generalspeaking

Helping Ukraine Help Itself

"The center of the blast was near DKZHI. The factory is known for producing chemical products used for industrial explosives, ammunition and equipment artillery bombs. This is not the first time the plant has been the target of a Kiev attack. It was also hit with artillery rockets in September and November."
Konstantin Dolgov, co-chairman, anti-Kiev People's Front

According to Russian state broadcaster RT.com it was a chemical plant explosion. On the other hand, the blast was caused by a "dropped cigarette butt" as far as a spokesman with Ukraine's anti-terror operations was concerned. Oh, wait: it could have been an artillery attack on a weapons depot where the breakaway Donetsk People's Republic maintains weaponry. But the result of the blast was serious enough. Ukrainian news site TSN.ua cited Dmitry Yarosh as claiming that the blast killed about "200 terrorists", destroyed 20 Grad rockets and blew up ammunition-filled trucks.

No worry, they're all fungible, including the 'terrorists', given that the rebel leader has declared his intention to invite 100,000 or so new recruits to the cause. And Moscow will be quick to respond with replacement trucks and ammo. Still, a deputy commander with the Donetsk People's Republic informed that it was most likely a missile that was the cause of the blast, though it could also have been a factory explosion; he made no mention of a stubbed-out cigarette.



"There was a mushroom cloud over Donetsk. Dozens of homes were left without windows", a rebel informed the Ukrainian news website ZN.ua. Euromaidan PR, a citizen-journalist news website based in Ukraine, posted a number of Twitter updates on the explosion, claiming the Ukrainian army was responsible for launching the attack on a rebel-held site. Strike one for Ukraine, things have not gone all that well for the Ukrainian military of late. Their equipment is no match for the Russian-supplied technical arms and tanks.

"We need defensive weapons such as anti-tank and anti-aircraft. If it is decided that such systems will be deployed in Ukraine, we will be grateful. If not, then OK. In any case, we have no other choice: we will fight with or without foreign assistance. All our problems that we confront with Russia mainly originated from it not respecting treaties, not respecting international obligations, not respecting norms and rules of international life. The question is, where is the red line where the West will start to be involved directly", asked Ukrainian charge d'affaires Shevchenko Marko in Ottawa.

The West is loathe to be directly involved. Although the United States is now mulling over the possibility of providing the Ukrainian military with updated technical war machines. In particular radar, capable of detecting incoming artillery in flight to calculate where it was fired from, to enable the Ukrainian military to return fire accurately, while definitively showing just where the fire is coming from; inside Russian territory, many believe.

Russian-supported separatists have been gaining ground deeper into Ukrainian geography, leaving the out-matched Ukrainian military desperate for assistance to keep it from giving any further ground surrendered to the rebels. Russian tanks, obviously the most advanced models, crush Ukrainian units that are armed with outdated anti-tank missiles. Artillery units, some believed to be based within Russia, are hammering targets inside Ukraine, inflicting severe damage on civilians.

While the United States may finally transfer needed updated weapons to Ukraine, France and Germany are anxious to persuade the Obama administration to go no further than non-lethal assistance. In view of their opinion that to arm the military will further strengthen Vladimir Putin's resolve, in response to which there is the threat of a wider conflict, an open war that will threaten a larger geography, scooping in other eastern European countries.

Certainly NATO doesn't contemplate a standoff with Russia. Russia has cannibalized Georgia and Ukraine, two non-NATO-member countries. Leaving Ukraine pretty much on its own, since Western Europe is consumed with anxiety over further angering Mr. Putin to a white-hot rage where no holds will be barred, and anything could happen. Europe would far prefer to avoid such a conceivable conflict. And if they have their way, Ukraine will be the sacrificial lamb.

Because they see no other way out of this dreadful dilemma brought to the international community courtesy of a man pining for a return to a state of super-powerdom for the Russian federation and it sees no way of achieving that status other than by storming the ramparts of its neighbours, formerly part of the Soviet empire, and now tellingly desperate to place themselves beyond bounds by fealty to the West.

Labels: Aggression, France, Germany, NATO, Russia, Sanctions, Secession, Ukraine, United States

posted by Pieface @ Monday, February 09, 2015