If things go even more pear-shaped from now on
at least Poroshenko does have another country
to run “home” to.Israel.
PS Who is he to tell what language his fellow countrymen
are supposed to use.

Posted by: chris m | Jun 7 2014 15:52 utc | 4

Anonymous…I don’t agree that “Poroshenko’s speech is just a bluff and a quest for legitimacy in the eyes of the EU and USA.”
Poroshenko is a US stooge who says what he is told to say by his handlers.
And why would he be bluffing?
The US wants escalation, in fact, it cannot achieve its goal of deploying NATO without escalation. Here’s how it works: If killing civilians in the East doesn’t work, then they’ll burn them alive in Odessa. If that doesn’t work, they’ll bomb schools, orphanages, hospitals etc.
It doesn’t stop until the US gets the reaction it wants, which is retaliation from Putin.
These guys don’t give up. They never give up.

Posted by: plantman | Jun 7 2014 16:07 utc | 6

retribution is coming…”Let noble fury boil up like a wave, the Peoples’War is going on!”…so says the lyric to the song “The Sacred War”…probably the most moving music of WW2…listen to it!

Posted by: bfrakes | Jun 7 2014 16:37 utc | 8

Adding:
Instead of this “just not on as large of a scale as the original Poro “solution” I would change it to read:
“just not on as BLATANT as the original Poro “solution”
The US war criminal elite have ZERO compunctions against how many people they kill/main/threaten/endanger they just would rather do it sneaky-like if at all possible.

Posted by: JSorrentine | Jun 7 2014 17:02 utc | 10

For those familiar with the American superstition regarding the groundhog, Mr. Poroshenko has seen his shadow and the world will see a continuation of this war.

Posted by: Bob In Portland | Jun 7 2014 17:12 utc | 12

Russia will have to intervene now.. Putin has done a good job walking a fine line dealing with this disaster that’s been forced on him, but his recent happy talk WRT petro-dollarshenko is now obviously, delusional. I suggest it would be wise for Russia to prepare for a massive attack. Say nothing to her scumbag “partners” in NATO, and launch a massive surprise attack, putting all nuclear forces on condition-1 full alert, get the bombers launched, etc.,etc., tell the US if they so much as twitch toward eastern Europe that its all over, and take back 80% of Ukraine including Kiev. Leave a rump state in the westernmost region as a buffer and to drive the most rabidly Russophobic, pro-NATO populations into, like a garbage can. Then put the lid on it.

Posted by: Marc | Jun 7 2014 18:00 utc | 14

The Candyman’s statement on E Ukraine was to be expected and his belligerence on Crimea is a hollow threat strictly for local consumption. The real news is that Putin is closing the Russian border with E Ukraine to strangle the flow of arms and support to the insurgents. Russia already has sufficient troops in Crimea to deter any move by Kiev.
I think that the people who expect Putin to rescue the People’s Republics in E Ukraine may be disappointed when he stands by while their ability to resist is degraded. This seems to be the preferred outcome Putin seeks to return Oligarch control to all of Ukraine.

Posted by: Wayoutwest | Jun 7 2014 18:05 utc | 16

@TovioS – There is absolutely zero chance that the US would advise PP to ditch Svoboda. In fact, I would guess that Svoboda is far and away the US favorite on the political scene, and that the US will most certainly work to expanding the popularity and reach of this party at least to stand as the weak, but major, opposition to the oligarchs. As they have already done – the Svoboda name itself fits US ideological worldview for the region, Svoboda follows better than anyone the US “politics of history” message, is most violently opposed to Russia of the parties. Right Sektor, I believe, is too much of an unpredictable quantity for the US, and in any case are not a “party” like Svoboda is (Svoboda is a real political party with a platform, TV adds, and local and presidential candidates. Right Sektor is little more than a paramilitary outfit). Anyway – if you actually think there is any chance that the US would try and eliminate them, you are sadly mistaken. Watch for them to grow under US tutelage.
About Ukraine support among the diaspora: I saw in the East Village, NYC (an area that once held a large Ukrainian population, and still retains much of the infrastructure – ethnic banks, fairs, national homes and benevolence societies), a large wall mural of images and support for Maidan, especially the deaths of the “heavenly hundred” purportedly at the hands of the government, despite all the evidence to the contrary. There is even a poster: “Ukraine Freedom met with Russian war and imperialism”. It is all very sad. The fight in the Ukraine is being portrayed in the US less as an international political concern, and more as a sports match (an event Americans can really get their heads around) with teams to support unquestioningly, slogans to be screamed, and colors to be paraded. This is how this reversion to fascism and extreme nationalism plays itself out in the US and likely Canada as well. It would be interesting to look into the history of the East Village Ukrainian population – was it bred of White exiles, Banderists, Soviet-emigrees? I don’t know, but would be interesting to find out.
OT: There is a very interesting film called “Master of the Universe” by a German named Marc Bauder that I suggest people see if they have a chance. In the spirit of a film like “Fog of War” it is the soliloquy/interview with a German banker. Like McNamara in “Fog of War” he doesn’t come off as sympathetic as clearly he still doesn’t know the full effect of what his deeds have wrought and has benefitted mightily, but you do get an interesting inside view of how ego and the drive to make money from nothing destroys both an individual and a society. The interview is filmed inside a deserted office tower in Frankfurt, and sort follows him through his career. He discusses the advent of computerized trading and how it works, the Gulf War, the effect on his personality and his family, the Asian Financial Crisis, and of course the recent world crisis we are still in.
One interesting tidbit – he notes how at a certain point, it was some American bankers who brought computer trading to Germany and trained their banks in “financial innovation”. Knowing what we know about the connections between Wall Street, the CIA, and what we see now in the collapse of the EU, it is definitely opens up avenues of investigation.
Some quotes:
“The bigger the shit [a bank makes], the thicker the Corporate Social Responsibility reports it puts out.”
“There are those who have an interest in the collapse of the EU, the profit potential is enormous”
“Only a simpleton believes markets can learn… people are like lemmings… this crisis was not enough to wake people up – you hear just ‘okay, what’s next'”
“We pretend that the markets are the will of god but there is no such thing as the market. People make decisions. That’s it. If the bank executives said ‘okay, everyone who is still shorting Spain, Ireland, Greece, or Italy by next week will be fired’ it would end. Just like that.”
I have no idea how big this film is in Germany, here it is playing at a very small, non-profit theater.

