Ukraine Says Russian Forces Lead Major New Offensive in East

Ukraine Says Russian Forces Lead Major New Offensive in East

NOVOAZOVSK, Ukraine — Tanks, artillery and infantry have crossed from Russia into an unbreached part of eastern Ukraine in recent days, attacking Ukrainian forces and causing panic and wholesale retreat not only in this small border town but also a wide section of territory, in what Ukrainian and Western military officials described on Wednesday as a stealth invasion.

The attacks outside this city and in an area to the north essentially have opened a new, third front in the war in eastern Ukraine between government forces and pro-Russian separatists, along with the fighting outside the cities of Donetsk and Luhansk.

It's clear this isn't going to go away.

Any bets on how the West will respond?

See also:

US State Dept says Russian counteroffensive likely underway – State Dept

"These incursions indicate a Russian-directed counteroffensive is likely underway in Donetsk and Luhansk," State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters, referring to two rebel regions in eastern Ukraine. She also voiced concern about overnight deliveries of materiel in southeast Ukraine, where separatists on Wednesday entered a key town linking Russia to the Crimean Peninsula it recently annexed.

So let it begin.

a reply to: loam

Here`s the problem with it...

1) If Russia wants to do that, they should go in full force, the Ukrainian army will be slaughtered in no time

2) Kiev, US, NATO and The New York Times have been spewing out crap about the Ukrainian situation constantly

3) US tries to boost NATO members army spending and needs a pretext for it

4) NATO wants troops at Russia`s borders and needs a pretext for it

5) NATO wants to have anti ballistic missile system at Russia`s border for years and needs a pretext for it

6) There are volunteers who want to fight against Kiev, so they might well have been trained in Russia, but aren`t actually Russia`s forces

7) Russia might have started "small" operations to relieve Donetsk and Lugansk

8) Russia might have started "small" operations to put "pressure" on Kiev

9) Russia might have started "small" operations to regain area for the Separatists

10) Russia might have started "small" operations to get land access to Crimea

So take your pick(s)

Ill pick the Russians have planned this carefully to counter the US led Ukrainian revolution, which they fuelled by supporting the pro Russian president.....in the first place.....
I think that the Russians are playing chess with a bunch of checker players....and they have their deep game up to snuff....
They have always wanted the Ukraine back, and this is long term stuff that the west cannot counter short of total war....
Russia has already won and will win even more of the Ukraine before they are done....so sad, but so true....
US foreign policy is beholden to corporate interests and they have screwed themselves royally several times already......to serve the profits of the mega rich corporate interests...(witness the Biden boy sitting in charge of Ukrainian natural gas.....)

a reply to: stirling

The Russian hokey kokey manoeuvres with those mostly empty trucks and APCs dipping in and out of Ukraine territory are most likely an attempt to extract Russian forces before they leave the rebels to their fate.

I suspect that there are hundreds of active service Russians deployed in Ukraine at risk of being cut off with no way back to the motherland.

The battle against the rebels has been going steadily one way for the last three months, and Ukraine will not let Donetsk go the way of the Crimea. Russia knows that, and is no longer prepared to support the rebels who are crumbling under the onslaught of the Ukrainian government forces.

a reply to: BornAgainAlien

1) If Russia wants to do that, they should go in full force, the Ukrainian army will be slaughtered in no time

2) Kiev, US, NATO and The New York Times have been spewing out crap about the Ukrainian situation constantly

3) US tries to boost NATO members army spending and needs a pretext for it

4) NATO wants troops at Russia`s borders and needs a pretext for it

5) NATO wants to have anti ballistic missile system at Russia`s border for years and needs a pretext for it

6) There are volunteers who want to fight against Kiev, so they might well have been trained in Russia, but aren`t actually Russia`s forces

7) Russia might have started "small" operations to relieve Donetsk and Lugansk

8) Russia might have started "small" operations to put "pressure" on Kiev

9) Russia might have started "small" operations to regain area for the Separatists

10) Russia might have started "small" operations to get land access to Crimea

1. Russia would be making a very bad decision if they go full on in Ukraine...internationally they would be condemned.

2. unlike the truth that you get from Russian media.

3. All NATO countries are supposed to spend a certain amount of money on the military and some countries haven't done that.

4. No the countries that border Russia want NATO so they don't have what happened to Georgia and Ukraine to happen to them.

5. Any proof of this?

As for 6-10...

