Russia declares war on Ukraine. Live updates from inside Ukraine

[off topic material removed]

rtd.rt.com...-1

again no Crimea here. 48 hours later and no proof.

Pro-Russian groups go online with death threats against Odessa residents

Revenge is mixing with blood in the Odessa air after May 2 violence that killed 46 people when pro-Ukrainian activists defended themselves against an assault by armed pro-Russian activists.

Social network groups of the rival groups show that the sides are far from making peace.

Public groups in Vkontakte, the Russian counterpart of Facebook and Ukraine’s most popular social network, are major communication tools for both the pro-Russian and pro-Ukrainian activists. It was in Vkontakte where, on the eve of the fateful May 2 events, one of the Odessa AntiMaidan groups published a call for pro-Russian activists to forcefully stop the scheduled peaceful march of the pro-Ukrainian football fans.

They did and that triggered the hours-long street fight that claimed the most lives in a single day since the Feb. 20 assassinations of EuroMaidan activists killed 70 people.

In this atmosphere of anger, grief and revenge in the tragedy's aftermath, the pro-Euromaidan groups haved posted snapshots from the videos taken on May 2 and asked the subscribers to identify the pro-Russian aggressors.

www.kyivpost.com...

This is the first i heard of as far as civilian casualties from Ukrainian military what is it with Ukraine and snipers?



‘They need only blood’: Slavyansk woman killed by sniper fire on her balcony (GRAPHIC)

A 30-year-old civilian woman died after being shot in the head by sniper fire while standing on her balcony in Slavyansk. RT’s Paula Slier visited shocked relatives of the victim, who say a Ukrainian army sniper is responsible, though they don't know why.

Slier arrived to the small Slavyansk apartment just hours after Irina was murdered, a large pool of blood still marking the floor of the balcony. A hospital nurse earlier confirmed that the woman died of a gunshot wound to her head.

The apartment, located on the sixth floor of a small block of flats, appeared to be away from the recent fighting in Slavyansk, and no barricades or checkpoints could be seen anywhere near the area.

Irina, who was head of a department at a technical college in Slavyansk, never took part in any protests or fighting. However, when standing on her balcony and waiting for her husband to come home from a nearby garage, the woman was targeted by an unidentified sniper. Neighbors said they heard a popping sound coming from the trees opposite her window.

rt.com...

RT journalist - Paula Slier

I keep seeing her name popping up with reports on the more graphic incidents. I will concede she may be a good journalist, however personally speaking I find it odd that a single journalist can have such good luck that no matter where she goes, she always seems to be in the right place at the right time.

Not an accusation, just an observation.

originally posted by: dragonridr
Pro-Russian groups go online with death threats against Odessa residents

Revenge is mixing with blood in the Odessa air after May 2 violence that killed 46 people when pro-Ukrainian activists defended themselves against an assault by armed pro-Russian activists.

Social network groups of the rival groups show that the sides are far from making peace.

Public groups in Vkontakte, the Russian counterpart of Facebook and Ukraine’s most popular social network, are major communication tools for both the pro-Russian and pro-Ukrainian activists. It was in Vkontakte where, on the eve of the fateful May 2 events, one of the Odessa AntiMaidan groups published a call for pro-Russian activists to forcefully stop the scheduled peaceful march of the pro-Ukrainian football fans.

They did and that triggered the hours-long street fight that claimed the most lives in a single day since the Feb. 20 assassinations of EuroMaidan activists killed 70 people.

In this atmosphere of anger, grief and revenge in the tragedy's aftermath, the pro-Euromaidan groups haved posted snapshots from the videos taken on May 2 and asked the subscribers to identify the pro-Russian aggressors.

I said before, Odessa is going to explode. If not before 09/05 (Victory Day) than most certainly on that day.
You will see that Anti-Junta is not a small group of people, and I would not be surprised if takeover of Government buildings starts very soon. This might be very bloody.
Kiev has replaced regular police forces in Odessa with special police forces loyal to Kiev.

I also found this interesting its loosely related to Ukraine but i think you will find it interesting as well. Apparently Putin just passed a law outlawing Nazi propaganda and making it illegal to revise the history of the USSR. Apparently it is now illegal to talk about Stalin in Russia.

President Vladimir Putin signed a law on Monday making the denial of Nazi crimes and distortion of the Soviet Union's role in the World War II a criminal offense punishable by up to five years in jail.

The law, described by critics as an attempt to curb freedom of expression to appease conservative Russians, the ex-KGB spy's main support base, also criminalizes the public desecration of war memorials.

The Kremlin has used World War II as a pillar to unite a society that Putin has said lost its moral bearings following the 1991 Soviet collapse.

It has become increasingly risky for Russians to dispute an official line that glorifies the wartime achievements of the Soviet leadership and plays down its errors.

The new law would ban "wittingly spreading false information about the activity of the U.S.S.R. during the years of World War II."

Russian officials and media have raised the specter of Nazi Germany repeatedly during Moscow's confrontation with the West over Ukraine, calling the overthrow of a Russian-allied president in February a coup carried out in part by "neo-Nazi" forces.

