WASHINGTON — The State Department confirmed on Friday that Russia has sent tanks and other heavy weapons to separatists in Ukraine.
A convoy of three T-64 tanks, several BM-21 “Grad” multiple rocket launchers and other military vehicles crossed the border near the Ukrainian town of Snizhne, State Department officials said. Reports and images of the weapons’ presence circulated on Thursday, but there were conflicting claims about where they had come from.
“This is unacceptable,” said Marie Harf, the deputy State Department spokeswoman. “A failure by Russia to de-escalate this situation will lead to additional costs.”
A Western official said that intelligence about the movement of the tanks and other weapons into Ukraine was shared on Friday with NATO allies. Secretary of State John Kerry complained earlier this week about the flow of Russian arms to separatists in Ukraine in a phone call to Sergey V. Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister.
The T-64 is an obsolescent tank no longer in active use by Russian forces, but still kept in storage in southwest Russia.
“Russia will claim these tanks were taken from Ukrainian forces, but no Ukrainian tank units have been operating in that area,” the State Department said Friday afternoon. “We are confident that these tanks came from Russia.”
“We also have information that Russia has accumulated multiple rocket launchers at this same deployment site in southwest Russia, and these rocket launchers also recently departed,” the State Department added. “Internet video has shown what we believe to be these same rocket launchers traveling through Luhansk.”
On June 12 2014 21:46 sgtnoobkilla wrote: Video footage of the said tank(s):
They look more like Ukrainian T-64s than Russian T-72s to be honest. Perhaps the separatists managed to get a few tanks from that depot in Artemovsk up and running?
only an idiot would think otherwise.
you were saying?
The most remarkable thing about that article is that the US set a deadline of a few weeks until more sanctions are discussed. Germany and countries like Slovakia will not like this one bit, but the long deadline and lack of concreteness suggests the diplomatic discussions within NATO have not yet born any fruit.
WASHINGTON — The State Department confirmed on Friday that Russia has sent tanks and other heavy weapons to separatists in Ukraine.
A convoy of three T-64 tanks, several BM-21 “Grad” multiple rocket launchers and other military vehicles crossed the border near the Ukrainian town of Snizhne, State Department officials said. Reports and images of the weapons’ presence circulated on Thursday, but there were conflicting claims about where they had come from.
“This is unacceptable,” said Marie Harf, the deputy State Department spokeswoman. “A failure by Russia to de-escalate this situation will lead to additional costs.”
A Western official said that intelligence about the movement of the tanks and other weapons into Ukraine was shared on Friday with NATO allies. Secretary of State John Kerry complained earlier this week about the flow of Russian arms to separatists in Ukraine in a phone call to Sergey V. Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister.
The T-64 is an obsolescent tank no longer in active use by Russian forces, but still kept in storage in southwest Russia.
“Russia will claim these tanks were taken from Ukrainian forces, but no Ukrainian tank units have been operating in that area,” the State Department said Friday afternoon. “We are confident that these tanks came from Russia.”
“We also have information that Russia has accumulated multiple rocket launchers at this same deployment site in southwest Russia, and these rocket launchers also recently departed,” the State Department added. “Internet video has shown what we believe to be these same rocket launchers traveling through Luhansk.”
That's a pretty big accusation to make. But the State Department's going to need solid video proof of Russian Grads moving around than just a bunch of grainy satellite images like last time.
The more probable scenario is that the Russians provided the parts and munitions necessary to restore those T-64s since I highly doubt the separatists have the resources to maintain them, let alone use them in prolonged fighting against the military. After all, the Kremlin did promise to send so-called "humanitarian aid" to the separatists a few weeks back.
While essentially the same as them sending the tanks as a whole, it's slightly different...semantics wise . Either way, we'll find out soon enough.
Source: Ukrainian military plane with at least 49 aboard shot down
(CNN) -- A Ukrainian military plane with at least 49 passengers was shot down overnight Friday, a source said, making it the latest and likely one of the bloodiest single events in that nation's current period of turmoil.
The Ilyushin-76 military transport plane went down while approaching an airport in the eastern Ukrainian city of Luhansk, a source with the Ukrainian Anti-Terror Operation of the Ukrainian military forces told CNN.
It was not immediately clear how many of those aboard died or survived.
Pro-Russian separatists shot down a Ukrainian army transport plane with an anti-aircraft missile as it came in to land early on Saturday in the eastern city of Luhansk, killing all 49 military personnel on board.
The toll is the highest suffered by government forces in a single incident since they launched a military operation to halt the rebellion in east Ukraine against the country's pro-European leaders in Kiev and to try to prevent the country splitting up.
The Defence Ministry said in a statement the Il-76 plane was shot down in a "cynical" attack by rebels using an anti-aircraft weapon and a heavy-caliber machine gun.