Posted by: guest77 | Jun 7 2014 18:19 utc | 18

In a way it’s almost irrelevant what Poroshenko says right now. After all, he has no real natural allies to protect him from any of those he’d have to take action against in order to actually bring about meaningful progress within Ukraine that would benefit the Ukrainian people. He apparently is not going to be able to disarm and neutralize the Right Sector killers or their leaders in the junta government, nor the Svoboda Nazi gang under Tyanbok, nor will he be able to protect himself against the “Fatherland Party’ mafia of Tymoshenko and Yatsenuk should he turn more directly against them. Any one of these groups would kill him in a nanosecond if he didn’t allow them to continue dong what they’re doing.
It’s by no means clear the Poroshenko could command the loyalty of the Ukrainina military either, or indeed whether that military is even sufficiently cohesive in a way where a ‘chain of command’ process would work on the scale necessary to purge the volunteer ‘National Guard’ of the Right Sector murderers and other belligerents and actually do some of the work of removing the criminals who hijacked the government in the first place from that government.
Poroshenko’s closest natural ally seems to be the somewhat smarter steel empire oligarch Akmetov. (I say somewhat smarter because at least Akhmetov had the good sense not to run for political office.) I suspect Akhmetov understands though that if Poroshenko follows the line he toed in his inaugural speech that things will go to shit in Ukraine very quickly and Poroshenko himself will not last very long. But Akhmetov will also realize, I believe, that if the assaults of Eastern Ukraine from Kiev under Poroshenko continue for more than the next few months, (lets say until the mid term elections in the US in November), then by that time not only will the devastating hardships imposed by the conditional requirements attached to the IMF/EU loans be devastating in their effect on the people across the entire Ukraine, if at that time the Russians do decide to move to stop the violence by Kiev against the broader citizenry in the East, they will be widely seen as liberators rather than aggressors.
So if Akhmetov is smart enough he will not side with Poroshenko if he keeps to the Western scheme. Akhmetov will understand it will lead to him losing his entire empire.
In my view Ukraine is screwed anyway for the foreseeable future. I do figure though that Poroshenko has already had his 15 minutes of fame and it’s all downhill for him now. I’ll be amazed if he’s still in power by the end of this year. (I do hope that if he is killed that at least it’s not the result of a successful US-engineered false flag operation designed to pin the blame for it on the Russians.

Posted by: Stephen J | Jun 7 2014 18:32 utc | 20

@guest77 #18:
I agree with you about the USG and Svoboda. As I said before, I don’t think Poroshenko has the power to change the (hunta) cabinet. However, he did say in his speech that parliamentary elections should be held soon so that parliament reflects the new mood of the people (something to that effect, anyway). I’m not sure what he means by that. Svoboda has done poorly in elections, and that goes for the Svoboda candidate in the recent presidential election. A parliamentary election should give Poroshenko the opportunity to form a new cabinet, one with no fashists in important positions, if that is what Poroshenko wants. He’s a billionaire and can always go to Israel, as someone observed above, so it’s still not clear to me that he is going to be a US puppet. However, my impression is that even if he wanted to, he can’t change “policy” from what the junta has been doing until new parliamentary elections.
Russian media are not taking as stark a view of Poroshenko’s speech as the Saker. For the moment it seems, Poroshenko’s election and now inauguration has changed nothing.
Thanks for the recommendation of Master of the Universe.

