WAR trouble brewing again in ukraine

northern watch

TB Fanatic
Prelude to conflict: The US is emptying the Middle East - Transferring forces to If Europe - Kurtz Bridge closed

Columnist: Vasilis Kapoulas
01/04/2021 - 17:49
War News 247

The U.S. is moving hasty forces from the Middle East to An. Europe according to last-minute information ordered by the Pentagon due to "Russian aggression".

This is the second step in US military reinforcement and readiness. We recall that yesterday we revealed that NATO's European Command was put on war alert.

In the air next to the Ukrainian border were detected neither 1 nor 2 but 20 (!) Russian helicopters Mi 8, Mi 28 and Ka 52. We had revealed yesterday that Moscow had transported a total of 150 offensive and transport helicopters to bases near the Ukrainian border.

At the same time, the US-Canada and British Defence Followers met with ukraine's Defence Minister, the country's military staff and Secret Service Chiefs to "support Ukraine's territorial sovereignty" as reported by the US embassy in Kiev.


They're carrying forces and the Ukrainians.

Information provided to WarNews247 indicates that ukraine's president will convene the Defence and Security Council on an emergency basis in order to make the final decisions.

The Ukrainian AETHA stated that it is ready to implement any order given to it.


Ukraine has just resumed its force missions towards the border with Donetsk.

Ukrainian Secret Service: What Russia will do

A note from the Ukrainian secret service published stated:

"Russian diplomatic missions abroad and the Russian media have been instructed to be ready to cover the event and explain to the international community the " aggressive actions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and Russia's peacemeasures!

Russia is preparing a series of measures to send Russian forces inside Donetsk to An Ukraine on the grounds of protecting Russian citizens."


U.S. moves forces out of Middle East

The US has reportedly decided to move forces from the Middle East, possibly to Eastern Europe or even Ukraine. Three Patriot artillery have certainly left the Gulf region, including one from the Prince Sultan air base that protected American soldiers.

"The Pentagon is on high alert as Russia has escalated its activities in Eastern Europe and the Arctic posing a serious challenge to the new Biden administration.

In this context it was decided to transfer US military forces and weapons systems from the Gulf region to where else it is needed worldwide.

President Biden has ordered the US Pentagon to immediately begin the transfer of forces and weapons as the first attempt to reorder US forces away from the Middle East.

In addition to the Patriot order to leave, he received an American aircraft carrier, while the Americans also collected surveillance systems. According to American officials, this move involves the withdrawal of several thousand American soldiers from the Middle East region.

U.S. officials did not want to comment further. So are the Saudis."



Kurtz Bridge is closed.

The Russians even closed the Kurtz Bridge for a "military exercise" while eyewitnesses spoke of an unprecedented build-up of weapons systems being transported through the bridge to Crimea.

See in a photo what the Russians are carrying besides purely weapons systems...

We said that the bridge is the first target of the Ukrainians in the event of a conflict.


Προοίμιο σύρραξης: Αδειάζουν την Μ. Ανατολή οι ΗΠΑ – Μεταφέρουν δυνάμεις προς Αν Ευρώπη – Εκλεισε η γέφυρα του Κερτς – Συμβούλιο ασφαλείας στην Ουκρανία (Βίντεο) - WarNews247
 

Warm Wisconsin

Easy as 3.141592653589..
It’s my understanding that Russia is building up forces to protect Crimea, because Ukraine passed Decree. No. 117/2021. This decree says that Ukraine is taking back Crimea by force.

It appears that this has been blessed by NATO and Biden as retribution for “Russian aggressions”.

Does anyone know when the Ukrainian “reintegration” plan what’s supposed to start? I thought they said today.
 

danielboon

TB Fanatic
Moscow Warns West Against Sending Troops to Back Ukraine

Ukraine has been battling pro-Russian separatists in the eastern Donetsk and Lugansk regions since 2014

Ukraine has been battling pro-Russian separatists in the eastern Donetsk and Lugansk regions since 2014. (Anatolii Stepanov/AFP via Getty Images)
2 Apr 2021
Agence France Presse | By Anastasia Clark
Moscow warned the West on Friday against sending troops to Ukraine to buttress its ally, after Kiev accused Moscow of building up troops on its border.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday accused Russia of massing troops on the border, and Washington pledged to stand by Ukraine in the event of Russian "aggression."


