Escalation in Ukraine

January 23, 2014 | Various

[annalex]

Escalation in Ukraine

Digest by Annalex

Two significant recent developments are:

1. First fatalities, apparently from live ammunition, among the demonstrators.

Injuries, including serious injuries are in the hundreds if not in the thousands. The rubber bullet can gouge an eye and therefore, at a right angle can be itself fatal. The sun grenades reportedly rip through flesh if the explosion is next to it. Ironically, neither of the two confirmed fatalities are Ukrainian: one is an Armenian from Eastern Ukraine; the other is a Belorussian resident of Ukraine.

One fatality (linked content here and below is rather graphic);

I suspect injuries among the military police. Watch, for example, how stoically they take Molotov cocktails; this has to leave marks.

Molotov cocktails

This is a long series of photos showing the combat technology.

Different bullets


The blogger describes this as “traumatic and strike ball” weaponry


Stun grenade


“Rumor has it, Bertkut (militarized police) tape bolts and nuts to stun and gas grenades”



Molotov cocktails. These are, someone explains, not properly done: straight kerosene or gasoline, rather than something more gooey; they invariably hurt the thrower as well.


Catapult 1 (it broke, they built another, of simple construction)


Archer


People got much better building the barricades.


Priests and monks often stand separating the combatants.

Much more on this topic, and in full resolution available, is in Zyalt’s blog

This Israeli blogger believes the fatalities were on order form the Kremlin. Yanukovich was ready to compromise with the protesters, so Putin made sure that, with mass shedding of blood, Yanukovich has no game left but toe the Kremlin’s line.

2. Other regions, naturally, in the West, are rising as well.

The country is divided, fuzzily, in two parts: ethnically Ukrainian West and mixed Russian-Ukrainian East. This blogger, Basmanov, writes in Russian and for Russians:

If you are a TV watcher, and think that the Russian Federation is your state and that the power structure of Putin pederasts [common swear in Russian] is for you, or if you are simply a fool, quit reading now. This is the material for them who understand that the Russians are an oppressed nation in the RF, its land is long since occupied and it is still to be re-conquered in the future. There is no other road for us: against the background of the Russians dying off, the mass foreign colonization policy conducted by the RF government is death to our people. So the question is stark: either the Russians throw out the power that be or the power that be slowly destroys out people. It is not important if you support Yanukovich or not. The technology is important. Learn carefully. When it is time to give a fight to the anti-Russian regime that seized power in RF and is oppressing our nation, you will approximately know what to do.

The map of provincial governments taken (red) or blocked (pink)

A news roundup follows with links:

• Citizens of Sumi took to the streets
  Video
• City Council and District parliament of Khmelnitzky recognized the power of People’s Rada (People’s Council, or Parliament, a rebel organization)
  Link
• It is confirmed that Ternopol administration is taken
  Link
• Rovno Militia (police) resigned
  Link
• In Zhitomir the demonstrators blocked the central street and demand resignation of the mayor and the governor
  Link
• Ternopol district administration is taken by the protesters
  Link
• In Khmelnitzky the Maidan forces began action
  Link
• In Cherkassy the demonstrators storm the district Administration – militia barricaded themselves inside
  Video
• In Cherkassy the protesters storm the district administration
  Link
• March on Rovno administration. They chant: Rise, Rovno!
  Link
• The assault on Lvov administration
  Video
• In Khmelnitzky near the administration barricades were erected
  Link
• How they seized the Administration in Rovno
  Video
• Protestaers took over the administration in Lvov and in Rovno
  Link

We live in interesting times, folks.

[annalex]

And here

[annalex]

low influence characters like John McCain, George Soros, and Sean Penn, all of them unknown and insignificant outside the borders of this parish, become to the believers in their own parish’s powers the movers and shakers on the international scene

It is though a fight that very much involves the strategy game to avoid a direct involvement of NATO air force. So, yeah, McCain is a player, -- the one both sides want to stay out.

[annalex]

Having seen several pictures of cops on fire from protester-thrown firebombs, I’m very surprised they haven’t just opened up live gunfire in return

They don't have live ammunition, and are trained to withstand getting torched: observe the men with fire extinguishers nearby. The dynamics is, I think, dictated by adopting the Intifada model in order not to get into a Libya model. Violence is intentionally moderated on both sides.

[annalex]

I am very worried about my friends in Ukraine.

I would be worried too, but the rise of national consciousness is encouraging in any nation. It would be encouraging in ours.

[mac_truck]

The protests are in large city centers and have rocks and sticks for weapons.

Not entirely true...

[annalex]

The problem is EU doesn’t want Ukraine as a member.

That is not really a problem. Ukraine, at least the western part, wants to inoculate itself against any re-unification with Russia and generally and pull into Asia. That they already have accomplished.

[Rebelbase]

Live stream from somewhere in Ukraine:

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/euromajdan/pop-out

[Rebelbase]

Kiev live stream:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=jrZcAsPKK74#t=0

[cunning_fish]

Do you realize that the Western part is the least productive and practically the welfare state paid by the East?

[mac_truck]

The dynamics of this revolution puzzle me, and I can’t quite put a finger on whence my puzzlement.

I was also puzzled by the intensity of the protest against what amounted to a bad trade deal with the European Union, so I started looking into it. The so-called revolution which is being presented as 'spontaneous' and 'pro-democracy', was in fact planned well in advance as a pre-election tactic and is being carried out by militant National Socialists from western Ukraine.

Now rather than compete in upcoming elections against an incumbent President who has lowered gas prices, restructured the government balance sheet, and raised the country's bond rating to attract investors, the divided 'pro-democracy' crowd has decided to attempt a putsch.

The real irony is that if this type of civil disruption (rocks, clubs, fire bombs, etc.) were to take place in any western democratic nation, the government crackdown would be swift and harsh.

[Rebelbase]

Link at #47: Protestors are piling up car tires in the neutral zone.

[dfwgator]

The Soviets heavily invested in the Eastern part of Ukraine.

Much of Western Ukraine was Polish before the war, the Poles were evicted and replaced with Tartars and others the Soviets deemed unworthy to live in the more prosperous Eastern part.

[cunning_fish]

Well, Soviets annexed rather huge part of Germany into Poland to compensate, moving the Poles in. I think the majority of Poles involved has clearly benefited from this deal (Germans not so much).

[ctdonath2]

Ah right. I’m slowly learning, over many years, how much planning goes into these spontaneous revolts. Wish I could remember which one was centered on a bulldozer.

And yes, part of my puzzlement comes from wondering why the first person to set a cop on fire wasn’t shot dead in seconds.

[dfwgator]

I think the majority of Poles involved has clearly benefited from this deal (Germans not so much).

The Germans were beneficiaries of The Marshall Plan.

Poles got "The Marshall Stalin Plan"

[Faith65]

BFL

[boxlunch]

I have friends in Ukraine too, and that is how they describe the situation also. Very dangerous and volatile situation. They say the government has 1000s of hired mercenaries stirring up trouble. Also that the government has tracked the cell phone numbers of all who congregated in the square and warned them (via text) that they are known to have been in the square and are subject to arrest at any time. There has been much violence by the government and secret arrests of people. Very Stalinist actions.

[annalex]

Yes. The weapon of choice has become a molotov cocktail. They have a shortage of glass bottles and the cry is out to bring more; the citizens oblige. I saw your photo today. Also there is a theory that the milkbucket-shaped bullets in the first photo came from a hunting gun.

Today's Zyalt

[annalex]

It is no longer an economic issue. Ukraine would rather starve in Europe than be a part of USSR 2.0.

[annalex]

Thank you.