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Novorossiya showed a BMP-2 with Kontakt-1 ERA
Ukraine Crisis | Updates & Discussions
- Thread starter Justin
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US Embassy in Kyiv:since 2014 Washington has provided 11 billion dollars for Ukraine's defense
May 25, 2019
Since 2014, the U.S. has allocated more than $1.1 billion for military training and equipment to help Ukraine boost its defense capability and protect its borders, reported the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv on its Facebook page.
It is also reported that Colonel Bob Peters on behalf of the U.S. Embassy and the United States European Command, along with the General Mykola Malkov who is a commander of the Ukrainian State Special Transport Service planted a tree in commemoration of a strong partnership between Ukraine and the United States in the area of defense.
The U.S. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry, during his visit to Kyiv, said that Washington is ready to assist Ukraine with the purchase of gas and provide two billion U.S. dollars loan guarantees for these purposes.
uawire.org
May 25, 2019
Since 2014, the U.S. has allocated more than $1.1 billion for military training and equipment to help Ukraine boost its defense capability and protect its borders, reported the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv on its Facebook page.
It is also reported that Colonel Bob Peters on behalf of the U.S. Embassy and the United States European Command, along with the General Mykola Malkov who is a commander of the Ukrainian State Special Transport Service planted a tree in commemoration of a strong partnership between Ukraine and the United States in the area of defense.
The U.S. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry, during his visit to Kyiv, said that Washington is ready to assist Ukraine with the purchase of gas and provide two billion U.S. dollars loan guarantees for these purposes.
US Embassy in Kyiv:since 2014 Washington has provided 11 billion dollars for Ukraine's defense
Since 2014, the U.S. has allocated more than $1.1 billion for military training and equipment to help Ukraine boost its defense capability and protect its borders, reported the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv on its Facebook page. It is also reported that Colonel Bob Peters on behalf of the U.S. Embassy...
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Kyiv: U.S. Senate proposes increasing assistance to Ukraine in defense budget up to $300 million
May 24, 2019
The United States Senate proposes to increase aid to Ukraine up to 300 million dollars in the defense budget for 2020 and significantly expand the security assistance to Ukraine, reports the Embassy of Ukraine in the United States.
"United States Senate Committee on Armed Services approved the U.S. National Defense Budget proposal for 2020", which authorizes the allocation of 300 million dollars to the Pentagon to provide security assistance to Ukraine. The amount has increased by 50 million dollars compared to 2019. Of this amount, 100 million U.S. dollars should be directed exclusively to lethal weapons," reports the Ukrainian Embassy on their Facebook page.
According to the draft, it is proposed to expand the areas of U.S. assistance in strengthening the defense capability of the Armed Forces of Ukraine by including coastal defense and anti-ship missiles.
The US National Defense budget for 2020 will come into force after its adoption by the Senate and the House of Representatives and after the President of the United States will sign it.
The Embassy also expressed gratitude to the Senate's Committee on Armed Services "for an important decision aimed to strengthen the security and defense of Ukraine, as well as the U.S. assistance to Ukraine in the fight against continuing Russian aggression."
Earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump said that he will propose to Congress to increase the defense budget for 2020 to $750 billion.
In September last year, Trump signed the Pentagon budget, providing $250 million of assistance to Ukraine. Fifty million U.S. dollars of this amount should have been directed to lethal weapons.
uawire.org
May 24, 2019
The United States Senate proposes to increase aid to Ukraine up to 300 million dollars in the defense budget for 2020 and significantly expand the security assistance to Ukraine, reports the Embassy of Ukraine in the United States.
"United States Senate Committee on Armed Services approved the U.S. National Defense Budget proposal for 2020", which authorizes the allocation of 300 million dollars to the Pentagon to provide security assistance to Ukraine. The amount has increased by 50 million dollars compared to 2019. Of this amount, 100 million U.S. dollars should be directed exclusively to lethal weapons," reports the Ukrainian Embassy on their Facebook page.
According to the draft, it is proposed to expand the areas of U.S. assistance in strengthening the defense capability of the Armed Forces of Ukraine by including coastal defense and anti-ship missiles.
The US National Defense budget for 2020 will come into force after its adoption by the Senate and the House of Representatives and after the President of the United States will sign it.
The Embassy also expressed gratitude to the Senate's Committee on Armed Services "for an important decision aimed to strengthen the security and defense of Ukraine, as well as the U.S. assistance to Ukraine in the fight against continuing Russian aggression."
Earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump said that he will propose to Congress to increase the defense budget for 2020 to $750 billion.
In September last year, Trump signed the Pentagon budget, providing $250 million of assistance to Ukraine. Fifty million U.S. dollars of this amount should have been directed to lethal weapons.
Kyiv: U.S. Senate proposes increasing assistance to Ukraine in defense budget up to $300 million
The United States Senate proposes to increase aid to Ukraine up to 300 million dollars in the defense budget for 2020 and significantly expand the security assistance to Ukraine, reports the Embassy of Ukraine in the United States. "United States Senate Committee on Armed Services approved the...
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Kyiv reports that eight Ukrainian soldiers were detained in DPR
May 23, 2019
The Joint Forces Operation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that eight Ukrainian servicemen were detained near Donetsk, according a message posted to the Facebook page of the operation’s command.