Weeks of renewed frontline clashes have raised fears of a an escalation of the long-simmering conflict in eastern Ukraine, where Kiev's forces are battling pro-Russian separatists.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia would be forced to respond if the US sent troops to Ukraine.
"There is no doubt such a scenario would lead to a further increase in tensions close to Russia's borders. Of course, this would call for additional measures from the Russian side to ensure its security," Peskov told reporters.


He declined to specify which measures would be adopted, while insisting that Russia was not making moves to threaten Ukraine.
"Russia is not threatening anyone, it has never threatened anyone," Peskov said.
His comments come after the United States warned Russia against "intimidating" Ukraine, with both Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken calling their Ukrainian counterparts to stress support.
The Pentagon said earlier this week that U.S. forces in Europe had raised their alert status following the "recent escalations of Russian aggression in eastern Ukraine.''
Ukraine has been battling pro-Russian separatists in the eastern Donetsk and Lugansk regions since 2014, following Moscow's annexation of the Crimean peninsula after an uprising that ousted Ukraine's Kremlin-friendly president Viktor Yanukovych.
Moscow and Kiev this week blamed each other for a rise in violence along the frontline that has undermined a ceasefire brokered last year.
Zelensky said Thursday that 20 Ukrainian servicemen had been killed since the start of the year.
Ukraine's military intelligence accused Russia of preparing to "expand its military presence" in the separatist-controlled regions.
Moscow has repeatedly denied sending troops and arms to support the separatists and the Kremlin this week said that Russia is at liberty to move troops on its own territory.
"Russia is not a participant of the conflict," Peskov said Friday, accusing Ukraine's armed forces of "multiple" provocations in the region.
A senior Russian official dismissed reports of Russia planning an attack on Ukraine as "fake."
"Russia is not interested in any conflict with Ukraine, especially a military one," deputy foreign minister Andrei Rudenko told state news agency RIA Novosti.
Zelensky was elected in 2019 on promises of ending the conflict, but critics say a shaky ceasefire was his only tangible achievement.
The fighting has claimed more than 13,000 lives since 2014, according to the United Nations.
 

danielboon

TB Fanatic
Kremlin says that any NATO troop deployment to Ukraine would raise tensions
By Reuters Staff
1 MIN READ




FILE PHOTO: Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov attends Russian President Vladimir Putin's annual end-of-year news conference, held online in a video conference mode, in Moscow, Russia December 17, 2020. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov
MOSCOW (Reuters) - The Kremlin said on Friday that any deployment of NATO troops to Ukraine would lead to further tensions near Russia’s borders and force Moscow to take extra measures to ensure its own security.
NATO voiced concern on Thursday over what it said was a big Russian military build-up near eastern Ukraine after Russia warned that a serious escalation in the conflict in Ukraine’s Donbass region could “destroy” Ukraine.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Friday that the situation at the contact line in eastern Ukraine between Ukrainian government forces and Russian-backed separatist forces was quite frightening and that multiple “provocations” were taking place there.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Thursday spoke with his Ukrainian counterpart, Andrii Taran, and “condemned recent escalations of Russian aggressive and provocative actions in eastern Ukraine,” the Pentagon said.
 

danielboon

TB Fanatic
Peace Sells... but Who's Buying? What do you mean, "I don't believe in God"?
I talk to him everyday
What do you mean, "I don't support your system"?
I go to court when I have to
What do you mean, "I can't get to work on time"?
Got nothing better to do
And, what do you mean, "I don't pay my bills"?
Why do you think I'm broke? Huh?
If there's a new way
Oh, I'll be the first in line
But it better work this time
What do you mean, "I hurt your feelings"?
I didn't know you had any feelings
What do you mean, "I ain't kind"?
Just not your kind
What do you mean, "I couldn't be the President
Of the United States of America"?
Tell me something, it's still "We the people" right?
If there's a new way
Oh, I'll be the first in line
But it better work this time
Can you put a price on peace?
Peace
Peace sells
Peace
Peace sells
Peace sells, but who's buying?
Peace sells, but who's buying?
Peace sells, but who's buying?
Peace sells, but who's buying?
(No, no no no no)
(Peace sells) 4:11
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdEupVsL07E
 

northern watch

TB Fanatic
Russia Warns NATO Against Sending Any Troops To Ukraine As "Frightening" Escalation Looms

BY TYLER DURDEN
ZERO HEDGE
FRIDAY, APR 02, 2021 - 12:20 PM

The Kremlin's latest statements out Friday amid the potential new Ukraine crisis which has seen a serious flare-up in fighting in the Donbass region, along with what appears to be far bigger-than-usual troop movements on Russia's side of the border, has raised the stakes further.

