The bad news:
1. The “Aidar” Battalion got ambushed near Luhansk. It suffered losses. Units of the ATO [anti-terorrist operation] forces that came to their aid also suffered serious losses.
Eternal memory to the heroes.
The security officials claim that the tragedy occurred because of the lack of coordination between the “Aidar” Battalion and the ATO forces. I totally agree that any operation should have unified leadership. But I also agree with one of my friends, who wrote in the [Facebook] comments: when volunteers like this from “Azov” [Battalion] freed [the city of] Mariupol, it was presented as an ATO success. And the tragedy with “Aidar” was presented as a tragic miscalculation of the volunteers’.
I am sure that if the ATO forces demonstrated efficacy and determination, then the volunteers would have been happy to be under the command of a unified leadership, and wouldn’t be trying to act independently.
2. “Abductions, detentions, abuse, torture and killings by armed groups are now affecting the broader population.” These are the words of the UN report presented today on the situation in Ukraine.
Once, ordinary Ukrainians associated such United Nations statements with some African countries. Today, Luhanda and Donbabwe [a play on Uganda and Zimbabwe respectively], aka the bloody “LPR” and “DPR” [Luhansk- and Donetsk People’s Republics] are a sad Ukrainian reality. Thanks to Putin and our native degenerates.
3. Today we tried to answer the question why six TV towers (TV and radio broadcasting centers) that are under control of terrorists and which incessantly broadcast Russian propaganda channels, continue to operate in Donbas. And immediately, we ended up in a whirlwind of events. It turns out that in the Radio Broadcasting, Radio Communications, and Television (BRT) Concern, there is a vicious struggle for leadership of the Chair’s office. Generally speaking, we are only interested in the question why the BRT is working for the enemy, and decided not to get involved in these squabbles.
As a result, we presented the trade union’s point of view and the management’s. [Then] we turned to other sources. The conclusion is: on the ground collaboration with the terrorists is underway for real. But these people are difficult to condemn because “cooperation” takes place at gunpoint. We discovered that there were attempts by individual employees in Donbas to disable Russian TV channels, to which the insurgents immediately reacted with a use of force.
However, the issue is not in condemnation. But in the fact that, as disinterested experts assured us, it is still technically possible to disable these TV towers. Why this feature is not being used is the subject of our further investigation.
As for special communications, we are waiting for the evaluation of special services.
To sum up the happenings at the BRT, we should state the disappointing fact: the country is practically at war, and these guys are divvying up a spot at the trough. This, to put it mildly, is not right.
The good news:
1. President Poroshenko has reassured that all the military personnel who have been or will be involved in conducting the ATO will receive the status of Combatants.
Just yesterday, we were assured of the same by personnel officers in the Ministry of Defense. That is, they are working on a mechanism whereby no soldier in the ATO zone will be left without Combatant status, even if their units are deployed outside the operation zone. I am having very serious doubts that this mechanism will operate flawlessly. Therefore, I think that it would be right for security officials to tell us more about this mechanism, and give it a public legal assessment.
In any case, I want to believe the President that each will be rewarded according to merit. For injustice to the heroes is a triple injustice.
2. The RNBO [National Security and Defense Council, of Ukraine] announced today that the Armed Forces will conduct comparative tests of new BTR-3E1 and BTR-4E armored personnel carriers and choose the most suitable APC option. In sum, they are planning to purchase about a thousand units.
Upgrading military equipment and weapons is an old dream of the Ukrainian army. Especially since this equipment is vital in the ATO zone today.
Plus, the large-scale orders for our “defense” [industry] is twice as wonderful. The only question is whether the state will be able to find the necessary funds. Since this is already a problem…
3. Defense Minister Mykhaylo Koval stated that the Ukrainian army would finally have its own Special Operations Forces [SOFs].
No one doubts the need to create such Forces in view of the events in Donbas.
By the way, the “father” of Ukrainian SOFs (the idea of which was forfeited under Yanukovych) and former head of the respective administration in the military is now an expert at our Center for Military and Political Studies. Therefore, we are going to study this subject very carefully.
4. In Rada [Ukrainian Parliament] there were political forces (in particular, the all-Ukrainian Union “Svoboda“) that don’t support the initiative for the resignation of the acting Foreign Minister Andriy Deshchitsya.
I can’t understand what Deshchitsya’s fault is? The fact that in his off-duty time, he performed a couple of words from a popular song in a circle of friends? And let’s not forget, by doing so he was able to prevent more aggressive actions against the Russian diplomatic mission (albeit Lavrov’s subordinates clearly deserve it, but diplomacy is diplomacy).
Especially since the Kremlin hasn’t officially denied the fact that Putin is a khuylo [alternatively spelled as khuilo, hullo or huylo]. Not to mention the furnishing of evidence, for example, the conclusions of independent experts.
Here, in general, is complete nonsense. Putin is a khuylo, and for this they want to punish Deshchytsia. It’s a paradox.
Dmitry Tymchuk, Coordinator, Information Resistance
Translated and edited by Voices of Ukraine