Posted by: Demian | Jun 7 2014 18:59 utc | 22

regular Ukrainian army

Posted by: Bob In Portland | Jun 7 2014 19:26 utc | 24

Predictable. Poroshenko is just reading from the script that he has been handed by his US handlers.
I repeat for the nth time. This is it, the west (well the US) is going for Russia full steam. The neo-cons are fully in charge now.
There is going to be no backing down from them. There is only the low probability (at least in the short term) of a split with the EU (especially Germany), but don’t hold your breath, the satraps there are well under control and will all quite happily sacrifice their countries.
The first priority of the US is to get NATO troops into the Ukraine, this will happen in July.
The second, will be to create a rational to impose full (Iran like) sanctions on Russia. The fact that blocking the biggest oil producer in the world from world markets will raise oil price to infinity and wreck everyone’s economy seems to escape them. And of course blocking gas to the EU, which will end it.
The powers that be within the US believe this is the right time to take down Russia and China.
It is based on a set of fantasies, but no one has ever accused them of being fact oriented (‘an empire that creates it’s own reality….’ and all that).
First fantasy is that many in the ‘Verseille on the Potomac’ actually believe the hype about the gas and oil available from fracking and the US is not just going to become self sufficient soon, but will become an oil/gas exporter. The fact that this ‘boom’ is just ending (as was predicted) won’t sink through for ages.
Two, most dangerous. They actually believe in their land and seas based anti-missile systems. That they will actually work.
Again this has been debunked by experts so many times now it is not funny.
But they believe they will work and thus feel quite confident about a nuclear showdown with Russia and China and even that they can ‘win’ such a war with a first strike.
Three, there is a creeping panic within the ‘Von on the P’ that US dominance is slipping and it needs to be asserted now in a big way to ensure the ‘America Century’. Previously the neo-cons (and they are all neo-cons now) thought that ‘smashing some shitty country every 10 years…’ would be sufficient to keep everyone in line. Since that has abysmally failed, they have now moved on to taking on the big boys directly. This is not just ‘doubling up’, this is increasing their bet by orders of magnitude.
Combine these three fantasies (plus various more minor ones) and you have this recipe for disaster.
In July (appropriate month) NATO troops will be in the Ukraine for exercises. What do you want to bet they never leave…?
How long until NATO troops are used to put down the Eastern Ukrainians?
Now, where are all those old plans for nuclear shelters again?

Posted by: oldskeptic | Jun 7 2014 19:49 utc | 26

Pushkov: Program Poroshenko similar statements Yatsenyuk

“The head of the state Duma Committee on international Affairs Alexei Pushkov called voiced by the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko programme on crisis management in the country is similar to the statements of the Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk, appointed by the Verkhovna Rada on this post after the coup d’etat.
“The program Poroshenko: federalization ” no; Russian as a state – no; Crimea – Ukrainian; policy of the European Union. B General Yatsenyuk N2,” wrote Pushkov in his microblog on Twitter.”

Doubtful Poroshenko will be any different than the other western puppets in the Ukraine since it’s still the same puppet masters pulling the strings. The western bankster’s destabilization of Russia and China must go on. Can’t allow their dollar to lose primacy.

Posted by: scalawag | Jun 7 2014 20:16 utc | 28

OT, but indicative of the institutionally corrupt nature of the fascist west, with which the normal people in the Ukraine and Syria are faced with confronting.
DEA blackmailed doctors with ties to medical marijuana – reports

“The Drug Enforcement Administration allegedly threatened doctors associated with medical marijuana dispensaries in Massachusetts, telling them they would lose their federal license to dispense medications unless they severed ties with marijuana companies.
At least three doctors told The Boston Globe and MassLive.com that DEA agents visited their homes or offices with ultimatums. The alleged visits highlight tension between federal law, which prohibits the use of marijuana, and various state laws that have allowed the sale and use of medical and non-medicinal marijuana. Massachusetts voters agreed to allow medical use of marijuana in the state in 2012.
Dr. Samuel Mazza, on the board of a medical marijuana dispensary, told the Globe that he found multiple messages on his answering machine and a DEA business card on his home door upon returning from vacation in February.
“You either give up your [DEA] license or give up your position on the board … or you challenge it in court,” Mazza, chief executive of Debilitating Medical Conditions Treatment Centers, said DEA investigator Gregory Kelly told him upon making contact.
Mazza’s Debilitating Medical Conditions Treatment Centers was one of first 20 dispensaries to receive preliminary state approval to open a medical marijuana firm. He relinquished his prescription license since, he said, it wasn’t required for his part-time job conducting surgery at a Veterans Affairs hospital.
Yet the Globe found two other doctors that had given up their positions on boards of medical marijuana operations.”

Many think the Drug Enforcement Administration exists to combat the illegal drug traffic. It’s real role is that of enforcement for the drug mafia’s monopolies of the illegal drug business. This kind of hypocritical corruption is endemic to the western establishment. It’s not just the cynical fascism=democracy garbage used to sell their war crimes, it is the basis of everything they do and say. It is the essence of their existence.

