Russia This Week: Independent Journalists Probe Russian Soldiers’ Deaths in Ukraine
This website currently (August 29) has a series of reports of the problems families seeking news of their loved ones and of journalists seeking answers. At the beginning of a new week it is moved to an archive but there are links.
It is worth reading to see how the Russian military treats their soldiers and their families. I wrote about Kichatkin in the previous post whose "wife" claimed he was still alive and standing beside her, after which a man claiming to be Kirchatkin spoke. The number was disconnected shortly thereafter.
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| 25 August. Funeral of Leonid Kichatkin. Photo by Nina Petlyanova/Novaya Gazeta. |
Russia's part in the problem just make it look worse and worse. I would be amazed if there isn't a war soon between Russia and Ukraine.
ReplyDeleteSnow, they are already at war
DeleteNothing new about governments lying about military deaths. The U.S. spent several years lying about military deaths in Vietnam before finally admitting "advisers" were in active combat.
ReplyDeleteI can sort of understand the Russian perspective -- they really don't want to lose yet another former satellite to the influence of the EU. From a geopolitical standpoint, Ukraine's long-term interests would probably be best served by figuring out a strategy to balance between the EU and Russia, but with both powers tugging at them it's hard to find a middle way. Somehow, though, I can't picture NATO putting troops on the ground to prevent Ukraine from splintering. All the Western powers will do a lot of hand-wringing about how evil Putin is and they may even give Ukraine some military hardware, but no one is going to want to risk a "real" war.
I suspected that the USA lied about combat troops in Vietnam at first but wasn't sure. The problem is that Russia and Russians do not view themselves as a new country created from the break up of the USSR/Tsarist Empire but rather as a continuation of both with a bunch of "breakaway provinces".
DeleteEveryone acts like Ukraine and Ukrainians are non-players in this, being "puled in both directions". Ukrainians made their choice very clear when they ousted Yanukovych. They want to have the same benefits as Poland. They see NO benefits in fact a great many disadvantages to being back under Moscow's heel. They been there.
Hum, I know nothing....
ReplyDeleteSigh. More of the same.
ReplyDeleteBlessings and Bear hugs!