Russia Moves Artillery Units Into Ukraine, NATO Says

[Bosonic]

Source: New York Times

WASHINGTON — The Russian military has moved artillery units manned by Russian personnel inside Ukrainian territory in recent days and is using them to fire at Ukrainian forces, NATO officials said on Friday.

The West has long accused Russia of supporting the separatist forces in eastern Ukraine, but this is the first time it has said it had evidence of the direct involvement of the Russian military.

The Russian move represents a significant escalation of the Kremlin’s involvement in the fighting there and comes as a convoy of Russian trucks with humanitarian provisions has crossed into Ukrainian territory without Kiev’s permission.

Since mid-August NATO has received multiple reports of the direct involvement of Russian forces, “including Russian airborne, air defense and special operations forces in Eastern Ukraine,” said Oana Lungescu, a spokeswoman for NATO.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/23/world/europe/russia-moves-artillery-units-into-ukraine-nato-says.html

[HERVEPA]

1. Putin is so misunderstood here on DU.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

11. Yes, indeed he is.

[Throd]

12. He's so sensitive and vulnerable.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

14. And talented!

[Throd]

15. He hand-built that piano from a single tree that he chopped down while shirtless.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

16. Believe it or not, the actual video behind that picture is even funnier.

It involves Putin, a bunch of random, bewildered looking celebrities at some sort of charity fundraiser, a piano "recital" worthy of a 7 year old novice, and Fats Dominos' "Blueberry Hill." It's truly one of the most bizarre things you'll ever see:

[EX500rider]

22. Holly crap it's like straight out of SNL! n/t

[Blue_Tires]

26. +1

I'm waiting for the first person to say NATO and the NYT are part of a smear campaign against Moscow...

[The Magistrate]

2. Interesting, Sir

The apologists will likely divide their efforts between claiming this is fiction, and saluting Putin coming to the rescue against 'nazis'....

[7962]

4. No, we'll see very few posts from them on this one. Its too obvious they were wrong.

I could be wrong, but this story shows how wrong they've been all along and they wont put their names on it to show the DU world.

[TwilightGardener]

5. Actually, they've openly cheered on Russian military actions once it becomes clear

that the cover story is either unnecessary or isn't working. They say things like "It won't be long now" and "Kiev fascists will pay" and make reference to the stock markets. Really strange shit for an American political website.

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

23. I'm not sure who would cheer in such a thing.

Last edited Fri Aug 22, 2014, 04:20 PM - Edit history (1)

Perhaps they are the same kind of people who cheer on Israel airstrikes that kill hundreds of children.




On edit: I've seen the posts...

[The Magistrate]

10. One For Column B, Sir

See post No. 8 below....

[7962]

29. Damn. I forgot about Him/her. Always cheering on Putin.

[Elmergantry]

3. Russia wants to create more "hunger and thirst"

So as to give their white trucks something to do.

[alcibiades_mystery]

6. The Guns of August

[another_liberal]

9. One hundred years . . .

Almost to the day.

[roamer65]

28. Shades of 1914.

The winds of war are blowing, my friends.

[Throd]

7. Waiting for our resident Pootlickers to deny, defend or deflect....

shouldn't be long.

[cosmicone]

8. I welcome this ... those freedom fighters have been

starving and thirsty, facing brutal neonazi attacks instead of negotiations to give them a little autonomy.

They were even denied humanitarian aid for heaven's sake!

I am just amused by the Russophobia here on DU.

One would have thought that we would be for the downtrodden ethnic minorities in Eastern Ukraine.

[IronGate]

13. Russian intervention good,

US intervention bad.
Got it.

[RiverNoord]

18. You mean the Crimean Tatars?

The ones who were expelled en masse during the Soviet era, were very comfortable with Ukranian Crimea, and are seriously threatened by the Russian anschluss - sorry, I mean happy-open arms-welcoming-into-the-fold and by the way our troops without insignias are really local 'freedom militias' seeking escape from the soul-crushing oppression of the evil fascist Kievan mafia - of Crimea?

Or, perhaps, the ethnic Russian citizens of Ukraine, who are members of one of the largest ethnic groups in the world, and who live very close to the border of the Fatherland, but can't deal with the fact that they aren't actually in Russia? That must bite - definitely worth killing and dying about.

[HERVEPA]

19. Good grief. You're actually serious, aren't you!

[snooper2]

20. I know right! Maybe the Russians can teach these "freedom fighters" how to

build mass graves correctly so they won't get found again

[LanternWaste]

21. More accurately, "They were even denied alleged, uninspected, unescorted humanitarian aid..."

More accurately, "They were even denied alleged, uninspected, unescorted humanitarian aid for heaven's sake!"

[ColesCountyDem]

17. Surely Comrade Major Putin would NEVER do such a thing!

I need my fainting couch....

[Elmergantry]

24. Surely Putin is going to shoot "humanitarian" aid to the poor oppressed ethnic Russians.

he is a man of peace you know...

[ColesCountyDem]

27. With humanitarian artillery, no less!

Comrade Major Putin deserves the Nobel Prize for his many actions.

[PeoViejo]

25. Rasputin Reborn

except, now he's in charge.

[davidpdx]

30. How can this be true when it isn't coming from the Russian Government media?