Posted by: scalawag | Jun 7 2014 20:48 utc | 30

OK, this is so Iraq. They are following the same old tired path and they are going to keep escalating, no matter what Russia does. Even if it surrenders totally they will still escalate.
West: make absurd demands on a country. If they actually meet them, then lie that they haven’t. If they don’t (say because they are impossible) then escalate. Make more ‘demands’ .. lie more …escalate.
I now suspect that, just as in the case for war with Iraq where the decision had been made months before, that the decision to attack Russia has been made. And just like Iraq this is just shadow boxing and preparing the people and getting their propaganda and military forces lined up.
This is SOP. Seen it in Afghanistan (hand over BL or else ..ok we will hand him over…you haven’t agreed to hand him over ….. invade). Iraq (get rid of your WMD… ok done … you haven’t got rid of your WMD … invade) and Lybia and Syria.
Now it is Russia’s turn (expect more absurd ‘demands’):
http://www.haaretz.com/news/world/1.597235
“President Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron laid down new markers for Russia on Thursday, giving Moscow a month to meet their conditions in Ukraine or face further sanctions.
The new thresholds for action were spelled out at a joint press conference, following a Group of Seven world leader summit that was rearranged to exclude Russian President Vladimir Putin after his aggressive moves in Ukraine. The United States and Europe also have imposed economic sanctions in response.
To avoid even harsher sanctions, Cameron said, Putin must meet three conditions: Recognize Petro Poroshenko’s election as the new leader in Kiev; stop arms from crossing the border; and cease support for pro-Russian separatist groups concentrated in eastern Ukraine.
“If these things don’t happen, then sectoral sanctions will follow,” Cameron said, standing before a row of United States and British flags. “The next month will be vital in judging if President Putin has taken these steps. And that is what I will urge President Putin to do when I meet him later today”
Russia had better make sure its nuclear forces are full alert in case of a first strike. If you hear a report about a Russian ballistic missile sub being destroyed (or going missing) then we are only hours away from nuclear war. That will be the first target and UK and US attack subs will be going full on to find and set themselves up to destroy them.
So watch the movements of the RN & USN nuclear attack subs, if they all suddenly leave their ports … we are a day or two away from the big one. Also the movements of UK and US ballistic missile subs, they will move into close position for a first strike. Again if they all disappear then it will be very close.

Posted by: oldskeptic | Jun 7 2014 21:32 utc | 32

вот так over at the Saker posted some Slavophile nonsense:
Many argue about whether it is necessary to divide the former Ukraine, or whether it can be preserved, provided that Bandero-fascism is destroyed

Ukraine should be divided into Federal Novorossia and the Federal Ukraine. Because most of the residents of the West and centre of the former Ukrainian wish the European future, and South and East – see their future with Russia. And this split is based on civilizational, cultural, ethnic, and eventually economic components. The basis of today’s events in Donbas is the clash of the civilizations of the West and Russian civilization.

What utter rubbish. European civilization is a continuum: from the Anglo-Saxons, to the French, to the Germans, and finally ending with the Russians (to mention just the most significant elements). Russia is part of European civilization; the US is not.
Most of us know that “the basis of today’s event in Donbas” is Russia’s refusal to submit to the Empire. And if there is a “civilizational clash” here, it is not between Europe and Russia, but between continental Europe and Anglo-American imperialism. The “West” does not signify Europe; it is a euphemism for Atlanticism (i.e., the Empire).
Alexander Dugin’s point, that Europe west of Russia is hopelessly decadent and a mere colony of the US, so that only Russia can save European civilization, is an entirely different matter.

Posted by: Demian | Jun 7 2014 21:53 utc | 34

@Virgile #35:
Not only is Porshenko a businessman: as a businessman, he is not crazy, which Uki fascists most definitely are. The rational thing for Ukraine to do, especially if Novorossia does not split from it, is to steer a course between the EU and Russia. I’m pretty sure that Poroshenko understands this; the Bandera-fascists don’t because they are crazy.
As Putin suggested, we will have to wait and see how effective Poroshenko is going to be in restoring some sanity to the Uki government.
BTW, a Saker comment said that someone from Right Sector speaking live on Yuki radio said that Right Sector has given Poroshenko “his own army”, and that parliament should be dissolved soon. The president needing his own army just shows how broken the Uki state is. Not sure what to make of the dissolving parliament bit, especially coming from Right Sector. Do they really think a new parliament after elections are held would be much different? (I expect there to be a lot of international monitors.)
@Fran #31:
Interesting poll. It indicates what previous polls have indicated: either most west Ukrainians are Banderites, or they have been totally brainwashed by Uki TV.

Posted by: Demian | Jun 7 2014 22:46 utc | 36

Thanks to a comment at the Saker, a new interview with Strelkov, along with a translation.
Strelkov has the view of many here that Poroshenko is not interested in stopping the military assault on the people of Ukraine:

Q: Poroshenko promised Putin that, in the nearest future, the war will be either brought to an end or suspended, in some manner. In your opinion, what did he mean when he said this?
A: I believe that what he meant is that the Ukrainian army will steamroll over the entire Donbass region, will eliminate all those who rose up against the illegitimate Kiev government, all those who rebelled against the discrimination directed against the Russian people, and that, in this manner, he would bring the war to an end. I think this is what he had in mind. An oligarch who sponsored the so-called “Maidan,” who made the most warlike claims and adopted extreme positions while still a Presidential candidate, who is a puppet controlled directly by the United States of America, this oligarch cannot change who he is in one day or one night. Of course, what he means is that he plans to “impose order” with an iron fist, the fist of his punitive forces.

The Uki forces know that they cannot gain control over territory, so they just shell indiscriminately from afar:

With respect to international law and norms, they never cared for them on bit. For example, here they use cluster bombs and similar [illegal] weapons. They shoot, and, as you correctly pointed out, remove entire township from the face of the Earth. They shell cities. They will continue in this manner with ever-increasing [brutality]. This is because they experience no material opposition [to what they do]. They have no other tactic. They are unable to take up their weapons and go on attack, go storm our positions face-to-face with us, despite their profound numerical advantage in troops. As soon as their infantry faces direct combat, it retreats. They retreat even if supported by tanks. They abandon their tanks and retreat. They understand that their infantry is not combat-worthy. Their only option is to shell us from afar, again and again and again, and hope to inflict the greatest possible destruction.

