generalspeaking

Respecting The Ceasefire....

"The Russian military has deployed a large amount of artillery and multiple rocket launcher systems around Debaltseve, where it is shelling Ukrainian positions."
"We are confident that these are Russian military, not separatist systems."
U.S. State Department

"Debaltseve is, and will remain, one of the hottest spots. In general, the truce is being observed here, but we expect that it will be the critical place in terms of facilitating a real ceasefire."
Ukrainian ambassador-at-large Dmytro Kuleba

 Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko gave instructions to his troops to hold fire, to honour the second of the negotiated agreements that France and Germany persuaded Vladimir Putin to agree to. Not that much persuasion was required, since Moscow was given virtually all it wanted, other than extra time to allow the secessionist rebels to take Debaltseve before the signing of the agreement. In an attempt to save his country from further bloodshed and Russian predation, Mr. Poroshenko signed an agreement that was humiliating and unjust.

And he was led to that position as a sacrificial lamb to the slaughter. Germany and France have been as hard hit by the economic sanctions that have targeted Russia as Russia itself has been. The fallout from the sanctions have done little to help those countries emerge from the still-lingering effects of the global economic meltdown. And to prolong the situation would give them little comfort for the long term effects on their economies. They did the bidding of the European Union.

Russian-backed forces launched their sustained assault against Debaltseve, despite the conditions of the ceasefire agreement. Rebel leaders insisting that it is their right to do so. In their minds they had planned on capturing the railroad town, and as far as they are concerned the agreement won't deter them from continuing their assault since they claim that Debaltseve sits in their territory, not that of Ukraine.

The United States has announced it is prepared to deploy "tank busting" Warthog aircraft to give Russia second thoughts about its covert and very obvious aggression in Ukraine. The U.S. plans to send a dozen A-10 Thunderbolts, infantry support jets with fierce firepower, and 300 personnel to accompany them to Germany at month's end, according to Lieut.-Gen. Tom Jones, vice-commander of U.S. Air forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa.

Fears are that the conflict in Ukraine could further escalate and result in a confrontation between Russia and the West should the latest ceasefire agreement fail, as appears on early results likely. Up to 8,000 Ukrainian troops have been hemmed in at Debaltseve by massed separatist forces. A last minute effort to seal the encirclement trapping the Ukrainian garrison before the ceasefire came into effect saw Russian-backed fighters advance on two sides; a months'-long effort.

To gain more time to make the capture of the town more likely, President Putin had wanted to put off the ceasefire signing for an additional week. Separatists plan on capturing the port of Mariupol as well from Ukrainian forces, giving Russia its planned-for land link to Crimea. Ukraine's deputy defence minister Petro Mekhed, said that the separatist forces had been ordered by Moscow to raise their flags over Debaltseve and Mariupol by Sunday, the onset of the ceasefire agreement.

Ukrainian military officials insisted the road into Debaltseve was open, but Semen Semenchenko, commander of a pro-Kyiv militia, the Donbass Battalion, denied the official line, that it "does not correspond with reality". "Logvino", a village at the main road in and out of Debaltseve, he said "is under the control of the terrorist and Russian forces." But the separatists, he said, had not yet sealed the "Debaltseve pocket"; the Ukrainians yet had control of country roads in and out of the area.

It is not only the rebels who have acted beyond the ceasefire; three trucks of Ukrainian soldiers in battle gear were stationed on the highway to Luhansk while a squad commander from a volunteer battalion said that Ukrainian forces were reinforcing their positions toward Debaltseve. It is, after all, despite all of Moscow's interference and military actions, still Ukraine that these activities are taking place within.

Positions in the village of Zolote in the Luhansk region were shelled in the early morning hours and according to Luhansk governor Gennady Moskal, a "complete ceasefire has not happened", with active conflict ongoing in several areas. The town of Popasna was attacked by secessionists with Grad rockets. And fighting had continued on a second major front near the city of Mariupol, according to the Azov volunteer battalion.


Good thing there's a ceasefire in effect, otherwise things could get fairly nasty, right?.

Labels: Aggression, Ceasefire, Conflict, Russia, Secession, Ukraine

posted by Pieface @ Sunday, February 15, 2015