This happened near the settlement of Novotroitsk in the early morning of May 22. The detainees were driving a truck near Novotroitsk, but, “deviated from the set route and entered the temporarily occupied territory.”
At the same time, People's Militia authorities in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) reported the detention of a group of “Ukrainian saboteurs”.
“Upon being detained, we seized the soldiers’ uniforms, license plates, government-issued documents as well as explosives similar to those used by the People’s Militia. The detainees are being investigated,” the statement reads.
The number of detainees was not reported. President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky, who took office on May 20, said earlier that peace in the Donbas can be achieved after both sides release all the Ukrainian prisoners of war. The armed conflict in eastern Ukraine started in 2014. According to the UN, it has taken the lives of 13 thousand people.
uawire.org
May 23, 2019
The Joint Forces Operation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that eight Ukrainian servicemen were detained near Donetsk, according a message posted to the Facebook page of the operation’s command.
This happened near the settlement of Novotroitsk in the early morning of May 22. The detainees were driving a truck near Novotroitsk, but, “deviated from the set route and entered the temporarily occupied territory.”
At the same time, People's Militia authorities in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) reported the detention of a group of “Ukrainian saboteurs”.
“Upon being detained, we seized the soldiers’ uniforms, license plates, government-issued documents as well as explosives similar to those used by the People’s Militia. The detainees are being investigated,” the statement reads.
The number of detainees was not reported. President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky, who took office on May 20, said earlier that peace in the Donbas can be achieved after both sides release all the Ukrainian prisoners of war. The armed conflict in eastern Ukraine started in 2014. According to the UN, it has taken the lives of 13 thousand people.
Kyiv reports that eight Ukrainian soldiers were detained in DPR
The Joint Forces Operation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that eight Ukrainian servicemen were detained near Donetsk, according a message posted to the Facebook page of the operation’s command. This happened near the settlement of Novotroitsk in the early morning of May 22. The...
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Saakashvili asks Zelensky to restore his Ukrainian citizenship
May 23, 2019 12:00:56 PM
Ruslan Chernolutsky, the lawyer of Former President of Georgia and Chairman of the Odessa regional state administration Mikheil Saakashvili, claims that he sent a letter from Saakashvili to the Presidential Administration of Vladimir Zelensky in which Saakashvili asks to have his Ukrainian citizenship reinstated, as reported by Radio Svoboda.
“We are continuing the new phase and active defense of Mikheil Saakashvili’s return to Ukraine. A new era has come - a new president! Therefore, today I visited the Presidential Administration of Ukraine and, as his lawyer, filed an appeal to President Vladimir Zelensky to restore justice and return Saakashvili his Ukrainian citizenship. To be continued ... look out for what happens next and what new legal measures we will take,” Chernolutsky posted to Facebook on May 22.
The Presidential Administration has not commented on the situation.
Saakashvili said that after Vladimir Zelensky’s victory in the presidential election, he will try and return to Ukraine. On the day of the first round of elections, Zelensky did not object to Saakashvili’s return to Ukraine and said that he might need the former Georgian president’s help.
In 2015, Saakashvili was granted Ukrainian citizenship and President of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko, appointed him to the post of Chairman of the Odessa regional state administration. During his tenure, Saakashvili repeatedly criticized the Ukrainian authorities. In the fall of 2016, he resigned. At the end of July 2017, Poroshenko signed a decree revoking Mikheil Saakashvili’s Ukranian citizenship for consciously submitting false information when obtaining Ukrainian citizenship. On September 10, 2017, Saakashvili entered Ukrainian territory without passing through border control.
On February 12, 2018, Mikheil Saakashvili was detained in a restaurant in Kyiv’s center after which the State Border Service and the State Migration Service of Ukraine stated that he had been deported to Poland - the country from which he arrived in September 2017 “in violation of Ukrainian legislation”. From Poland, Saakashvili travelled to the Netherlands.
uawire.org
May 23, 2019 12:00:56 PM
Ruslan Chernolutsky, the lawyer of Former President of Georgia and Chairman of the Odessa regional state administration Mikheil Saakashvili, claims that he sent a letter from Saakashvili to the Presidential Administration of Vladimir Zelensky in which Saakashvili asks to have his Ukrainian citizenship reinstated, as reported by Radio Svoboda.
“We are continuing the new phase and active defense of Mikheil Saakashvili’s return to Ukraine. A new era has come - a new president! Therefore, today I visited the Presidential Administration of Ukraine and, as his lawyer, filed an appeal to President Vladimir Zelensky to restore justice and return Saakashvili his Ukrainian citizenship. To be continued ... look out for what happens next and what new legal measures we will take,” Chernolutsky posted to Facebook on May 22.
The Presidential Administration has not commented on the situation.
Saakashvili said that after Vladimir Zelensky’s victory in the presidential election, he will try and return to Ukraine. On the day of the first round of elections, Zelensky did not object to Saakashvili’s return to Ukraine and said that he might need the former Georgian president’s help.