A very high quality translation IMO, especially considering that the interview only appeared today.

Posted by: Demian | Jun 8 2014 0:15 utc | 38

Kiev Regime Abandons Ukraine-Russian Border Checkpoints: Russia Controls Borders. Parts of East Ukraine Are De Facto “Integrated” into Russian Federation

“Ukraine’s central government, located in Kiev, has given up manning the country’s border with Russia at areas in the southeast where popular opposition to the Kiev authorities has overwhelmed the Kiev government’s ability to police the border there.
The central government’s border guards at the town of Severniy abandoned their post, on Thursday June 5th, so that now anyone can cross unimpeded there to and from Ukraine and Russia. This will enable Ukrainians who want to flee to do so, and it will also permit Russians who want to join the rebellion in Ukraine’s southeast (or simply to protect family-members who live there) to do so, with no difficulty on either side, and with no fear at the border-crossing.
This abandonment was reported by Agence France Presse. Russia’s Itar-Tass News Agency reported in more detail, saying that the decision was made by Ukraine’s central government and had broader scope than just Severny:
“‘To prevent the emergence of threats to the population’s life or health as a result of dangerous events taking place in certain areas, the cabinet [in Kiev, in the northwest] agreed with the State Border Service’s proposal to stop the operation of checkpoints,’ the government press service said in a press release on Thursday.”
Itar-Tass went on, to mention that Severny was one of a total of six abandoned border-crossings:
“In Ukraine’s Lugansk region, the operation of the following checkpoints has been stopped: Dolzhansky, Chervonopartizansk, Krasnaya Mogila, Novoborovtsy and Severny. In the Donetsk region, the Marinovka checkpoint will be closed. The Ukrainian government has instructed the Foreign Ministry to inform Russia about the decision.”
The significance of this event is that it cedes control of the border there to Russia.
The Kiev government has been using helicopter and jet sorties into the region, and bombs, to persuade the residents that they will have to give up their opposition, in order to stay alive; but a lot more airpower will have to be devoted to that task than the Kiev government currently has at its command. On 14 April 2014, Reuters reported “U.S. Is Considering Arms to Ukraine.” However, for the U.S. to send weapons in any public way would be detrimental to America’s ability to persuade its European allies that the government that was installed in Ukraine in late February has democratic legitimacy, especially after the May 2nd massacre that took place in Odessa.
The IMF (International Monetary Fund) has told the authorities in Kiev that putting down the rebellion will be a prerequisite to continuation of financial support for the deeply indebted government.
So, the current leader in Kiev, President Petro Poroshenko, has his work cut out for him — by the IMF, if not by the U.S. or anyone else.”

I’ve read elsewhere that currently 200km of the border between Novarossia and Russia is deloused. Russia says now they closed the border on their side… 😉

Posted by: scalawag | Jun 8 2014 1:50 utc | 40

b is spot on.
Poroshenko seems to have become infected with a very debilitating bout of Sakashvili-itis. He must have forgotten that US-NATO has NEVER launched a military assault on an entity which can shoot back.
And never will.
Poroshenko should phone Sakashvili and find out how bad Sakashvili-itis gets before the recovery phase sets in.
That’s a joke. Sakashvili-itis is incurable and can only be successfully ‘managed’ by emergency intervention from Dr Vladimir Putin.

Posted by: Hoarsewhisperer | Jun 8 2014 5:22 utc | 42

@ Marc #43
It does seem that all other avenues dead-end except the coming global war fought on class – the poor against the rich, and to the death because that’s precisely what the rich have in mind for the poor. And we are all poor now.
That said, I keep trying to figure how to fight. What the US has revealed with Ukraine, to its ultimate fatal disadvantage, is its amazing control of the media. If the media told even a ragged semblance of the truth, the US ruling class couldn’t get away with any of the actions it takes. If there is a way to fight against this media “foreign occupation” then everything else will follow automatically from the ordinary instincts of the American people, who are actually not stupid, simply propagandized to accept a certain narrative.

Posted by: Grieved | Jun 8 2014 6:01 utc | 44

Russian Spring
Slavyansk.
Strelkov:

“Artemovsk” has goten away so far. No doubt, upon a “beaten track” trouble will come back. Again, the enemy blasts “Semenovka”. A bit later, supposedly, they become more bountiful to hit the downtown.

Strelkov:

A trouble has come where was less expected… precisely, was expected but hoped not imminent – because reserves are bust. The opponent is taking over “Artemovsk”. They battle our tiny (smaller than in “Red Liman”) garrison. Have raided our rear. Now, the supply route will be cut.
Alright kamarads (comrades). Have to find a way out of the situation. And this one is grave.

Russian Spring
Slavyansk.
Strelkov:

In brief:
Trough yesterday, artillery and mortars pounded “Semenovka” as well as “Cherevkovka”. Same is going through today. Afternoon and night they pounded the downtown – some 20 of 152mm shells. Casualties among the combatants and locals. We retaliate from mortars toward “Karachun” and their block-posts; our reconnaissance group destroyed 2 “KAMAZs” (truck) with infantry. Clobbered an unmanned aircraft over “Nikolaevka”.
Our troops twice attacked opponent positions – “Bilbasovka” and “Kombikormovy”. But Ukrainians dispatched tank detachments everywhere, consequently, defeating any position without massive losses unachievable.
Towards “Red Liman”, our detachment took 3 POWs of 93rd brigade. The soldiers (1 contractor, 2 conscripts), what they say, do not want to fight, but officers and “National Guards” force them.