Russia has no right to train or send in any military hardware or troops with the intent on causing trouble in a sovereign country. As that does break the agreement they made with Ukraine when they gave up their nuclear weapons.

originally posted by: tsurfer2000h
a reply to: BornAgainAlien

1) If Russia wants to do that, they should go in full force, the Ukrainian army will be slaughtered in no time

2) Kiev, US, NATO and The New York Times have been spewing out crap about the Ukrainian situation constantly

3) US tries to boost NATO members army spending and needs a pretext for it

4) NATO wants troops at Russia`s borders and needs a pretext for it

5) NATO wants to have anti ballistic missile system at Russia`s border for years and needs a pretext for it

6) There are volunteers who want to fight against Kiev, so they might well have been trained in Russia, but aren`t actually Russia`s forces

7) Russia might have started "small" operations to relieve Donetsk and Lugansk

8) Russia might have started "small" operations to put "pressure" on Kiev

9) Russia might have started "small" operations to regain area for the Separatists

10) Russia might have started "small" operations to get land access to Crimea

1. Russia would be making a very bad decision if they go full on in Ukraine...internationally they would be condemned.

2. unlike the truth that you get from Russian media.

3. All NATO countries are supposed to spend a certain amount of money on the military and some countries haven't done that.

4. No the countries that border Russia want NATO so they don't have what happened to Georgia and Ukraine to happen to them.

5. Any proof of this?

As for 6-10...

Russia has no right to train or send in any military hardware or troops with the intent on causing trouble in a sovereign country. As that does break the agreement they made with Ukraine when they gave up their nuclear weapons.

1) It would not make much difference, but Russia isn`t looking to go in

2) Not relevant in this case

3) Money was actual spend on other things much more needed in these countries. It would not be needed, but US politics makes it needed !. US makes serious money on it, they sure would like all the extra spending, so they can make even more war

4) NATO knew Russia would not let Ukraine to become the next puppet state to get troops on it, as they have proven with Georgia

5) It has been over MSM for years, I can`t believe you actually ask for proof of it.

And Europeans wanted nothing to do with it !

As for 6-10...

If they are volunteers, Russia has no say about it. And for the training part, NATO does the same with the so called advisers. And if Russia has send in some regulars, Russia had made it clear it wasn`t going to sit idle by if NATO wanted to try and get on Russia`s doorstep.

I wouldn't expect Russia to tread lightly at this point. The intentions of the west are obvious and I'm sure Russia has no desire to be enveloped by the west. I'm sure they also realize that with America so embroidered in the ME expanding into Syria, we can only do so much. More unintended consequences.

Which brings up another thought, how come we never hear about Russia actions in the ME? Surely, the have a dog in that fight too.

originally posted by: Rosinitiate
I wouldn't expect Russia to tread lightly at this point. The intentions of the west are obvious and I'm sure Russia has no desire to be enveloped by the west. I'm sure they also realize that with America so embroidered in the ME expanding into Syria, we can only do so much. More unintended consequences.

Which brings up another thought, how come we never hear about Russia actions in the ME? Surely, the have a dog in that fight too.

Putin is very wary of Ukraine being a trap by US, so he doesn`t want to get caught in full scale war (Russia is limit in how much big wars they can fight). Ukraine is also going to be costly if occupied by Russia, so they have no interest in it, Russia is big enough as it is. Lots of different stakes at play in the Ukraine.

US wants to go after Syria and Iran and needs Russia to be busy. Russia has helped out Assad together with Iran and Hezbollah, and because of that Assad was wining. But that was no what US wanted so they started to arm and train Syrian rebels.

Russians know exactly what they are doing and 1 way or another they are going to do it.

Kiev/US : Russian soldiers are helping out

Kremlin : Russian soldier are volunteers helping out

Thousands of Russian soldiers fought along with the pro-Russian Separatists against the Ukrainian army. Some have even taken a leave for the Russian army to fight in Ukraine. According to Separatist leader Aleksandr Zachartsjenko today in an interview. He is the "prime minister" of the self-proclaimed People's Republic of Donetsk.

"They prefer to spend their holiday with us, brothers who fight for their freedom, than to be on the beach," Zachartsjenko said. He talks about 3000 to 40 000 Russian soldiers. The interview is on the site of a Russian state television channel.

Zachartsjenko said this month in another video on the Internet the separatists are supported with equipment and some 1,200 fighters from Russia. According to the Kremlin they are nothing more than volunteers who travel to Ukraine on their own initiative.

Novoazovsk
This morning it was announced that the strategically located city Ukrainian Novoazovsk has been conquered by pro-Russian Separatists. Yesterday the Separatist went into the city after 3 days of siege.

www.volkskrant.nl...

a reply to: loam

People here have been saying what will happen since the beginning of this conflict.