In 2015, Saakashvili was granted Ukrainian citizenship and President of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko, appointed him to the post of Chairman of the Odessa regional state administration. During his tenure, Saakashvili repeatedly criticized the Ukrainian authorities. In the fall of 2016, he resigned. At the end of July 2017, Poroshenko signed a decree revoking Mikheil Saakashvili’s Ukranian citizenship for consciously submitting false information when obtaining Ukrainian citizenship. On September 10, 2017, Saakashvili entered Ukrainian territory without passing through border control.
On February 12, 2018, Mikheil Saakashvili was detained in a restaurant in Kyiv’s center after which the State Border Service and the State Migration Service of Ukraine stated that he had been deported to Poland - the country from which he arrived in September 2017 “in violation of Ukrainian legislation”. From Poland, Saakashvili travelled to the Netherlands.
Saakashvili asks Zelensky to restore his Ukrainian citizenship
Ruslan Chernolutsky, the lawyer of Former President of Georgia and Chairman of the Odessa regional state administration Mikheil Saakashvili, claims that he sent a letter from Saakashvili to the Presidential Administration of Vladimir Zelensky in which Saakashvili asks to have his Ukrainian...
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- Nov 17, 2017
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Media: Kolomoisky fled Israel fearing extradition to the US
Sunday, May 26, 2019
The Ukrainian oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky left Israel in a hurry, fearing prosecution and subsequent deportation to the US, reports the Telegram channel The Newsroom.
“Two unrelated sources have told us that Kolomoisky returned because the FBI had him pinned in Israel. The amount of information on the oligarch’s schemes is supposedly so large that the local Mossad had already gladly made plans to hand him over to the Americans, despite the fact that Israel does not extradite its own citizens to anyone (which is why Kolomoisky went there from Switzerland),” the Telegram channel states.
In its post, the channel remarks that Kolomoisky returned to Ukraine in the hope that the newly elected president, Volodymyr Zelensky, whose election campaign he supported, will not extradite him to the US out of gratitude.
“However, it is clear that this plan is not to the Americans’ liking. Especially since upon returning, Kolomoisky has already managed to kick two acquaintances of Trump’s friend Rudolph Giuliani, who tried to organize his meeting with Zelensky,” the Newroom writes.
Trump’s personal attorney, Rudolph Giuliani, recently called on the new Ukrainian government to start investigating Kolomoisky, since he had allegedly threatened American citizens. Giuliani also advised Zelensky to rid himself of all the oligarch’s people in his close circle. Apparently he was referring to Kolomoisky’s lawyer, Andriy Bohdan, who has been appointed head of the presidential administration.
“The US continues to circle Kolomoisky, as if on a hunt, and this circle is constantly growing smaller. According to our information, two days ago Giuliani was in Paris discussing the oligarch not only with the head of the Ukrainian Specialized Anti-corruption Prosecution, Nazar Holodnitsky, but also with the French prosecutor. What he wanted to dig up on Kolomoisky in France is not known. It is possible that he discussed the details of the extradition agreement between the two countries,” the article continues.
Ihor Kolomoisky, who has both Ukrainian and Israeli citizenship, returned to Ukraine on 16 May. He denied that his return was linked to Zelensky’s victory in the elections.
uawire.org
Sunday, May 26, 2019
The Ukrainian oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky left Israel in a hurry, fearing prosecution and subsequent deportation to the US, reports the Telegram channel The Newsroom.
“Two unrelated sources have told us that Kolomoisky returned because the FBI had him pinned in Israel. The amount of information on the oligarch’s schemes is supposedly so large that the local Mossad had already gladly made plans to hand him over to the Americans, despite the fact that Israel does not extradite its own citizens to anyone (which is why Kolomoisky went there from Switzerland),” the Telegram channel states.
In its post, the channel remarks that Kolomoisky returned to Ukraine in the hope that the newly elected president, Volodymyr Zelensky, whose election campaign he supported, will not extradite him to the US out of gratitude.
“However, it is clear that this plan is not to the Americans’ liking. Especially since upon returning, Kolomoisky has already managed to kick two acquaintances of Trump’s friend Rudolph Giuliani, who tried to organize his meeting with Zelensky,” the Newroom writes.
Trump’s personal attorney, Rudolph Giuliani, recently called on the new Ukrainian government to start investigating Kolomoisky, since he had allegedly threatened American citizens. Giuliani also advised Zelensky to rid himself of all the oligarch’s people in his close circle. Apparently he was referring to Kolomoisky’s lawyer, Andriy Bohdan, who has been appointed head of the presidential administration.
“The US continues to circle Kolomoisky, as if on a hunt, and this circle is constantly growing smaller. According to our information, two days ago Giuliani was in Paris discussing the oligarch not only with the head of the Ukrainian Specialized Anti-corruption Prosecution, Nazar Holodnitsky, but also with the French prosecutor. What he wanted to dig up on Kolomoisky in France is not known. It is possible that he discussed the details of the extradition agreement between the two countries,” the article continues.
Ihor Kolomoisky, who has both Ukrainian and Israeli citizenship, returned to Ukraine on 16 May. He denied that his return was linked to Zelensky’s victory in the elections.