Question: Pilots of the shot down AN-306 (reconnaissance plane).
Strelkov:

Would you believe, no smallest regret. Thank these cool pals, the enemy fire has become principally more accurate. They hovered over l-o-ng time. Conscientiously…

Comment: In a video interview, Strelkov pointed a) Need of adequate hardware; b) Figure of Poroshenko to mobilize even more into the struggle; c) The conflict to consume the entire Republic; d) Russia to intervene to save Republic’s infrastructure from destruction.

Posted by: Fete | Jun 8 2014 6:10 utc | 46

Update on Facebook censorship:
Facebook has a really funny way of blocking users and their content: You can still see it if you are NOT logged in! (Also, some random users seem to be able to see the content.)
Here are links to the two interesting posts: (should work if you are not logged in to Facebook)
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=257373844466095&set=p.257373844466095 (duplicate)
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=257374227799390&set=p.257374227799390
Direct links to documents: (should work for everyone)
https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xfp1/t1.0-9/10440921_257373844466095_9184043951576776325_n.jpg (duplicate)
https://scontent-b-mad.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpa1/t1.0-9/10417666_257374227799390_8215159422124820070_n.jpg
In case you are interested in the leaker / poster / spammer, here is a link to one of his older posts. (should work if you are not logged in to Facebook)
https://www.facebook.com/hans.richardt.3/posts/255800791290067

Posted by: Petri Krohn | Jun 8 2014 8:38 utc | 48

Petri Krohn
So ukraine security forces, would send an actual letter to the US? Is that really how its done by diplomats?

Posted by: Anonymous | Jun 8 2014 9:41 utc | 50

i used to be quite enamored of putin as the hoped-for savior of the remnants of europe but after seeing the stonehearted betrayal of donbass, i’ve come around 180 degrees, my contempt for him driven by events on the ground.
donbass is history, its brave but futile resistance thing of the past, rebels will be rounded up in fema inspired gulags.
the smooth judo-zen master of long term strategy is nothing but a witless coward shivering in his foxhole.
a visual stunt pulled off before fervently hoping and wishing worldwide audience just as with obama prior to his first term when the world swooned in a rancid love-fest.
day by day, the talmudic serpent tightens its coils around russia, they own even the black sea now, soon russia’s navy will be bottled up in sevastopol, unable to sail out without explicit permission by nato.
it hurts to say all of this but the scales must come off eyes at some point.
putin deserves talmudic punishment: to be boiled in pussy riot’s menstrual junk, but i think he’s already made his deal and will retire on bahamas with yeltsin and gorbachev as neighbors.
insha’allah that my eyes lie but to the families of needlessly sacrificed martyrs, it will be a poor consolation if kremlin’s waiting game ultimately pays off.

Posted by: lobro | Jun 8 2014 10:04 utc | 52

I just read at Voice of Russia that Hollande, Merkel, and Putin cornered Poroshenko (in a hallway, without US participation) and spelled out some very explicit consequences if Poroshenko continues down his current path. The article says that Putin:
“…told Poroshenko about the consequences of trying to continue his current policy. The consequences will be very dire and painful: Russia will rescind the current zero-tariff policy for Ukrainian exports to Russia, therefore ruining most of the country’s export potential and sources of hard currency. Moreover, there are five to six million Ukrainians working in Russia and sending money home, helping shore up Ukraine’s economy. Those millions of people are likely to be sent home, dealing another crippling blow to the national economy and creating a huge mass of angry and unemployed people who will hate Poroshenko.”
It sounds as if Merkel and Hollande may have, temporarily at least, grown a set.
Read more: http://voiceofrussia.com/2014_06_08/Poroshenko-at-crossroads-Ukraine-has-to-decide-who-to-side-with-US-or-Russia-Europe-9589/

Posted by: madisolation | Jun 8 2014 11:38 utc | 54

@34
Thank you for your level headedness. This ‘War of Civilizations’ nonsense is ridiculous whether its the NeoCons or Slavophiles talking about it.
If anything the war is the “War of Neoliberalism vs Eurasian State Capitalism” or “Empire vs Anyone who is at all Independent of Empire”.
I mean, its not like Syria is part of that so-called ‘War Against Russian Civilisation’. And it cant be one against muslim civilisation either considering how many muslim puppet states the Empire has.