Russia has vowed it will take "extra measures to ensure its own security" should it observe any deployment of NATO troops inside Ukraine, the Kremlin statement said Friday according to Reuters.

It firmly warned against any potential looming NATO troop movements following Brussels voicing concern the day prior over the widespread reports and videos purporting to show a significant Russian build-up of forces along Ukraine's eastern border.



Archive image of NATO exercises in Europe, via Allied Joint Force Command Naples


Reuters reports Russia's Friday statement and "warning" as follows:

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Friday that the situation at the contact line in eastern Ukraine between Ukrainian government forces and Russian-backed separatist forces was quite frightening and that multiple "provocations" were taking place there.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Thursday spoke with his Ukrainian counterpart, Andrii Taran, and "condemned recent escalations of Russian aggressive and provocative actions in eastern Ukraine," the Pentagon said.
"Our rhetoric [over Donbass] is absolutely constructive," Peskov said in response to journalists' questions. "We do not indulge in wishful thinking. Regrettably, the realities along the engagement line are rather frightening. Provocations by the Ukrainian armed forces do take place. They are not casual. There have been many of them."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the Russian troop movements across the border, calling the situation "muscle-flexing" likely to lead to "provocations" for which Ukraine's army is "ready"...

It was exactly a week ago that fighting in Donetsk grabbed international headlines once again when four Ukrainian national troops were killed, which Kiev promptly blamed on Russia-backed separatists. However, the Donetsk People’s Republic claimed it wasn't the result of a direct exchange of fire, but due to inspecting a minefield.

Ukraine's parliament followed by announcing a sharp "escalation" in the east - a contested region which has seen 14,000 deaths going back to 2014, and the country's military leadership put the armed forces on high alert.

This also as Russian troops and armor were spotted headed into the Crimea and Ukraine's east border region, however, Moscow brushed off the concerns while saying it's routine to transfer forces within one's own borders and sovereign territory.

Days later on Wednesday the US European Command (EUCOM) issued a notification of a raised 'threat level' in Europe. The designation is currently officially raised to one of "potential imminent crisis" due to concerns over Eastern Ukraine.

Meanwhile intense shelling on the ground in Donetsk has continued this week, with all signs pointing to further escalation and intensity in fighting...

And on Thursday an unnamed EU diplomat was cited in Reuters as speculating the perceived build-up in Russian forces is ultimately about Russia's posturing to gain leverage with the new Biden administration - which so far hasn't had much of a big geopolitical challenge.

"Partly, it is the usual tactics, turning up and down the conflict to create instability, to show that Russia is a key player," the EU diplomat said. "We cannot exclude that Biden’s presidency is part of the Russian calculus, that it’s time for Moscow to show a bit of muscle."

But Russia has pointed out that in no way is it in its interest to see a 'hot conflict' in Donbass:

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that most of Ukraine’s military appeared to understand the danger of a "hot conflict" in Donbass.
"I very much hope that they will not be 'incited' by politicians, who in turn will be 'incited' by the West, led by the United States," said Lavrov.

Lavrov further issued an ominous warning: "Russian President Putin said (this) not long ago, but this statement is still relevant today, that those who would try to start a new war in Donbass - will destroy Ukraine."

Russia Warns NATO Against Sending Any Troops To Ukraine As "Frightening" Escalation Looms | ZeroHedge
 

Plain Jane

Just Plain Jane

Biden Condemns "Russian Aggression" In Ukraine In First Belated Call With President Zelensky
Tyler Durden's Photo

BY TYLER DURDEN
FRIDAY, APR 02, 2021 - 01:40 PM
Tensions between Russia and Ukraine are at their highest in years, with NATO and the Kremlin now entering a tit-for-tat ratcheting rhetoric of bellicose "warnings" - and Joe Biden has yet to even pick up the phone and speak to Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky... until today.
Axios is reporting Friday mid-morning the two leaders belatedly held their first phone call since Biden taking office: "It took more than two months for Biden to speak directly with the president of Ukraine, a key frontline partner in eastern Europe that has been pleading for more help from the West in its fight against Russian aggression."
The White House call readout emphasized Biden expressing the United States' "unwavering support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity in the face of Russia’s ongoing aggression in the Donbas and Crimea."