Media: Kolomoisky fled Israel fearing extradition to the US
The Ukrainian oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky left Israel in a hurry, fearing prosecution and subsequent deportation to the US, reports the Telegram channel The Newsroom. “Two unrelated sources have told us that Kolomoisky returned because the FBI had him pinned in Israel. The amount of information on...
space cadet
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there is more video if you follow link to original article
www.thedrive.com
Trains loaded with large amounts of Russian military hardware, including tanks and other heavy armored vehicles, as well as heavy artillery, appear to be streaming toward the country's borders with Ukraine. There are unconfirmed reports that the scale of these movements is so significant that it has, to the dismay of Russian farmers, disrupted shipments of tractors and other agricultural equipment ahead of the spring harvest season. U.S. officials are now worried that a new major round of fighting between Russia and Ukraine may be imminent as a ceasefire is at risk of expiring tomorrow.
It's not entirely clear when the Russian buildup began, but video footage and other imagery reportedly showing armored vehicles and other military equipment on trains heading toward southwestern Russian has been appearing on social media since at least March 27, 2021. There have also been sightings of large ground convoys and groups of aircraft.
This includes at least one clip of a trainload of 152mm 2S19 Msta-S self-propelled howitzers, BMP-3 infantry fight vehicles, and other military vehicles, crossing a bridge that now links Russia to the Crimean Peninsula, and footage of what appears to be the same train in the Crimean city of Kerch. Russian forces seized this region from Ukraine in 2014 and the Kremlin subsequently annexed it.
Some military movements in the same general region had been observed earlier the month and appeared to be related to a previously announced exercise. However, there have now been reports that Russian forces that took part in those drills remained deployed after the training officially wrapped up on March 23. In addition, subsequent deployments had reportedly seen troops, including units not known to have been involved in the aforementioned drills, head out to locations outside of the publicly announced exercise areas.
"We've reached out to Russia to try to gain a little more clarity on what's going on," top Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby said on March 31. U.S. Army General Mark Milley, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, had reached out to his Russian counterpart, General Valery Gerasimov, on March 31, 2021, to ask about the troop movements, but it's unclear what the Russian response was to those queries. Milley also spoke with Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Ruslan Khomchak about the developing situation.
“The Russian Federation continues its aggressive policy towards Ukraine,” Khomchak had told his country's parliament on March 30. “An additional concentration of up to 25 tactical groups is expected, which, together with the already deployed forces near the state border of Ukraine, poses a threat to the military security of the state."
Khomchak had also said that Russia has around 32,700 military personnel in Crimea, at present. Since annexing the territory in 2014, the Kremlin has significantly expanded its military presence there to include air, naval, and ground-based assets, including anti-ship cruise missile and surface-to-air missile batteries.
Russia also oversees some 28,000 personnel in "separatist" units in areas of eastern Ukraine known collectively as the Donbass who have been fighting the government in Kyiv since 2015. Though the Kremlin denies it, the evidence is clear that a substantial portion of these forces is simply regular Russian military units deployed on Ukrainian soil. There are also strong links between Russia's intelligence services and ostensibly "local" forces.
It's not clear exactly how much additional Russian military hardware is actually heading towards the border with Ukraine, but there are reports that the deliveries are substantial enough to have disrupted the movement of other goods via rail, such as agricultural tractors, in the country, according to the Kommersant newspaper. The Russian Ministry of Defense did not respond to Kommersant's queries on the matter and, interestingly, the outlet's sources within the country's defense establishment denied the claims that large numbers of flatbed railcars have been requisitioned from state railroad operators for military use.
Though the new Russian military buildup is clearly at least a message meant for Ukrainian authorities, what the Kremlin's exact plan is remains unclear. The Trilateral Contact Group on Ukraine, which includes representatives from Ukraine, Russia, and the multinational Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), reportedly failed to agree on the terms of an extension of an existing ceasefire agreement in Donbass beyond April 1.
The Ukrainian delegation pointed the finger squarely at the Russians for the breakdown in talks, according to reports. Both sides routinely accuse each other of violating the current ceasefire, regardless, with Ukrainian officials saying 26 of its soldiers have died in fighting this year already.
The immediate concern is that major fighting in Donbass could resume after the ceasefire expires tomorrow. The New York Times reported today that U.S. European Command (EUCOM) had changed Ukraine's status on an internal watch list from "possible crisis" to "potential imminent crisis," the latter being the most serious level on the scale.
It is important to point that there have been concerning spikes in Russia's military activity near Ukraine in the past, but the timing of these developments around the expiration of the ceasefire seems particularly notable. The very visible massing of Russian forces in areas along Ukraine's borders could simply be intended as a deterrent against a new Ukrainian offensive into Donbass. At the same time, if a new round of large-scale fighting were to erupt in eastern Ukraine, there is also the possibility that Russia might seek to change the status quo around areas presently occupied by "separatist" elements to put additional pressure on the government in Kyiv.
The pressure resulting from any outburst of fighting in Ukraine could also apply to the United States. Earlier this month, Russian President Vladimir Putin publicly responded in an unusually angry fashion to remarks U.S. President Joe Biden had made in an interview with ABC News's George Stephanopoulos. Biden had agreed with the characterization of Putin as a "killer" and said that he would “pay a price” for interference in the 2020 U.S. Presidential Election, something the Kremlin denies.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken did reiterate the U.S. government's support for Ukraine's "sovereignty and territorial integrity" in a call today with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba. The United States, as well as most of the international community, does not recognize Russia's occupation of Crimea or "separatist" claims in Donbass. However, Ukraine is not a NATO member or otherwise a formal American ally, though they are an important regional security partner, and it's unclear how willing or able the U.S. government would be to prevent any new major incursion by Russia into Ukraine.