Posted by: Massinissa | Jun 8 2014 11:57 utc | 56

I watched the F interview of Putin + vid of the ‘meet‘ in France.
Putin is very nervous, I’ve never seen him this rattled.
Poro is playing to the gallery. Recall, too, that Ukr. public political speech is often outrageous, even violent, and then quickly forgotten. Still I was surprised he mentioned Crimea, that was over the top? (I haven’t read the speech yet, only posts…)
It seems the intentions of the US-W and Kiev are crystal clear:
The Eastern separatists are simply to be eliminated at all costs.
That is the plan, and it is a logical follow-up to all the previous events.
Putin knows this, for a long time one supposes. Plus, it is perfectly evident in the ‘conditions‘ he ‘must‘ meet before ‘more sanctions’, etc.
How one figures Putin will react or not depends on one’s overall view:
a) The recent events in Ukr. are the pre-cursors of a desired proxy war between the US and Russia, with the EU as poodle, Ukr. as pigeon, or better, sacrificial lamb.
b) What we see is a conflict internal to the Ukr. (not just E vs. W, in its ethnic/ideological composition, but internal oligarch struggles for economic and therefore political control) in which outsiders have taken sides, partly because they were appealed to, then providing some minimal support, dragged in by various forces.
c) Tout le monde navigue à vue. All the actors are steering ship with their eyes only, various factions want different results, chaos.
Not mutually exclusive, many shades in-between or in combination exist.
As I favor b) and c) while realizing that certain factions are bent on a), mho is still that Putin will not take the bait, will temporize / delay as much as possible, and will not intervene with big guns (e.g. ground invasion.) An *optimistic* reading.
It is terrible news for the Ukrainians, and not only those in the Donbas. It makes me sick, and I blame the EU idiots and cowards most of all. > insert unprintable rage.

Posted by: Noirette | Jun 8 2014 13:04 utc | 58

@scalawag #53 – Sounds like it was Academi mercs that got charbroiled.
Do Ukrainian generals need Academi mercs as bodyguards? I am sure Ukrainian presidents do – both “acting” and “elected”. The regular soldiers in their clumsiness might accidentally stab them with bayonets.
I just do not think these people were doing the normal “bodyguard” business like American mercenaries usually do. More likely they were military “advisers” directing the operation. Why else would SBU chief Nalyvaychenko write a letter of condolences to Derek Chollet in the US Deparment of Defense? I guess the high-ranking US officers were temporarily transferred to Academi payroll, so the US government would have the necessary deniability.

Posted by: Petri Krohn | Jun 8 2014 13:18 utc | 60

@madisolation
Interesting link
It seems that it is not Russia that’s getting isolated, but the US and UK
(what Ukraine wants doesnt seem to count)
(PS Wheres Cameron and Hague, they dont like being kept out of the picture,
while rest of EU (read Germany and others) go around making decisions?

Posted by: chris m | Jun 8 2014 13:26 utc | 62

Posted by: Anonymous | Jun 8, 2014 9:52:09 AM | 63
“Ah too bad he didnt of mistake made a shot..”
Ah, but he did:
What really happened

Posted by: scalawag | Jun 8 2014 14:40 utc | 64

I watched the F interview of Putin + vid of the ‘meet‘ in France.
Putin is very nervous, I’ve never seen him this rattled.
… …
Posted by: Noirette | Jun 8, 2014 9:04:20 AM | 58
With the greatest respect, I suggest that the facial expressions to which you refer are Vlad’s version of “suppressed outrage” – i.e. a cheap trick of the kind routinely resorted to by the likes of Bliar, Kerry, Sarkozy, Hague, et al, in their indefatigable pursuit of the Nobel Prize for Sincerity.

Posted by: Hoarsewhisperer | Jun 8 2014 15:13 utc | 66

Opps 🙁
@47 not @42
apologies

Posted by: rouge | Jun 8 2014 15:16 utc | 68

scalawag
64
if that actually happend bet that this soldier was a russian spy according to the west. They see russians everywhere,…as germans saw jews everywhere in ww2.

Posted by: Anonymous | Jun 8 2014 15:25 utc | 70

scalawag @64
It would be funnier if, after the shot, his body just acted like a deflating balloon, complete with rasping noise as it deflated.

Posted by: Yonatan | Jun 8 2014 15:59 utc | 72

Pathetic bulgaria just annonced that the South stream pipeline is aborted due pressure from US, EU.

Posted by: Anonymous | Jun 8 2014 17:02 utc | 74

Massinissa
Not so much about eu but the US.
Why arent EU seeking to become part of the US one wonder..

Posted by: Anonymous | Jun 8 2014 17:28 utc | 76

Poor Bulgaria… I guess they can’t afford to piss off their masters in Washington and Brussels too much. With these stupid moves, the EU is surely on her last legs.
Why should Europeans freeze for the pleasure of some American politicians?
I think Putin’s been way too nice with this gas thingy.. It’s about time he shut down some of the key pipelines for “maintenance work”…
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/bulgaria-halts-south-stream-gas-pipeline-165658594–finance.html#Poeife9

Posted by: Zico | Jun 8 2014 18:00 utc | 78

South Stream can go through Romania, but then again US/EU can put screws on that one as well. Its not the first time EU submissively shoot themselves in the leg, like it was with Iran.
This wont last long though, within years all these projects will go full steam again IMO.

Posted by: Harry | Jun 8 2014 18:37 utc | 80

Try building South Stream through Greece.
Bulgaria,Romania,Greece, whatever.
It all reminds me of that nursery rhyme i always like saying.
Eeny,Meany,Miny..MO..etc…..And O-U-T spells out.

Posted by: chris m | Jun 8 2014 18:52 utc | 82

Anon @83
Apparently Poroshenko has acquired Saakashvili as an advisor. The one week probably came from him.
This should be amusing. The combination of EU, Ukraine and Saakatash must be approaching a singularity of stupidity.

