The bad news:
1. Russia doesn’t even intend to explain why it needed to amass troops and equipment near the border with Ukraine. As we know, Kyiv earlier turned to Moscow with a request that it provide a report under the Vienna Document on implementing confidence and security building measures. Russia was supposed to respond within two days, which would be no later than the evening of July 31. We received no answer.
Actually, no one expected Putin to start calling a spade a spade–that is to say that he would be forced to admit that he dragged tanks and “Grads” to the border for three reasons: to deliver some [of them] to the terrorists, to use some of them to shell Ukraine, and some–to frighten Ukrainians with invasion.
But even if Moscow lied in its soul, yet gave a response, you could say that Putin did not completely spit on the basic agreement in the field of international security. However, he did in fact spit [on it]. God knows it’s not a big revelation–just another proof.
2. The Interior Ministry reported that in the liberated cities of Donbas, over 50% of the police officers broke the Oath during the occupation–in some instances, by failing to perform their professional duties, and often simply by joining the ranks of terrorists.
According to our data, the percentage of disloyalty is well above 50%. In this case, we have recorded numerous instances when the police on their “off duty time” went “to moonlight” to the same occupied Sloviansk from one of the nearby settlements. You bet–to be able to make 1,000 Hryvnias a day from terrorists is a very tempting [offer] for a depressed region.
The question is, who will replace all this rot after the cities are freed? The reliability of the majority of law enforcement across-the-board still raises doubts. On the other hand, to initiate total lustration would mean to push “the doubting” policemen into the embrace of insurgents.
The problem is not a simple one. Hopefully, the Interior Ministry leadership will find ways to solve it.
3. Terrorists are so touching. Donbas has long been convinced wholeheartedly about not having anything to do with their [terrorist] gang identity. But these genetic scum nevertheless all continue to present some kind of justification for their violence, killings and robberies under the guise of a schizophrenic “statehood.”
Here is one of those dead-end branches of fauna development named Girkin, who calls himself the Defense Minister of the DNR [Donetsk People’s Republic], who permitted “the mobilization of necessary financial resources” from the residents of Donetsk. As in, now the insurgents can loot “legitimately,” squeezing the population for vehicles, building materials, medical equipment, fuel, etc.
But that’s where the trick is. Girkin simultaneously introduced being responsible for the “illegal mobilization of funds” without the appropriate paper permit issued by his very own, beloved self.
In short, this is akin to taking a hat from a passer-by in an alley by showing permission from the gang leader. It’s funny and sad.
The good:
1. During the day, ATO forces freed the settlement of Krasnohorivka (Donetsk Oblast) and two settlements in the Savur-Mohyla area from the insurgents. We also received information about paratroopers taking control of the settlement of Kontarne (Shakhterskyi [district], Donetsk Oblast).
Nobody likes the slow pace of the ATO, everyone wants a quick win. This desire is understandable and legitimate. But we see that the operational pauses in the ATO do not mean that the command can sit idly. A redeployment of forces and preparatory acts for new victories are taking place. Yesterday’s “day of silence” was used to solve the problem of Sector D–the withdrawal of our divisions from shelled positions and ensuring their rotation.
The ATO continues. And there is no doubt that [our] major victories–just like the last and final one–are ahead.
2. President P. Poroshenko announced today that all European States support Ukraine in its present difficult situation.
Literally, he said: “I declare responsibly, as the Ukrainian President, who has also participated for the first time in a closed meeting of the EU Council at the level of Heads of State and Government, that there is no country that would not support Ukraine.”
We know that the pro-Russian lobby is quite significant in many EU countries. But we also believe that Europe will never give up its values. It is no coincidence that Ukraine believes in and adopted these values for itself.
3. What grief, what grief! Unidentified persons shot dead the Deputy Foreign Minister (the title sounds modest but tasteful) of the terrorist organization DNR, Aleksandr Proselkov, in Luhansk Oblast.
The governor of the DNR, Pavel Gubarev, said that Proselkov was delivering some “secret information” to him (it should have been related to the secret negotiations with the LNR [Luhansk People’s Republic] on a long-term loan to buy two bottles of Desna cognac for their meeting with the delegation of the Russian State Duma). As a result, Gubarev was left without the secret information. Our condolences.
The insurgents immediately began yelling that their accomplice was sewn up by a “professional killer.” However, to our knowledge, this gentleman was killed by his own people as a mistake–amongst the terrorists it has become [quite] fashionable to fire with drunken eyes at everything. At this time it happened to be Gubarev’s assistant. It happens. But it is impossible [for me] to squeeze out a tear.
Dmitry Tymchuk, Coordinator, Information Resistance
Translated and edited by Voices of Ukraine