Prompting some level of crisis with Ukraine could also help the Kremlin distract attention from domestic issues, such as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, in Russia. Earlier this year, Russian President Vladimir Putin faced unusually large protests over the arrest of political dissident Alexei Navalny. Navalny is a long-time critic of Putin, as well as other Russian officials, and has headed up an organization dedicated to exposing government corruption in Russia.
Navalny is now on a hunger strike in prison after being convicted of what he and his lawyers say were politically motivated charges in February. He was arrested immediately after returning to Russian from treatment in Germany following an assassination attempt last year involving one of a secretive family of chemical weapons referred to collectively as Novichoks.
Whatever the exact goals of Russia's new military buildup near Ukraine might be, it has already succeeded in provoking concerns about a new escalation in the conflict between the two countries.
Russian Armor Floods Toward Border With Ukraine Amid Fears Of An "Imminent Crisis"
A flurry of alarming reports and social media posts indicate that Russia is pouring military hardware into Crimea and its border with Eastern Ukraine.
www.thedrive.com
Russian Armor Floods Toward Border With Ukraine Amid Fears Of An "Imminent Crisis"
A flurry of alarming reports and social media posts indicate that Russia is pouring military hardware into Crimea and its border with Eastern Ukraine.
BY JOSEPH TREVITHICK MARCH 31, 2021Trains loaded with large amounts of Russian military hardware, including tanks and other heavy armored vehicles, as well as heavy artillery, appear to be streaming toward the country's borders with Ukraine. There are unconfirmed reports that the scale of these movements is so significant that it has, to the dismay of Russian farmers, disrupted shipments of tractors and other agricultural equipment ahead of the spring harvest season. U.S. officials are now worried that a new major round of fighting between Russia and Ukraine may be imminent as a ceasefire is at risk of expiring tomorrow.
It's not entirely clear when the Russian buildup began, but video footage and other imagery reportedly showing armored vehicles and other military equipment on trains heading toward southwestern Russian has been appearing on social media since at least March 27, 2021. There have also been sightings of large ground convoys and groups of aircraft.
This includes at least one clip of a trainload of 152mm 2S19 Msta-S self-propelled howitzers, BMP-3 infantry fight vehicles, and other military vehicles, crossing a bridge that now links Russia to the Crimean Peninsula, and footage of what appears to be the same train in the Crimean city of Kerch. Russian forces seized this region from Ukraine in 2014 and the Kremlin subsequently annexed it.
Some military movements in the same general region had been observed earlier the month and appeared to be related to a previously announced exercise. However, there have now been reports that Russian forces that took part in those drills remained deployed after the training officially wrapped up on March 23. In addition, subsequent deployments had reportedly seen troops, including units not known to have been involved in the aforementioned drills, head out to locations outside of the publicly announced exercise areas.
"We've reached out to Russia to try to gain a little more clarity on what's going on," top Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby said on March 31. U.S. Army General Mark Milley, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, had reached out to his Russian counterpart, General Valery Gerasimov, on March 31, 2021, to ask about the troop movements, but it's unclear what the Russian response was to those queries. Milley also spoke with Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Ruslan Khomchak about the developing situation.
“The Russian Federation continues its aggressive policy towards Ukraine,” Khomchak had told his country's parliament on March 30. “An additional concentration of up to 25 tactical groups is expected, which, together with the already deployed forces near the state border of Ukraine, poses a threat to the military security of the state."
Khomchak had also said that Russia has around 32,700 military personnel in Crimea, at present. Since annexing the territory in 2014, the Kremlin has significantly expanded its military presence there to include air, naval, and ground-based assets, including anti-ship cruise missile and surface-to-air missile batteries.
Russia also oversees some 28,000 personnel in "separatist" units in areas of eastern Ukraine known collectively as the Donbass who have been fighting the government in Kyiv since 2015. Though the Kremlin denies it, the evidence is clear that a substantial portion of these forces is simply regular Russian military units deployed on Ukrainian soil. There are also strong links between Russia's intelligence services and ostensibly "local" forces.
It's not clear exactly how much additional Russian military hardware is actually heading towards the border with Ukraine, but there are reports that the deliveries are substantial enough to have disrupted the movement of other goods via rail, such as agricultural tractors, in the country, according to the Kommersant newspaper. The Russian Ministry of Defense did not respond to Kommersant's queries on the matter and, interestingly, the outlet's sources within the country's defense establishment denied the claims that large numbers of flatbed railcars have been requisitioned from state railroad operators for military use.
Though the new Russian military buildup is clearly at least a message meant for Ukrainian authorities, what the Kremlin's exact plan is remains unclear. The Trilateral Contact Group on Ukraine, which includes representatives from Ukraine, Russia, and the multinational Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), reportedly failed to agree on the terms of an extension of an existing ceasefire agreement in Donbass beyond April 1.