Independent channel Dozhd was taken off the air earlier this year after asking viewers whether Leningrad, now St. Petersburg, should have been given to German troops to save lives during its 872-day siege during World War II.

Viktor Shenderovich, a blogger critical of the authorities, came under fire from Kremlin supporters in February after comparing the Sochi Olympics to the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games, used by Adolf Hitler to burnish the image of the Nazi Germany.

In a comment posted when the legislation was first introduced, veteran television host Vladimir Pozner said he believed its aim was "to shut the mouths of journalists, historians and writers".

He said he feared it would "practically ban criticism of Stalin" for "grave mistakes that led to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of our soldiers".

It was unclear whether the wording of the bill had been changed since its introduction and Pozner could not immediately be reached for comment.

Kremlin critics say Putin, in power since 2000, has used legislation, court cases and other levers to tighten control during his current term, which he won despite large opposition protests in 2011-2012. Putin denies the accusations.

Separately on Monday, Putin signed a law imposing fines for the use of expletives on television, radio and in films shown in theaters. Music and movies containing foul language will have to have a warning on the label, state-run RIA news agency reported.

Putin also signed a law imposing stricter rules on bloggers, which opponents say is aimed at suppressing criticism on the Internet.

www.themoscowtimes.com...

originally posted by: Xcathdra
RT journalist - Paula Slier

I keep seeing her name popping up with reports on the more graphic incidents. I will concede she may be a good journalist, however personally speaking I find it odd that a single journalist can have such good luck that no matter where she goes, she always seems to be in the right place at the right time.

Not an accusation, just an observation.

Same goes with that British fella who works for RT. I believe local people call them immediately if there is something
worth reporting. Everyone knows them by now and try to present their side.

a reply to: dragonridr
i hope Putin remembers this

www.veteranstoday.com...

a reply to: cosmonova


Maybe she is"making news" by havinf people do stuff she can report. It woudnt be the first time.

originally posted by: yuppa
a reply to: cosmonova


Maybe she is"making news" by havinf people do stuff she can report. It woudnt be the first time.

can you give an example?

originally posted by: douglas5
a reply to: dragonridr
i hope Putin remembers this

www.veteranstoday.com...

more Russophobia, awesome. How is this related to thread?

a reply to: dragonridr

Revenge is mixing with blood in the Odessa air after May 2 violence that killed 46 people when pro-Ukrainian activists defended themselves against an assault by armed pro-Russian activists.

In this atmosphere of anger, grief and revenge in the tragedy's aftermath, the pro-Euromaidan groups haved posted snapshots from the videos taken on May 2 and asked the subscribers to identify the pro-Russian aggressors.

That would have to be the most biased piece of propaganda I've ever read. So Violent armed pro-russian activists attacked peaceful pro-ukrainian football fans and somehow got themselves trapped in a building and subsequently murdered by these peaceful footy fans. So tell me, why are these pro-euromaiden groups "grieving" if basically all the victims were pro-russians?

a reply to: cosmonova

SOrry i was meaning elsewhere inthe world in diffrent conflicts. its a really big coincidence that she is always around when something happens though.

Ruble Plunge Hitting Russians Speeds Slide to Recession

As Russia’s central bank struggles to shield the ruble from the standoff over Ukraine, Vasily Isaev it may already be too little, too late to save his plans for a vacation in Italy.

“If you get your salary in rubles, a trip to the beach in Europe is going to be difficult this year,” said the 37-year-old sales manager, looking up from his English homework in the park near Tverskoy Boulevard in central Moscow. “We’re going to Bulgaria instead of Italy this year and we’re renting an apartment a little further away from the sea.”

Consumers like Isaev, spending more than a few months ago to fill a shopping cart with everyday items, may be squeezed most by the currency’s decline as inflation quickens. Wobbling consumption threatens to knock out another pillar of the economy reeling from sanctions that stoked capital flight.

Unruffled by the central bank’s emergency measures, the ruble has declined as an expanding list of U.S. and European Union sanctions in response to President Vladimir Putin’s actions in Ukraine sparked a selloff of Russian assets. The ruble has weakened 8 percent this year, the second-worst performance after the Argentine peso among 24 emerging-market currencies tracked by Bloomberg.

The central bank has been trying to halt the decline by raising its benchmark interest rate twice in the last two months by a total of 2 percentage points. The ruble’s weakening is increasing the cost of living by making imported goods more expensive.

Click link for remainder of article -



U.S.: Russian planes flew near California, Guam, in upped activity

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The head of U.S. air forces in the Pacific said on Monday that Russia's intervention in Ukraine had been accompanied by a significant increase in Russian air activity in the Asia-Pacific region in a show of strength and to gather intelligence.

General Herbert "Hawk" Carlisle said the activity had included Russian flights to the coast of California, and around the U.S. Pacific island of Guam.