"He emphasized his administration’s commitment to revitalize our strategic partnership in support of President Zelensky’s plan to tackle corruption and implement a reform agenda based on our shared democratic values that delivers justice, security, and prosperity to the people of Ukraine."
The two also spoke of "Ukraine’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations" — language which will no doubt smack of suggesting a future invitation to join NATO, which would certainly trigger greater conflict in the region with Russia.
Biden's reference to Russian "ongoing aggression" is likely to fan the flames amid increased fighting in the restive Donbass region on the same day the Kremlin put NATO on notice, warning that any NATO troop deployment would result in immediate counter-action from Russia to ensure its own security and interests, as Reuters noted earlier in the day.
Reuters is meanwhile reporting that Zelensky told Biden that the Ukrainian Army is ready to retaliate in Donbass.



Here's more context of where things stand, according to Axios, after Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that a "frightening" escalation is happing in Donetsk following the deaths of four Ukrainian soldiers last week:
Zelensky accused Russia of amassing troops at the border with the intent of creating "a threatening atmosphere" in violation of the most recent ceasefire brokered in July 2020, describing the military exercises as "traditional Russian games."
Secretary of State Antony Blinken issued a statement on Wednesday noting that he had spoken with Ukraine's foreign minister and condemned Russia's aggression.
Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan have also held phone calls with their Ukrainian counterparts, Politico reports.
Just prior to Friday's belated White House phone call with Zelensky, Axios' Jonathan Swan observed the cold shoulder toward Kiev seemed intentional and based on appeasing the Russians...




Jonathan Swan

@jonathanvswan

·
Apr 1, 2021
Bizarrely, President Biden has still not spoken — not even once — with the Ukrainian President Zelensky. This while Russia is escalating and menacing Ukraine.

SCgfQmFC_normal.jpg



Daniel Fried

@AmbDanFried
Today's call by @SecBlinken, @jakejsullivan and @SecDef to their Russan counterparts, and Merkel and Macron's calls, indicate Western concern over possibility of new Kremlin aggression Ukraine. Also shows West is watching. 1/2 View: https://twitter.com/AmbDanFried/status/1377340403259600896…





Jonathan Swan

@jonathanvswan

Not to mention ... President Biden didn't invite Ukraine to the climate summit. Notable invitees included one Vladimir Putin. .. Extraordinary snub for a supposed ally at a time Russia is escalating.
******
Meanwhile, there's been more confirmation that a major Russian forces build-up is indeed underway along the border with Ukraine, also through dozens of social media videos out of the region, at a moment Zelensky has charged that Moscow is behind the bloody escalation in Donbass.
 

mistaken1

Has No Life - Lives on TB
snip
think... who is most likely behind this crap?

Obama , a phony crack smoking faggot up against...

Vlad Putin, chess master, black belt, ex-KGB, ruthless gangster...

who is likely to cave first?

The success of community organizing depends on your opponents following the law.
 
Last edited:

Zagdid

Veteran Member
a little earlier in the year ..... March 9, 2021

Bad News for NATO: Poland Lost to Russia in a Massive Wargame
It's no coincidence that Russia’s Western Military District contains some of its most competent units.

by John Rossomando

Here's What You Need to Remember: In addition to Russia’s military buildup on its own territory, it has worked with neighboring Belarus to enhance its capability of denying access to NATO aircraft both over its territory and in Poland with S-400 batteries.

Polish forces suffered a crushing defeat in a wargame called “Winter-20.” It sought answers to what could happen were Russia to throw all of the military might it has in its Western Military District against Poland.

Poland’s Ministry of Defense sought to see how its forces, including the yet-to-be-delivered F-35, Patriot air-defense system, and M142 HIMARS mobile rocket artillery systems, would fare in the event of an all-out Russian invasion with this exercise. Several thousand Polish military officers participated; the scale was unprecedented in the history of post-Cold War Poland.

The wargame serves as a reminder that NATO’s Eastern flank is weak and vulnerable to Russian aggression.

Russia has reinforced and modernized its Western Military District in recent years. A 2020 report to Congress noted that Russia’s Western Military District contains some of its most competent units. They include modern T-90 tanks, T-72B3M tanks, BTR-82 armored personnel carriers, BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicles along with sophisticated anti-air defenses, such as the Tanguska, Pantsir S, and S-400. They would presently easily overwhelm Polish and Baltic NATO units unless the United States and other allies beef up their troop commitments.