It gave no death toll but Vladislav Seleznyov, spokesman for the military operation in east Ukraine, said by phone: "Forty-nine people were killed. All were Ukrainian military personnel."
Lugansk self-defense forces confirm that they are behind the downing of the Kiev-loyal transport aircraft carrying military hardware and personal. All dead were involved in military operations against the people of Lugansk.
edit: Oh, didn't see sgt already posted about the incident. Guess one more source doesn't hurt
edit2: It baffles me how someone could send 50 people to an almost certain death by telling them to land in an airport surrounded by all sides with hostile forces you know for a fact have anti-air capabilities that could take down a fighter jet plane. Let alone a massive old military transport that could be taken down with hunting rifles, forget rockets.
The United States condemned an attack on Russia's embassy in Kiev on Saturday and called on Ukraine to provide adequate security for the diplomatic mission.
The US reaction came after a crowd, inflamed by the downing of a Ukrainian military transport plane, tore down the embassy's flag and overturned vehicles as a dozen police looked on.
The United States condemned an attack on Russia's embassy in Kiev on Saturday and called on Ukraine to provide adequate security for the diplomatic mission.
The US reaction came after a crowd, inflamed by the downing of a Ukrainian military transport plane, tore down the embassy's flag and overturned vehicles as a dozen police looked on.
Its a figure of speech. Example: Someone goes out and punches a random person on the street, a guy watching this comes up to the violent man and says 'you can't just go around attacking people'. Understand?
On June 15 2014 07:12 Cheerio wrote: so you say, from my perspective you are consciously trying to manipulate the opinions of people who don't know enough about the current events.
No, what a silly thing to say. A group of people attacked the Russian embassy today, destroyed diplomatic vehicles and took down the Russian flag. I know you want to steer the conversation away from this but its true.
Need I remind you the reaction in Russia when all those people were murdered in Odessa.
People keep coming to Ukraine's embassy in Moscow, laying flowers by its fence. By now, the fence at Leontyevsky Lane is all flowers. Many bouquets have an inscription reading "Turchynov is a murderer", the ITAR-TASS news agency reports.
A spontaneous rally is being held in front of the embassy. People are unable to hold back tears. The guards are soothing them. Several foreign correspondents stand nearby, filming. Phone calls to the embassy go unanswered. A remembrance ceremony for the victims of the Odessa violence staged by Right Sector militants is being in Moscow.
On June 15 2014 07:12 Cheerio wrote: so you say, from my perspective you are consciously trying to manipulate the opinions of people who don't know enough about the current events.
No, what a silly thing to say. A group of people attacked the Russian embassy today, destroyed diplomatic vehicles and took down the Russian flag. I know you want to steer the conversation away from this but its true.
Need I remind you the reaction in Russia when all those people were murdered in Odessa.
People keep coming to Ukraine's embassy in Moscow, laying flowers by its fence. By now, the fence at Leontyevsky Lane is all flowers. Many bouquets have an inscription reading "Turchynov is a murderer", the ITAR-TASS news agency reports.
A spontaneous rally is being held in front of the embassy. People are unable to hold back tears. The guards are soothing them. Several foreign correspondents stand nearby, filming. Phone calls to the embassy go unanswered. A remembrance ceremony for the victims of the Odessa violence staged by Right Sector militants is being in Moscow.
No, what a silly thing to say. A group of people attacked the Russian embassy today, destroyed diplomatic vehicles and took down the Russian flag. I know you want to steer the conversation away from this but its true.
Agree with cheerio. I didn't know about this until i read your "they're attacking foreign embassies", and i assumed they ran rampage and attacked everything as a mob. Which they didn't. Wording is pretty important, and i'm pretty sure you knew full well what you were typing. Back in the day nobody said "the US is attacking cities", but "the US is attacking Bagdad".
That's not mentioning that your try to paint the russians as angels looks extremely ridiculous if you consider that one of those countries just annexed part of the other. I bet you millions of dollars, the other way arround, russians wouldn't be any different. Proven, btw. Read up on nov. 11th, and what happened to the polish embassy in moscow.
edit: don't bother answering though. I'm out again, this thread ran it's course, sadly.
How is answering your question denial? Amaizing how people can completely disregard news and facts that dont push their agenda and latch onto completely silly sematics.
You can throw around buzzwords like manipulation ect all day, it doesn't change the fact. Other people look at those pictures and see Bandera flags and destroyed cars with swastikas painted on them. And they would be right to be concerned about their own diplomats in the country.
On 4th August 1914 just a few days after the beginning of WWI russian people attacked and pillaged German embassy in Saint Petersburg. And Ukraine is de-facto in a state of war with Russia for a few months now. I'd say that took quite a lot of patience for ukrainian people to wait for so long before doing something like that. Doesn't mean I support attacking embassies, that's always a retarded move that should be prevented by local authorities. It's understandable why people would want to do it though.
