Someone said that Russian invasion of Ukraine would come about May 4th so Putin could celebrate the "Russian" victory over Nazi German and his victory over Nazi Ukraine on May 9th. As good a guess as any.
But the noose is slowly tightening. The Geneva Agreement gave Russia what it needed, something to claim that Kyiv is not observing in that it refuses to disband Euromaidan encampment or disarm the pro-Ukrainian militants.
Violence early Easter Sunday morning at a roadblock near Slovyansk, north of Donetsk, claimed the lives of three local pro-Russia protestors and injured three others, all of whom "were armed with only sticks", according to one pro-Russian report. However the burned out carcasses of two vehicles at least one with bullet holes (pictured HERE with the story from the Toronto Star) with other reports describing a shootout, make it likely that they were at least armed.
Images emerged quickly on Russian television, showing a trove of evidence that was somehow retrieved unblemished from two smouldering attack vehicles — a bundle of U.S. dollars, Nazi-era weaponry, a satellite map of the region and a telltale business card bearing the name of the Right Sector, the Ukrainian ultranationalist group that swiftly bore the brunt of Moscow’s blame.
The "recovery" of the above "evidence" created a great deal of mirth on the internet and then someone noticed that the video footage of the scene which showed up on Russian TV and YouTube just before 9:00 am Sunday, April 20th was dated April 19th. Story HERE.
The shootout in the early hours of Sunday morning at a militant checkpoint near Bylbasivka on the outskirts of Slovyansk received swift and extensive coverage on Russian television. So swift in fact that the video of the event may have been made in advance. Ukrainska Pravda has posted a screen shot of the video shown on Russian Lifenews and posted on YouTube with this dated April 19, although the channel phoned its correspondent who said that the shootout was at “around 1.30 a.m.” on April 20. The video and report were posted on the Lifenews site at 8.53 a.m. that morning. Such discrepancies are, of course, possible if equipment or a server from a different time zone are used, though why they should be in this case seems unclear.
On April 21st, it was reported that two bodies identified as pro-Russian protestors had been pulled from the river; they had been stabbed to death. Details are hard to come by as OSCE observers are having a "difficult time" getting into the parts of eastern Ukraine where they need to be and journalists other than Russian are in danger of arrest, beating or kidnapping. One journalist, a woman from Kyiv, now is being held as a spy accused of war-crimes.
Anti-Semitism is picking up in Russia, not that it was ever dead. Since no one was buying the notion that Ukraine was over run by anti-Semites, Russia is now claiming for its internal audience that it is ALL the fault of JEWS.
Russian TV is ramping up the hate propaganda against Ukraine. Pro-Russia militia took over a TV tower and techs shut down all Ukrainian channels and placed a high tech satellite receiver on it to blast Russian propaganda TV across a swath of SE Ukraine. Power was turned off to the tower but the militia put a generator system in place.
A new anti-Semitic TV station opened on April 20th which along with Easter was also Hitler's birthday.
But the noose is slowly tightening. The Geneva Agreement gave Russia what it needed, something to claim that Kyiv is not observing in that it refuses to disband Euromaidan encampment or disarm the pro-Ukrainian militants.
Violence early Easter Sunday morning at a roadblock near Slovyansk, north of Donetsk, claimed the lives of three local pro-Russia protestors and injured three others, all of whom "were armed with only sticks", according to one pro-Russian report. However the burned out carcasses of two vehicles at least one with bullet holes (pictured HERE with the story from the Toronto Star) with other reports describing a shootout, make it likely that they were at least armed.
Images emerged quickly on Russian television, showing a trove of evidence that was somehow retrieved unblemished from two smouldering attack vehicles — a bundle of U.S. dollars, Nazi-era weaponry, a satellite map of the region and a telltale business card bearing the name of the Right Sector, the Ukrainian ultranationalist group that swiftly bore the brunt of Moscow’s blame.
The "recovery" of the above "evidence" created a great deal of mirth on the internet and then someone noticed that the video footage of the scene which showed up on Russian TV and YouTube just before 9:00 am Sunday, April 20th was dated April 19th. Story HERE.
The shootout in the early hours of Sunday morning at a militant checkpoint near Bylbasivka on the outskirts of Slovyansk received swift and extensive coverage on Russian television. So swift in fact that the video of the event may have been made in advance. Ukrainska Pravda has posted a screen shot of the video shown on Russian Lifenews and posted on YouTube with this dated April 19, although the channel phoned its correspondent who said that the shootout was at “around 1.30 a.m.” on April 20. The video and report were posted on the Lifenews site at 8.53 a.m. that morning. Such discrepancies are, of course, possible if equipment or a server from a different time zone are used, though why they should be in this case seems unclear.
On April 21st, it was reported that two bodies identified as pro-Russian protestors had been pulled from the river; they had been stabbed to death. Details are hard to come by as OSCE observers are having a "difficult time" getting into the parts of eastern Ukraine where they need to be and journalists other than Russian are in danger of arrest, beating or kidnapping. One journalist, a woman from Kyiv, now is being held as a spy accused of war-crimes.
Anti-Semitism is picking up in Russia, not that it was ever dead. Since no one was buying the notion that Ukraine was over run by anti-Semites, Russia is now claiming for its internal audience that it is ALL the fault of JEWS.
With all the focus on the Donetsk incident, the conversation has missed the forest while being distracted by a single tree. During the past month, since the annexation of Crimea, the Kremlin has shifted its rhetoric and tactics in playing the “Jewish card.” It has embraced the language of classical Russian nationalism, going back to tsarist times, and has engaged the dark forces of the Russian ultra-right. That includes using anti-Semitism as an ingredient in the anti-Ukrainian campaign.
In a nutshell: the Kremlin’s attempt, back in late February and March, to paint the new Ukrainian regime as Nazi and anti-Semitic has failed. It didn’t pick up much traction in world public opinion. So now the Kremlin is spreading the line that the Ukrainian leaders are Jews. Or at the very least, servants and lackeys of Jews. The intended audience is no longer international; it is domestic.
Russian TV is ramping up the hate propaganda against Ukraine. Pro-Russia militia took over a TV tower and techs shut down all Ukrainian channels and placed a high tech satellite receiver on it to blast Russian propaganda TV across a swath of SE Ukraine. Power was turned off to the tower but the militia put a generator system in place.
A new anti-Semitic TV station opened on April 20th which along with Easter was also Hitler's birthday.
I'm so sorry. It makes a lot of difference to me to actually know someone in an area under siege.
ReplyDeleteIt might seem irrelevant to you given all that's going on where you are, but I wrote a post (the one before the one I put up today) that concerns something you've written about from time to time, which is fascism in America, in particular Christian fascism.
One would think in Russia (as in the U.S.) that most people would see through the b.s. their government feeds them. But I suppose, like many, if you hear a lie often enough it becomes the truth. I hope you remain safe.
ReplyDeleteWill the "military exercises" near the Polish Border with Russia have any effect? I read that the US has finally agreed to these. I suspect too little, too late, as is usual with the US.
ReplyDeleteDo take care in the midst of all the lies and uncertainty.
Blessings and Bear hugs!
Snow, thanks for the tip off. I posted a link on FB though I don't know if it will be read by any but the choir.
DeleteJono, as in soviet times, there is only one story available to Russian citizens. if they do NOT believe it, the cognitive dissonance becomes impossible. At least in the West, we have our choice of believing one lie or the other and are left alone as long as we do not become dangerous to the 1%
Rob, the military exercises are to support the NATO members in their fears of Russia. The notion that NATO will intervene in eg the Baltics is negligible as especially Latvia is already under the same pressure tactics as eastern Ukraine