Carlisle said the number of long-range Russian patrols around the Japanese islands and Korea had increased "drastically." He said there had also been "a lot more ship activity as well."

Speaking at Washington's Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank, Carlisle showed a slide of a U.S. F-15 fighter jet intercepting a Russian "Bear" aircraft over Guam. He used the Cold War NATO name for Russia's Tupolov Tu-95 strategic bomber.

"Certainly what's going on in Ukraine and Crimea is a challenge for us and it's a challenge for us in Asia Pacific as well as Europe," Carlisle said.

He said there had been "a significant" increase in Russian activity in the Asia Pacific "and we relate a lot of that to what's going on in the Ukraine."

"They've come with their long-range aviation out to the coast of California, they've circumnavigated Guam," he said.

Click link for remainder of article.

originally posted by: Flatcoat
a reply to: dragonridr

Revenge is mixing with blood in the Odessa air after May 2 violence that killed 46 people when pro-Ukrainian activists defended themselves against an assault by armed pro-Russian activists.

In this atmosphere of anger, grief and revenge in the tragedy's aftermath, the pro-Euromaidan groups haved posted snapshots from the videos taken on May 2 and asked the subscribers to identify the pro-Russian aggressors.

That would have to be the most biased piece of propaganda I've ever read. So Violent armed pro-russian activists attacked peaceful pro-ukrainian football fans and somehow got themselves trapped in a building and subsequently murdered by these peaceful footy fans. So tell me, why are these pro-euromaiden groups "grieving" if basically all the victims were pro-russians?

I think you missed the point of the article might want to reread it. They were trying to identify the people that started it by killing the 4 Ukrainians which lead to the rampage since if that had not occured the fire wouldnt have either. It all started with about 200 separatists attacking there celebration apparently they did this every year after the game as near as i can understand.

Then Pro Russians went on and started posting pictures and addresses of local residence advising they should be killed apparently your ok with that but im sure the locals arent to happy about recieving death threats many of them teenagers.

I believe a moment of 'enough is enough' for EU is around the corner.

BERLIN— Angela Merkel is carrying a clear message from Germany's business lobby to the White House: No more sanctions

Several of the biggest names in German business—including chemical giant BASF BAS.XE -3.25% SE, engineering group Siemens AG SIE.XE +0.17% , Volkswagen AG VOW3.XE 0.00% , Adidas AG ADS.XE -0.39% adidas AG Germany: Xetra €76.84 -0.30 -0.39% May 5, 2014 5:35 pm Volume : 720,174 P/E Ratio 20.44 Market Cap €16.14 Billion Dividend Yield 1.95% Rev. per Employee €285,681 77.5077.0076.5076.00
10a11a12p1p2p3p4p5p
05/05/14 Adidas Puts Rockport Shoe Bran... 05/01/14 German Businesses Urge Halt on... 04/29/14 Adidas Reinstates Marketing Pa... More quote details and news » and Deutsche Bank AG DBK.XE -1.06% —have made their opposition to broader economic sanctions against Russia clear in recent weeks, both in public and in private.

A breakdown in Germany's trade relations with Russia could cost as many as 300,000 German jobs, according to the German government.

online.wsj.com...

originally posted by: dragonridr
Pro-Russian groups go online with death threats against Odessa residents

Revenge is mixing with blood in the Odessa air after May 2 violence that killed 46 people when pro-Ukrainian activists defended themselves against an assault by armed pro-Russian activists.

Social network groups of the rival groups show that the sides are far from making peace.

Public groups in Vkontakte, the Russian counterpart of Facebook and Ukraine’s most popular social network, are major communication tools for both the pro-Russian and pro-Ukrainian activists. It was in Vkontakte where, on the eve of the fateful May 2 events, one of the Odessa AntiMaidan groups published a call for pro-Russian activists to forcefully stop the scheduled peaceful march of the pro-Ukrainian football fans.

They did and that triggered the hours-long street fight that claimed the most lives in a single day since the Feb. 20 assassinations of EuroMaidan activists killed 70 people.

In this atmosphere of anger, grief and revenge in the tragedy's aftermath, the pro-Euromaidan groups haved posted snapshots from the videos taken on May 2 and asked the subscribers to identify the pro-Russian aggressors.

www.kyivpost.com...

I believe this has to do with those 'pro-russian' supporters that were released & now are being specifically targeted for re-arrest.

. . . Meanwhile, not ONE person has been arrested for the Trade Union bldg fire.

I've been seeing A LOT of hostile sentiment towards that re-arresting act from Odessa's new authorities. And people are now taking it into their own hands by posting those who took part in the Trade Union bldg fire because Odessa authorities won't.

Not saying that I support it, only reporting what I'm seeing.

a reply to: dragonridr

Revenge is mixing with blood in the Odessa air after May 2 violence that killed 46 people when pro-Ukrainian activists defended themselves against an assault by armed pro-Russian activists.

Read the quote. They're implying that the victims were pro-ukrainian activists. Nowhere does it state that the vast majority of victims were pro-russians. It's garbage propaganda pure and simple.