The problem is not about embassy was attacked. The problem is ukrainian authorities did nothing to stop this act of vandalism. And that is very bad not for Russia but for Ukraine itself: ppl start thinking they can do whatever they want and there will be no punishment. Look at Maidan - ppl are still there, doing nothing, polluting the city, now this. As I said, Maidan will repeat itself inbetween 2 months, cause people starting to become used to impunity
On June 15 2014 15:48 zeo wrote: How is answering your question denial? Amaizing how people can completely disregard news and facts that dont push their agenda and latch onto completely silly sematics.
You can throw around buzzwords like manipulation ect all day, it doesn't change the fact. Other people look at those pictures and see Bandera flags and destroyed cars with swastikas painted on them. And they would be right to be concerned about their own diplomats in the country.
Manipulation again. People were chanting "Putin - fascist" and there was a slogan "no to fascism" written in the same paint as the swasticas. Many of the gathered people believe Russia is behaving as a fascist state, thus the swasticas on the cars.
you know this thread went downhill when you have 49 soldiers shot down and killed while traversing the airspace of their own country, and that's not the main subject but rather an attack on an embassy of a country that just annexed part of yours, and is by all indications arguably directly or at least indirectly responsible for said plane destruction and death of 49 ukrainians.
if that's not some well done public manipulation, i don't know what is.
let's be honest here for a second, how sad is the fact that you have actual russian citizens come here and express their wonder and disbelief in the fact those embassies weren't harmed a lot earlier (considering the war that some here are trying to deny is happening), while guys that have been on some kind of crusade from day 1 to make people see putin is doing the right thing, are actually insinuating those soldiers were - sacrificed?! for what, propaganda and sympathy points? jesus christ, like they need more of those. it's the type of reasoning that reeks of sarajevo market massacre (link) and how serbian public percieved(/s) it back then (/even now).
it's such an irony to have history repeat it self so similarily to the balkan wars in 1990's, and then having actual people that went through that mess just ignore what they've learned from it and repeat all the same mistakes, cheering on from the sidelines, instead of being the voice of reason, with actual experience and specific understanding of what is going on up there.
stop for a second and use the mirror bro, if you're old enough to know what you're talking about.
On June 15 2014 20:15 snailz wrote: you know this thread went downhill when you have 49 soldiers shot down and killed while traversing the airspace of their own country, and that's not the main subject but rather an attack on an embassy of a country that just annexed part of yours, and is by all indications arguably directly or at least indirectly responsible for said plane destruction and death of 49 ukrainians.
49 military personnel killed during a military operation. Though that is big news, the simple fact is that there's nothing there to really talk about.
Attacking an embassy is a pretty big deal, and so is the police standing by and doing nothing while it happens. It's a big enough deal that the US publicly condemned the attack. The swastikas painted on smashed automobiles make it no less troubling.
On June 15 2014 20:15 snailz wrote: you know this thread went downhill when you have 49 soldiers shot down and killed while traversing the airspace of their own country, and that's not the main subject but rather an attack on an embassy of a country that just annexed part of yours, and is by all indications arguably directly or at least indirectly responsible for said plane destruction and death of 49 ukrainians.
49 military personnel killed during a military operation. Though that is big news, the simple fact is that there's nothing there to really talk about.
Attacking an embassy is a pretty big deal, and so is the police standing by and doing nothing while it happens. It's a big enough deal that the US publicly condemned the attack. The swastikas painted on smashed automobiles make it no less troubling.
I have trouble comprehending how vandalism of an embassy is in any way, shape, or form, comparable to killing 49 people.
edit: I'd imagine murder carries a more negative connotation in most places.
When the crisis started I was worried for any of the pro players who had to play online tournaments who live in Ukraine or teams who have Ukranian teammates. Dendi eased everyone's mind's though at the Free To Play event. Imagine not being able to get into any qualifiers cause of your country's crisis.
On June 15 2014 15:48 zeo wrote: How is answering your question denial? Amaizing how people can completely disregard news and facts that dont push their agenda and latch onto completely silly sematics.
You can throw around buzzwords like manipulation ect all day, it doesn't change the fact. Other people look at those pictures and see Bandera flags and destroyed cars with swastikas painted on them. And they would be right to be concerned about their own diplomats in the country.
Manipulation again. People were chanting "Putin - fascist" and there was a slogan "no to fascism" written in the same paint as the swasticas. Many of the gathered people believe Russia is behaving as a fascist state, thus the swasticas on the cars.
lol, and bandera flags are meaning that Putin - bandera? we know all these wonderful stories with air conditioning ...
EPT
. Either way, we'll find out soon enough.![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/rbANvWo.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/OeWUobf.png)
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/7lk7cn2.png)
