Russian servicemen drive armored personnel carriers on the outskirts of the city of Belgorod near the Russian-Ukrainian border on April 25, 2014. Stringer/Reuters
Did Ukraine Attack Its Own Tanks? White House "Can't Confirm Russian Convoy Was Destroyed By Kiev" -- Zero Hedge
While today's trading session was marked by news which at first blush correlated with what may be the 2014 equivalent of the Archduke Ferdinand shooting, in retrospect the newsflow made painfully little sense. Let's recap:
- Yesterday afternoon, two UK reporters working for the Guardian and Telegraph, supposedly located by the border in east Ukraine, reported that they were "eyewitnesses" as a convoy of military trucks crossed the Russian border into the breakaway Donetsk republic, aka Ukraine. While there have been photos of the military trucks that have accompanied the Russian humantiarian convoy on Russian territory, there has so far been no proof, aside from said eyewitness reports, confirming Russian military vehicles entered or were in Ukraine.
- This morning Ukraine military’s spokesman, Andriy Lysenko, shocked the world when newswires reported that Ukraine forces had attacked an armed convoy from Russia, and "destroyed" a part of it. This was subsequently reiterated by the president of Ukraine himself who said that "the given information was trustworthy and confirmed because the majority of that machines had been eliminated by the Ukrainian artillery at night", and by the secretary-general of NATO, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, who said that the alliance had detected an “incursion” of vehicles from Russia last night, adding that “what we have seen last night is the continuation of what we have seen for some time." Alas, as in the case above, just more verbal reports, with zero actual evidence.
- Shortly thereafter, Russia responded when the Russian defense ministry said that there was no Russian military column that crossed into Eastern Ukraine, and that the above reports are based on "some fantasies."
My Comment: The Ukrainians are adamant that they destroyed a Russian military convoy on Ukrainian territory. NATO is saying the following .... NATO saw "Russian incursion" into Ukraine: Anders Fogh Rasmussen (Economic Times/Reuters). The Russian Defense Ministry is denying reports that a military column even crossed into Ukraine. But what is surprising is that the U.S. government is hinting that the Russians may be telling the truth .... US: No Confirmation on Reports Russian Military Entered Ukraine (Voice of America).
So what happened?
I am not there so I rely on my friends, family, and contacts in both Ukraine and Russia on what is happening in this civil war. To begin .... my sources in the Ukraine government have admitted to me that they have no photo or video evidence to prove their government's claim that they destroyed a Russian armored column on Ukrainian territory. My Russian contacts in Moscow tell me that they have no idea on what is the basis for the Ukrainian government to make such a claim .... to them this is just an disinformation campaign. And as for my family and friends in Russia and Ukraine who are living with this mess .... they are telling me to trust nobody.
Talk about the fog of war.
9 comments:
A 100 vehicles! If true and they were manned, that's a lot of casualties somebodies just taken and it will be hard to hide.
Ukraine artillery has been cutting up the russians for months now ,and has been quoted
As being far more lethal and accurate than expected by the Russians. I am positive a convoy of armour and apc's crossed the border , however without any proof.....I can't vouch for the destruction. Either way this is going from hot to boiling . Putin is going to be forced to bring in air support or face defeat.
Once again I have to ask: what is Kiev's motivation? It's like they want to be invaded. Maybe a Russian invasion of the east would be the one thing that could force the West to truly bail them out of their economic death spiral?
You are right about the dire economic situation in Ukraine Black Knight. When I talk with family and Friends in Ukraine .... the economy is just as important as the civil war .... and they are scared of what is happening in both.
Black Knight, what do you think is going to happen with the humanitarian convoy? Since for some days ago you wrote that perhaps we could see Russian tanks crossing the border if the scenario plays out as you expect. and who do you support in this crisis or are you neutral?
I suspected the convoy might be a prelude to direct Russian intervention but I appear to have been mistaken. Time will tell. Other than that, no comment Rhaegar.
That is fine, thank you for the answer :) The convoy can start a war if someone shoots at it when it crosses the border. I have read that there has been increased military activity near it and that the pro-Russians have began retaking some town and there has been many battles this day. If the pro-Russians can connect their republics together again they can perhaps have a chance. And Black Knight do you know about what happened to Strelkov? I myself are very unsure some reports he is injured and some reports he has fled i don't know any who live in Ukraine and i cant understand written Russian, i can some words but my knowledge is very limited my Russian is almost non existent.
WNU would know better than me but he appears to have been relieved of his post and is supposedly on a rest. It seems to have something to do with Ukraine-izing the higher posts in the separatist command structure. But to be honest I have no idea what it means.
Thank you for this info, then i understand a bit better what is happening. I was a bit concerned when some of the separatist leaders had fled and some of them stepped down from their post and are still working for their republic but not with so much influence as they had before. I thought that the system would collapse but it seems that the separatist now have more local leaders as you mentioned so the pro-Russians haven't given up, this makes it more clear for me, since i was concerned that the pro-Russians would be in a terrible chaos if their lost their leaders.
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