discussed tactics of further actions in the ATO with heads of security forces

President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko held a meeting with heads of security forces and discussed the tactics of further actions in the ATO.

"Today, we must consider a new content of military operation under new conditions," the Head of State emphasized.

Petro Poroshenko noted that the information on the entry of 1200 trained militants and armored vehicles to the territory of Ukraine "from the eastern neighbor" had been confirmed. Part of these vehicles has been destroyed. Now, measures are being taken to destroy the rest of them.

"Today, we must regroup our forces. It will ensure the protection of our territory and the continuation of offensive actions of our army," the President said.

The Head of State informed that the offensive of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the National Guard successfully continued, though the price of it was extremely high. "Each day we lose Ukrainian heroes," he said. Yesterday, as a result of direct hit by a grenade, an armored personnel carrier with paratroopers was destroyed. Husband of well-known volunteer Tetyana Rychkova is among the deceased. The Head of State instructed the Minister of Defense to prepare a submission for granting decorations to heroes who protect the Donbas at the cost of their lives.

The President emphasizes that currently there is a task to cut off the system of providing terrorists with mercenaries, new arms and ammunition, because its provision continues through the uncontrolled areas of the border. According to the President, the tactics now is "to cut the territories controlled by terrorists into zones, narrow the encirclement and deprive them of the opportunity to receive weapons and ammunition".

The Head of State stressed that dozens of cities and villages had been liberated from terrorists. "The main thing is that millions of people are free and return to normal life," he said.

Petro Poroshenko noted that the main cities controlled by militants had been already besieged. Unfortunately, they are about to face environmental disaster. The level of water in the mines of the Donbas became dangerous. Terrorists destroy transformer substations by artillery fire undermining the energy supply of complete production cycle enterprises. "Industrial potential of the Donbas is virtually being destroyed," the President said informing that currently, Ukrainian repairmen often restore the power system under the gun.

"Terrorists are temporary residents of these places, so they have no ties with them. The worse is the better for them. They destroy infrastructure, substations, bridges, enterprises. It is the guilt of militants and their foreign patrons," the President emphasized.

The Head of State offered to discuss tactics on reducing the damage and avoiding the risk for people and the elimination of industrial potential of the Donbas "to minimize work on restoration of normal life".

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Op maandag 18 augustus 2014 19:44 schreef Nintex het volgende:
Merkel wil de Baltische staten beter gaan verdedigen/voorbereiden tegen een mogelijke Russische aanval:
http://www.reuters.com/ar(...)dUSKBN0GI1JI20140818

Opvallend, zulke harde taal heb ik haar nog niet eerder horen uitspreken:

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Op maandag 18 augustus 2014 11:47 schreef remlof het volgende:
'Raket op bussen met vluchtelingen uit Loehansk'

Een colonne vluchtelingen uit de regio Loehansk is volgens de Oekra�ense regering beschoten door rebellen. Ze zouden dat hebben gedaan met Grad-raketten en mortiergranaten. Dat heeft het Oekra�ense persbureau Interfax vandaag gemeld.

Volgens een legerwoordvoerder zijn er waarschijnlijk veel slachtoffers gevallen. Een aantal kon hij niet geven. Mensen zouden zijn verbrand in hun auto's. De vluchtelingen zouden afkomstig zijn uit Novosvitlivka en Chriasjoevate.

De rebellen hebben nog niet gereageerd.

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Op maandag 18 augustus 2014 20:40 schreef Loekie1 het volgende:

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De rebellen ontkennen, werd in het journaal gezegd. Er zijn ook geen aanwijzingen dat dit is gebeurd. Wel zijn er aanwijzingen dat de regering van Oekraine constant zit te liegen.

twitter:

myroslavapetsa twitterde op maandag 18-08-2014 om 12:04:17 Archpriest Georgiy [Kovalenko], spox of #Moscow patriarchate of Orthdox Church: #Crimea is #Ukraine's territory and it must be returned reageer retweet

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Op maandag 18 augustus 2014 19:37 schreef meth1745 het volgende:

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http://www.theguardian.co(...)y-rockets?CMP=twt_gu
Ik snap het niet helemaal, hadden de rebellen dan militaire voertuigen geleverd voor het konvooi?

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Op maandag 18 augustus 2014 20:59 schreef deelnemer het volgende:

twitter:

myroslavapetsa twitterde op maandag 18-08-2014 om 12:04:17 Archpriest Georgiy [Kovalenko], spox of #Moscow patriarchate of Orthdox Church: #Crimea is #Ukraine's territory and it must be returned reageer retweet

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Currently, three major Ukrainian Orthodox Churches coexist, and often compete, in the country: the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyivan Patriarchate, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate), and the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church. Additionally, a significant body of Christians belong to the Eastern Rite Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, and a smaller number are in the Ruthenian Catholic Church.

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Op maandag 18 augustus 2014 21:23 schreef deelnemer het volgende:

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Er is verdacht weinig info over dit incident.