In addition to Russia’s military buildup on its own territory, it has worked with neighboring Belarus to enhance its capability of denying access to NATO aircraft both over its territory and in Poland with S-400 batteries.

Russian troops have held numerous military exercises in nearby Russian territory and in neighboring Belarus, such as the massive “Slavic Brotherhood” exercise in September. Russia and Belarus are joined in the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), comprised of several former Soviet republics.

“Over and above the creeping normalization of Russian military activity in Belarus, which may morph into a semi-permanent presence, the clear message Russia is sending to NATO is that it can completely change the strategic position by delivering and inserting forces to those border regions with Belarus in a matter of hours,” Chatham House Russian defense expert Keir Giles told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty in October.

Poland’s plains have made it susceptible to invasion throughout history, from the Mongols in the thirteenth century to the Nazi and Soviet invasion and partition of Poland in 1939.

By the fifth day of the mock conflict, Russian troops had reached the Polish defensive line along the Vistula River, while fighting to take Warsaw.

Poland’s navy and air force faced complete obliteration and ceased to exist. Front-line Polish army units faced the loss of between 60 and 80 percent of their equipment. Russia obtained complete victory within five days.

In a wartime scenario, Russian and Belarusian forces could invade NATO territory along this border area and cut the alliance in two by severing logistical lines connecting Poland with Lithuania. Russia’s vow to use battlefield nuclear weapons to defend territory it conquers and controls is a clarion call to the alliance to have boots on the ground now.

A paper prepared by the Polish Defense Ministry in 2018 said having a permanent U.S. armored presence in Poland would “significantly reduce security vulnerabilities in the region, particularly in the Suwalki Gap [along the Polish-Lithuanian border].”

President Joe Biden has made reaffirming American NATO commitments a top priority, and permanently reinforcing the alliance’s eastern flank would send a strong message to Vladimir Putin. It will remind him that NATO’s resolve to resist any aggression akin to Russia’s invasions of Georgia in 2008 or Ukraine in 2014 remains unshaken. It also would bolster the confidence of our Polish allies that they will be protected in the event of Russian aggression.

Former President Donald Trump pledged to redeploy some of the 35,000 troops currently stationed in Germany to Poland last June. Polish President Andrzej Duda inked a deal in November to move 1,000 permanent troops to Poland. Biden should follow through with Trump’s pledge and go even further by considering deploying an armored division to Poland, just as the Polish defense ministry suggested in 2018.

NATO currently has the headquarters for its North-East Division based in Poland, which includes Croatian, Romanian, British, and American contingents.

President Biden and other NATO must assist Poland with replacing its aged Soviet-era military equipment with modern alliance-compatible hardware. NATO allies must rebuild the logistical supply lines that existed in Western Europe until the end of the Cold War. A military Schengen agreement is needed to allow for rapid deployment of reinforcements.

Poland will spend $49.8 billion under its 2026 Technical Modernization Plan. Among other things, it has resulted in the creation of a Territorial Defense Force, akin to the U.S. National Guard. It plans to spend 2.5 percent of its GDP on defense by 2032, making it among the highest in NATO. The foremost goal of the Polish Defense Ministry is being able to effectively conduct collective defense operations with NATO and not struggle for superiority over potential Russian invaders.

This means upgrading hundreds of aged Cold War-era T-72s and German-made Leopard 2 tanks, acquiring high-tech joint South Korean-Polish K2PL main battle tanks; acquiring anti-tank weapons such as the American Javelin and Israeli Spike; and F-35s. The Biden administration should also sell Poland the latest generation M1A2 SEPV3 Abrams main battle tank to bolster Poland’s modernization effort.

Above all, a serious conversation is needed about how best to secure Polish security from future Russian aggression. To secure peace is to prepare for war.

Bad News for NATO: Poland Lost to Russia in a Massive Wargame | The National Interest
 

mistaken1

Has No Life - Lives on TB
snip

"He emphasized his administration’s commitment to revitalize our strategic partnership in support of President Zelensky’s plan to tackle corruption and implement a reform agenda based on our shared democratic values that delivers justice, security, and prosperity to the people of Ukraine."

Translation: Together we will loot the Ukraine like there is no tomorrow.
 

Dozdoats

On TB every waking moment
Another excuse for the Demoncrats to spend MMT money on pop up shoot back targets for the Russians to knock down. Long as they don't have ZUSA GIs in them ...
 
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