The Ukrainian delegation pointed the finger squarely at the Russians for the breakdown in talks, according to reports. Both sides routinely accuse each other of violating the current ceasefire, regardless, with Ukrainian officials saying 26 of its soldiers have died in fighting this year already.
The immediate concern is that major fighting in Donbass could resume after the ceasefire expires tomorrow. The New York Times reported today that U.S. European Command (EUCOM) had changed Ukraine's status on an internal watch list from "possible crisis" to "potential imminent crisis," the latter being the most serious level on the scale.
It is important to point that there have been concerning spikes in Russia's military activity near Ukraine in the past, but the timing of these developments around the expiration of the ceasefire seems particularly notable. The very visible massing of Russian forces in areas along Ukraine's borders could simply be intended as a deterrent against a new Ukrainian offensive into Donbass. At the same time, if a new round of large-scale fighting were to erupt in eastern Ukraine, there is also the possibility that Russia might seek to change the status quo around areas presently occupied by "separatist" elements to put additional pressure on the government in Kyiv.
The pressure resulting from any outburst of fighting in Ukraine could also apply to the United States. Earlier this month, Russian President Vladimir Putin publicly responded in an unusually angry fashion to remarks U.S. President Joe Biden had made in an interview with ABC News's George Stephanopoulos. Biden had agreed with the characterization of Putin as a "killer" and said that he would “pay a price” for interference in the 2020 U.S. Presidential Election, something the Kremlin denies.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken did reiterate the U.S. government's support for Ukraine's "sovereignty and territorial integrity" in a call today with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba. The United States, as well as most of the international community, does not recognize Russia's occupation of Crimea or "separatist" claims in Donbass. However, Ukraine is not a NATO member or otherwise a formal American ally, though they are an important regional security partner, and it's unclear how willing or able the U.S. government would be to prevent any new major incursion by Russia into Ukraine.
Prompting some level of crisis with Ukraine could also help the Kremlin distract attention from domestic issues, such as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, in Russia. Earlier this year, Russian President Vladimir Putin faced unusually large protests over the arrest of political dissident Alexei Navalny. Navalny is a long-time critic of Putin, as well as other Russian officials, and has headed up an organization dedicated to exposing government corruption in Russia.
Navalny is now on a hunger strike in prison after being convicted of what he and his lawyers say were politically motivated charges in February. He was arrested immediately after returning to Russian from treatment in Germany following an assassination attempt last year involving one of a secretive family of chemical weapons referred to collectively as Novichoks.
Whatever the exact goals of Russia's new military buildup near Ukraine might be, it has already succeeded in provoking concerns about a new escalation in the conflict between the two countries.
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U.S. defense officials reassure Ukraine of support amid tension with Russia
April 1, 2021
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin spoke to Ukrainian defense minister Andrii Taran to pledge the United States' unwavering support for Ukrainian sovereignty. File Photo by Michael Reynolds/UPI | License Photo
April 1 (UPI) -- Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke to Ukraine's minister of defense on the phone Thursday to express "unwavering U.S. support for Ukraine's sovereignty" and to condemn Russian aggression in the country.
According to a readout from the Pentagon, Austin spoke with his Ukrainian counterpart, Andrii Taran, to discuss the regional security situation and expressed his condolences on the deaths of four Ukrainian soldiers last week.
Ukrainian officials say the soldiers were killed by Russian forces in Donbass, which the United States considers a violation of a ceasefire agreement.
"Russia's destabilizing actions undermine the de-escalation intentions that had been achieved through [last year's agreement]," Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said Wednesday, according to CNN. "Additionally, we are aware of Ukrainian military reports concerning Russian troop movements on Ukraine's borders."
Austin's call follows a Wednesday call between Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba to discuss recent security concerns, including last week's deaths.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley also spoke with his Ukrainian counterpart, Ruslan Khomchak, according to a readout released by the military, and with Russian Gen. Valery Gerasimov.
Milley's call with Komchak concerned "the current security environment in Eastern Europe," but the readout of the call with Gerasimov said both parties have agreed to keep the details of the conversation private "in accordance with past practice."
In his conversation with Taran, Austin also reportedly reiterated that the United States is committed to building the capacity of Ukraine's forces to "defend more effectively against Russian aggression," the Pentagon said.
The United States has committed more than $2 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since 2014, the Pentagon noted.
That figure includes a $125 million package announced last month to fund armored patrol boats, radar units and military medical equipment.
Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, and subsequent skirmishes between Ukrainian troops and pro-Russian separatists in the eastern part of the country have killed an estimated 14,000 people.
Tensions between the United States and Russia have also increased under President Joe Biden's administration
In March, Biden said Russian President Vladimir Putin would "pay a price" for interfering in the 2020 election, and called him "a killer."
Earlier this week NATO announced that alliance aircraft scrambled 10 times and intercepted six groups of Russian aircraft flying near alliance airspace.
April 1, 2021
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin spoke to Ukrainian defense minister Andrii Taran to pledge the United States' unwavering support for Ukrainian sovereignty. File Photo by Michael Reynolds/UPI | License Photo
April 1 (UPI) -- Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke to Ukraine's minister of defense on the phone Thursday to express "unwavering U.S. support for Ukraine's sovereignty" and to condemn Russian aggression in the country.