Posted by: Yonatan | Jun 8 2014 20:34 utc | 84

@Noirette – Thanks for the info. I knew the Right Sektor had become a party, but I did not know they garnered cabinet seats. A pretty good trick for a group that never faced formal elections (if I have that right)! Very interesting that they were given positions that most closely work with youth, but then not surprising as these are the only people innocent enough to buy their horseshit.
@Tico – I agree with you – the US wants Russia in a war, just not with themselves.

Posted by: guest77 | Jun 8 2014 20:53 utc | 86

I always question when someone like lobro pops up to tell how much he is disappointed in Putin. Seems a bit… convenient.
and then to accuse Putin of being like that bum and traitor Yeltsin – what a laugh.

Posted by: guest77 | Jun 8 2014 21:00 utc | 88

He we go boys and girls, this is one of the ‘canaries’ I have been watching for, the US moving assets into a First Strike position:
US Air Force Sends 2 B-2 Stealth Bombers To The UK:
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-06-08/us-air-force-sends-2-b-2-stealth-bombers-uk
” …overseas deployments of the Spirit stealth strategic bombers are quite unusual.
Indeed, B-2s don’t move from Whiteman AFB, in Missouri, too often as they are trained to conduct very long round-trip missions from their homebase in CONUS (Continental U.S.), as happened during recent training missions, extended nuclear deterrence sorties in the Korean Peninsula, as well as during real conflicts, as the Libya Air War in 2011 or the Allied Force in Serbia in 1999.
That’s why the deployment of two Spirit bombers with the 509th Bomb Wing to the UK is, at least, noteworthy.
Obviously, the official press release doesn’t mention the rarity of this “short-term deployment,” as it only mentions that the “multi-role heavy bombers will conduct training flights in the USEUCOM area of operations, providing opportunities for aircrews to sharpen skills in several key operational sets and become familiar with airbases and operations in the region.”
Little is known about this deployment, unlike the other one which involves three B-52s that have arrived at RAF Fairford last week and whose detachment had been exposed by aircrew patches produced ahead of the participation of the Stratofortresses to the Saber Strike and Baltops exercises.
“The training and integration of strategic forces demonstrates to our nation’s leaders and our allies that we have the right mix of aircraft and expertise to respond to a variety of potential threats and situations,” said Adm. Cecil Haney, commander, U.S. Strategic Command in the release.
For sure, the Russian threat in Europe is taken seriously by the USSTRACOM, that may have decided to deploy some strategic assets closer to Ukraine, more to show the local allies that Washington is capable to support them if needed rather than put some pressure on Moscow.
”

Posted by: oldskeptic | Jun 8 2014 22:22 utc | 90

Today I feel humiliated like never before now that the whole world knows that the senator whose incompetence gave Palin a national stage can issue orders to the supposedly sovereign government of my land of birth.

Posted by: OIFVet | Jun 8 2014 22:55 utc | 92

Re #92, as I said a ‘canary’ .. as in ‘canary in a coal mine’….which is an early warning. Agree that there is a fair way to go before they would be ready, therefore future moves are going to be critical to watch.
But 2 B2’s much closer to Russia is a concern all by itself. Their job would be to go in first to take out Russia’s C&C… translated blow Moscow and it’s Govt to radioactive dust, before the other B-2s arrive and the cruise missiles and the ICBMs hit.
If you study their plans for this, then this is exactly how they would start to deploy.

Posted by: oldskeptic | Jun 8 2014 23:47 utc | 94

“Three visiting United States senators: John McCain, Ron Johnson and Christopher Murphy – had expressed objections to the choice of Stroytransgaz as the builder of the Bulgarian land section of the South Stream gas pipeline, given that the company’s owner Gennady Timchenko, was subject to US sanctions because of Moscow’s illegal annexation of Crimea.
The US underlined its stance on June 6 with a statement by Washington’s ambassador in Sofia, Marcie Ries, warning that companies or individuals that provide material support to Stroytransgaz – the company to which Bulgaria awarded the contract to build the land section of the South Stream pipeline in the country – could be subject to US sanctions.
Oresharski, nominal head of a government that is teetering under enormous political pressure and that is widely expected to give way for long-demanded fresh elections some time before the end of 2014, said that he had ordered the suspension of all activities related to the start of South Stream while consultations with the European Commission were underway.
Responding to a question, he said that the work had been suspended in reaction to a letter from the European Commission notifying Bulgaria of the infringement procedure. The course of further work would depend on consultations with Brussels, Oresharski said.”

Posted by: neretva’43 | Jun 9 2014 0:33 utc | 96

The Saker is nuts. One post he is screaming that the Russian Communists are tools of the US who are on a campaign to make Putin out to be a coward who doesn’t do anything for the people of the East, the next he is wailing that he fears that Putin will turn out to be… a coward who doesn’t do anything for the people of the East.
I haven’t spent a ton of time there, but I have spent enough to see that – lately, at least – the guy is all over the place.

Posted by: guest77 | Jun 9 2014 0:54 utc | 98

@guest77 #98:
Well, fortunately we have scalawag, who is good at digging up Russian sources.
BTW, вот так, a commenter at the Saker, got mad at me for calling something he posted at the Saker “slavophile nonsense” here. He didn’t reply to my criticism, however; just called me names. He claims to be our Pragma; he didn’t mention the name, but did say that I knew that he got banned here.

Posted by: Demian | Jun 9 2014 1:09 utc | 100