NATO obviously wants a base in Eastern Ukraine, right in front of Russia. It is no more a public secret, since they will debate it next week on their summit.

I hope people now understand why this whole conflict was started in the first place.

"Russian invasion eastern Ukraine"

In eastern Ukraine, there is a "direct invasion of Russian forces. So says the representative of Ukraine to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in Vienna.

The Russian envoy to the OSCE said earlier that Russian troops did not cross the border at any place.

According to the Ukrainian ambassador The city Novoazovsk like several surrounding places are occupied by Russian soldiers.

www.rtlnieuws.nl...

So no invasion after all....?

Ukraine Accuses Russia Of Launching Invasion, Then Promptly Retracts

CORRECTED-UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT POROSHENKO SAYS RUSSIAN TROOPS HAVE BEEN BROUGHT INTO UKRAINE (NOT 'RUSSIAN MILITARY INVASION HAS TAKEN PLACE') - PRESIDENTIAL WEBSITE

www.zerohedge.com...

Even big bully's get to blink every now and then. Fresh from patting themselves on the back about the middle east the west runs into real problems concerning their pipeline projects.

Then when the proxy war fails bigger powers get to butt heads directly. Ooooo,, let me get my popcorn and lead hazmat suit out. Gonna be one hell of a show.

Time to drag out my reloading gear and the canning equipment. Where in the hell is that bug out bag....

Invasion after all...?

Reuters reporter: "I see Russian military vehicles driving through the fields'

Reports flowing in about Russians troops fighting in the Ukraine, Moscow denies any involvement. This is what Reuters reporter Christian Lowe sees happening, just over the Russian border as an eyewitness:

"I see a column of military vehicles and cars with soldiers, one of whom was wounded in the face, riding through the Russian fields, just across the border with Ukraine.

"None of the vehicles carries recognizable Russian characters. I see a combat helicopter with a red star, at a military first aid post.

"The convoy travels three kilometers from the Ukrainian-Russian border, thirty kilometers from the city Starobesheve in Ukraine. That city is, according to the authorities in Kiev held by Russian troops, backed by separatists.

Some trucks are battered and have white circles recognition marks. On the way to Krasnodarovka you can see more of these trucks, some from Ukraine, others on the way towards it.

"Many men wearing camouflage suits and white bandages. A soldier at the first aid station says about those bandages: "It means that everything is okay, you're one of us." Another says that he is from the Russian city Ivanoho, home of the 98-th Air Force Division.

www.volkskrant.nl... -rijden.dhtml

So it seems, there are troops crossing the border from Russia to Ukraine, but not clear about what they are :

They could be in Russia trained "volunteers" with heavy equipment, who have been prepared the last couple of months or they could be Russians in disguise.

I started a new thread in another forum with the latest news that tanks and APCs are rolling in to Ukraine.

U.S. official says 1,000 Russian troops enter Ukraine

In a lot of ways this whole Ukraine situation has paralleled the start of WW2.

I go in to a little more depth in the other thread.

NATO acknowledge defeat for Ukrainian forces...?

If they acknowledge it will end in a stale mate and Separatist keep their territory Kiev has failed.

War in east Ukraine to end in deadlock — NATO

BRUSSELS, August 28. /ITAR-TASS/. Combat operations in east Ukraine will end up in a complete deadlock and the eastern self-defense forces will keep the territories under their control now, Brigadier General Nico Tak, the director of NATO’s Comprehensive Crisis and Operations Management Center (CCOMC) said at a briefing Thursday. The briefing was held at the headquarters of NATO’s Allied Command in Europe in the Belgian city of Mons.

en.itar-tass.com...

a reply to: stirling

It's all go for the Russins following that meeting in Minsk the other day. All planned out. Poroshenko's probably in on it. Let's face it, the whole ex USSR is run (according to my Moscow friend) by the mafia and these premiers are the figureheads/bosses. The clip of Putin when he met Poroshenko was amazing. If I was Poroshenko I'd be a very worried man. The look on Putin's face as he shook hands with the Ukranian, said it all. Man meets boy sort of thing. Added to that the Putin backers/left and right hand men, Nazarbayev and Lukashenko, they acted like they were ready to land one on the poor Ukranian if he made one false move. Now we see Russia going in with more resources. From that I'd say it's game over for the Ukranian military in the East. Just before winter and they freeze in their tower blocks. Silly sods took the bait.............