According to a readout from the Pentagon, Austin spoke with his Ukrainian counterpart, Andrii Taran, to discuss the regional security situation and expressed his condolences on the deaths of four Ukrainian soldiers last week.
Ukrainian officials say the soldiers were killed by Russian forces in Donbass, which the United States considers a violation of a ceasefire agreement.
"Russia's destabilizing actions undermine the de-escalation intentions that had been achieved through [last year's agreement]," Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said Wednesday, according to CNN. "Additionally, we are aware of Ukrainian military reports concerning Russian troop movements on Ukraine's borders."
Austin's call follows a Wednesday call between Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba to discuss recent security concerns, including last week's deaths.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley also spoke with his Ukrainian counterpart, Ruslan Khomchak, according to a readout released by the military, and with Russian Gen. Valery Gerasimov.
Milley's call with Komchak concerned "the current security environment in Eastern Europe," but the readout of the call with Gerasimov said both parties have agreed to keep the details of the conversation private "in accordance with past practice."
In his conversation with Taran, Austin also reportedly reiterated that the United States is committed to building the capacity of Ukraine's forces to "defend more effectively against Russian aggression," the Pentagon said.
The United States has committed more than $2 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since 2014, the Pentagon noted.
That figure includes a $125 million package announced last month to fund armored patrol boats, radar units and military medical equipment.
Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, and subsequent skirmishes between Ukrainian troops and pro-Russian separatists in the eastern part of the country have killed an estimated 14,000 people.
Tensions between the United States and Russia have also increased under President Joe Biden's administration
In March, Biden said Russian President Vladimir Putin would "pay a price" for interfering in the 2020 election, and called him "a killer."
Earlier this week NATO announced that alliance aircraft scrambled 10 times and intercepted six groups of Russian aircraft flying near alliance airspace.
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Russian Ground Troop Units and Iskander ballistic missiles identified at Ukrainian border by Janes
08 April 2021
by Thomas Bullock
Open-source intelligence specialist at Janes Thomas Bullock identifies fourteen ground troop units and Iskander short-range ballistic missile systems at the Ukrainian border.
Janes has identified at least fourteen Russian Ground Troop units that have moved or are moving to the Ukrainian area of operations since late March through open-source intelligence.
Janes has identified an influx of Central Military District troops from the 74th and 35th Motorised Brigades, 120th Artillery Brigade and the 6th Tank Regiment, equipped with tanks, infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs), and long-range artillery including 2S19 MSTA-S 152 mm self-propelled guns, TOS-1A thermobaric multiple rocket launchers (MRLs), and BM-27 Uragan 220 mm MRLs entering Voronezh by train.
Janes has also identified the deployment of Iskander short-range ballistic missile systems, likely belonging to the 119 Missile Brigade, to Voronezh from the Sverdlovsk region.
A staging area has been established at a training ground south of Voronezh city equipped with P-260T Redut-2US long-range telecommunications complexes and a field hospital. The P-260T Redut-2US is a long-range army-level communications system that is not used at the battalion or brigade level, it is indicative of the scale of the deployment.
Crimea and the neighbouring Krasnodar regions have seen a similar build-up of troops and equipment including BMP-3 IFVs and 2S4 Tyulpan 240 mm self-propelled mortars. This time coming from Southern Military District units stationed hundreds of kilometres away in the southern and western Caucasus.
Analysis
Since late March, Russia has been identified moving large quantities of military equipment to its Ukrainian border, specifically the Crimea, Voronezh, and Rostov regions. The Russian Ministry of Defence has belatedly labelled these as control-check exercises for the Southern Military District and Black Sea Fleet and later still, declared national control-checks covering the entire military. It appears locally stationed units in Voronezh, the Southern Military District and eastern Crimea have indeed begun training exercises.
While Russia’s intentions are still unclear, this movement stands out as possibly the largest unannounced movement of troops since Russia’s invasion of Crimea and eastern Ukraine in 2015. Video footage shows trains carrying Russian troops are still heading to the area of operations, with some according to the freight tracking service GdeVagon not scheduled to arrive in Crimea until mid-April.
Current indicators suggest it is unlikely the forces deployed to the border are in an offensive posture. But this could change if Russia continues to move forces to the Ukrainian border. Janes has identified the movement of army air defence systems into the Voronezh region, which have not been observed with prior movements. While there is a strategic air defence unit based in Crimea, there had been no clear indications that tactical air defence assets were being transported to match the armoured forces that had been deployed prior to this.
Furthermore, the Russian Ministry of Defence announced the Black Sea Fleet would be reinforced with 10 landing and artillery vessels from the Caspian Flotilla, as part of the ongoing control check exercises. This is not a common occurrence and was not even seen during the Southern Military District’s district level exercise Kavkaz-2020 last summer. Additionally, two Black Sea Fleet landing ships are believed to be operating in the Mediterranean Sea and could easily join the Black Sea Fleet.
The true extent of the cross-military district deployments also remains to be seen. The latest footage of regional exercises from the Russian Ministry of Defence indicates at least elements of some units, such as the 74th Motorised Brigade, are still in Siberia. It is however not clear when this footage was filmed.
08 April 2021
by Thomas Bullock
Open-source intelligence specialist at Janes Thomas Bullock identifies fourteen ground troop units and Iskander short-range ballistic missile systems at the Ukrainian border.
Janes has identified at least fourteen Russian Ground Troop units that have moved or are moving to the Ukrainian area of operations since late March through open-source intelligence.
Janes has identified an influx of Central Military District troops from the 74th and 35th Motorised Brigades, 120th Artillery Brigade and the 6th Tank Regiment, equipped with tanks, infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs), and long-range artillery including 2S19 MSTA-S 152 mm self-propelled guns, TOS-1A thermobaric multiple rocket launchers (MRLs), and BM-27 Uragan 220 mm MRLs entering Voronezh by train.
Janes has also identified the deployment of Iskander short-range ballistic missile systems, likely belonging to the 119 Missile Brigade, to Voronezh from the Sverdlovsk region.
A staging area has been established at a training ground south of Voronezh city equipped with P-260T Redut-2US long-range telecommunications complexes and a field hospital. The P-260T Redut-2US is a long-range army-level communications system that is not used at the battalion or brigade level, it is indicative of the scale of the deployment.
Crimea and the neighbouring Krasnodar regions have seen a similar build-up of troops and equipment including BMP-3 IFVs and 2S4 Tyulpan 240 mm self-propelled mortars. This time coming from Southern Military District units stationed hundreds of kilometres away in the southern and western Caucasus.
Analysis
Since late March, Russia has been identified moving large quantities of military equipment to its Ukrainian border, specifically the Crimea, Voronezh, and Rostov regions. The Russian Ministry of Defence has belatedly labelled these as control-check exercises for the Southern Military District and Black Sea Fleet and later still, declared national control-checks covering the entire military. It appears locally stationed units in Voronezh, the Southern Military District and eastern Crimea have indeed begun training exercises.
While Russia’s intentions are still unclear, this movement stands out as possibly the largest unannounced movement of troops since Russia’s invasion of Crimea and eastern Ukraine in 2015. Video footage shows trains carrying Russian troops are still heading to the area of operations, with some according to the freight tracking service GdeVagon not scheduled to arrive in Crimea until mid-April.
Current indicators suggest it is unlikely the forces deployed to the border are in an offensive posture. But this could change if Russia continues to move forces to the Ukrainian border. Janes has identified the movement of army air defence systems into the Voronezh region, which have not been observed with prior movements. While there is a strategic air defence unit based in Crimea, there had been no clear indications that tactical air defence assets were being transported to match the armoured forces that had been deployed prior to this.
Furthermore, the Russian Ministry of Defence announced the Black Sea Fleet would be reinforced with 10 landing and artillery vessels from the Caspian Flotilla, as part of the ongoing control check exercises. This is not a common occurrence and was not even seen during the Southern Military District’s district level exercise Kavkaz-2020 last summer. Additionally, two Black Sea Fleet landing ships are believed to be operating in the Mediterranean Sea and could easily join the Black Sea Fleet.
The true extent of the cross-military district deployments also remains to be seen. The latest footage of regional exercises from the Russian Ministry of Defence indicates at least elements of some units, such as the 74th Motorised Brigade, are still in Siberia. It is however not clear when this footage was filmed.
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follow link to article, too much stuff to move
www.thedrive.com
Russian Gunboats Head To The Black Sea To Join Military Buildup Near Ukraine
The deployment of additional naval assets to the Black Sea comes as other signs, including a spike in GPS jamming, point to a new looming crisis.
www.thedrive.com
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Turkey says U.S. warships to deploy in Black Sea until May 4
The United States has informed Turkey that two of its warships will pass through Turkish straits to be deployed in the Black Sea until May 4, Ankara said on Friday, as Russia has bulked up its military forces on Ukraine's eastern border.
Turkey says U.S. warships to deploy in Black Sea until May 4
ANKARA (Reuters) - The United States has informed Turkey that two of its warships will pass through Turkish straits to be deployed in the Black Sea until May 4, Ankara said on Friday, as Russia has bulked up its military forces on Ukraine’s eastern border.Violence has recently flared between Ukrainian troops and Russian-backed separatists in Ukraine’s Donbass region. Germany has asked Russia to pull back its troops, while Moscow has accused Kyiv of provocations.
“A notice was sent to us 15 days ago via diplomatic channels that two U.S. warships would pass to the Black Sea in line with the Montreux Convention. The ships will remain in the Black Sea until May 4,” Turkey’s foreign ministry said.
The 1936 Montreux accord gives Turkey control over the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits, limits access of naval warships and governs foreign cargo ships.
How are naval vessels transferred from the Caspian Sea to the Black Sea? Is there a land based transport mechanism for this?follow link to article, too much stuff to move
Russian Gunboats Head To The Black Sea To Join Military Buildup Near Ukraine
The deployment of additional naval assets to the Black Sea comes as other signs, including a spike in GPS jamming, point to a new looming crisis.
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Though Russian officials have said that this deployment, which is a complex undertaking that will have to involve moving the boats overland, is part of the recently announced "control checks," it's hard not to see it as part of a broader signal the Kremlin is sending to its counterparts in Kyiv.
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Whenever there is a new President, they line up to test him, see how far they push, I guess we will see with sleepy Joe. I am just surprised at the level they are going at Biden, they must believe he is a push over.