Russia declares war on Ukraine. Live updates from inside Ukraine

Young Ukrainians Brush Aside the Crisis and Voice Optimism About the Future

As messy as the aftermath has been, Ms. Gumenyuk and others profess satisfaction with the change in Kiev. What existed before was “feudalism,” she said; now, “my state perhaps cannot defend me, but it’s not acting against me, as it was before.”

Irena Karpa, 33, a writer and musician who is popular among young Ukrainians, shares the optimism, and the relief that her country was shaking off the old order. “For a very long time, I thought I was alone,” she said. “Finally, it all happened — people stopped being so passive.”

She took her children, ages 2 and 3, to the Maidan, the square in Kiev at the center of the protests that ultimately drove Mr. Yanukovych out, to explain what was happening, and she discovered to her delight that “I was by no means the most radical parent in our kindergarten.”

Here is Georgia defense minister advising ukraine on how to handle a Russian stealth invasion.

What to Do When Russia Invades Your Country
As Ukraine responds to a Russian stealth invasion, few countries can empathize. But the republic of Georgia has been there before, in 2008. And it’s got some advice for Kiev.
Let’s say you are a former Soviet republic who has just seen some of its choicest territory annexed by Moscow. Few countries are in a better position to guide you through what happens next than Georgia.

Among Georgia’s tips for Ukraine: hunt moles early; watch for “non-governmental organizations” that are really Moscow’s fronts; seek out encrypted communications from the West; and if Russia does annex more territory, keep humanitarian, economic and cultural lines of communications open without formally recognizing the transfer of turf—it could be a useful way for the government in Kiev to address some of the needs of Ukraine’s Crimean citizens.

“I am offering some lessons learned,” Alasania said. Georgia’s defense ministry recently finished a 70-page report on how to prepare the military, select counter-intelligence targets and approach the diplomacy after Russia takes sovereign territory. The hope is that the advice can help the current government in Ukraine survive the current crisis engulfing their country since Russia’s annexation last month of Crimea.

www.thedailybeast.com...

originally posted by: ProfessorT
Here is some really cool footage of a Ukrainian Sukhoi SU-24 Fencer flying extremely low next to a highway (filmed in the last few days):

They are worried about anti-aircraft missiles..

a reply to: clay2 baraka

Right? Lmao at that height, theres cause for concern over rocks being thrown - literally.

a reply to: lightedhype

I would think NOE flying is to avoid radar units in an effort to strike a target without the enemy seeing it coming.

I ran across the following picture. I don´t know what to think of it. I know it´s from a ".ru-website", but please look at the content before you judge it.

It shows pics of a Danish soldier who was detained temporarily near Slaviansk. Apparently, he served as a sniper in Afghanistan and Iraq, like the captions say.

Now, the interesting part is that he may also have been a sniper at the Maidan shootings! You might remember the video that was supposedly shot in Hotel Ukraina. Two snipers in a room shooting out of the window with sniper rifles (correct me if I´m wrong - I´m not a weapon expert). And one of these guys looks like the Danish sniper! The nose surely looks similar. Do you see a similarity between the Danish sniper and the guy in the video?

The capture also says that the Danish soldier arrived in Ukraine on 11/16/2013.

politikus.ru...

a reply to: cm23

Desperate..................!

a reply to: rigel4

Do you have anything substantial to add? Is it the same person? I´m not sure. The nose looks the same, but I´m not sure about the rest.

originally posted by: cm23
I ran across the following picture. I don´t know what to think of it. I know it´s from a ".ru-website", but please look at the content before you judge it.

It shows pics of a Danish soldier who was detained temporarily near Slaviansk. Apparently, he served as a sniper in Afghanistan and Iraq, like the captions say.

Now, the interesting part is that he may also have been a sniper at the Maidan shootings! You might remember the video that was supposedly shot in Hotel Ukraina. Two snipers in a room shooting out of the window with sniper rifles (correct me if I´m wrong - I´m not a weapon expert). And one of these guys looks like the Danish sniper! The nose surely looks similar. Do you see a similarity between the Danish sniper and the guy in the video?

The capture also says that the Danish soldier arrived in Ukraine on 11/16/2013.

politikus.ru...

My first instinct says no but i have no idea what these pictures are but the two on the top is older man also noticed the two on top his eyebrows are almost blonde while the guy on the bottom is much darker. If the two on the bottom is supposed to be earlier buy say 10 years than maybe. If both sets were taken recently and the top is the latest than no but i noticed the two on the top also has a severe hooked nose not seeing that on the bottom 2. As far as the two in the middle cant tell to small and to lazy to blow it up. If there is about 10 years between the bottom 2 and the top 2 maybe. Now whays this supposed to be???

The elephant in the room about the situation in Ukraine is the sniper who killed so many

That's been swept under the carpet by the new people in power now

I'm not sure that Danish chap is involved,as he's well trained by army so should have ethics?

This is an old clip on live leak,one of the people in this car is more than likely the sniper

www.liveleak.com...

originally posted by: cm23
a reply to: rigel4

Do you have anything substantial to add? Is it the same person? I´m not sure. The nose looks the same, but I´m not sure about the rest.

I'm honest, they look totally different to me.
And I can't read russian so I don't know what the text for the pictures says.

originally posted by: cm23
a reply to: rigel4

Do you have anything substantial to add? Is it the same person? I´m not sure. The nose looks the same, but I´m not sure about the rest.

Fair enough - another angle

There are embassies that have their own military security on the inside of their compounds. So it is possible to come across military from various nations albeit unarmed off compound.

In general anyways.


ETA -
Has anyone heard from asen_y2k? Is he ok?

originally posted by: cm23
I ran across the following picture. I don´t know what to think of it. I know it´s from a ".ru-website", but please look at the content before you judge it.

It shows pics of a Danish soldier who was detained temporarily near Slaviansk. Apparently, he served as a sniper in Afghanistan and Iraq, like the captions say.

Now, the interesting part is that he may also have been a sniper at the Maidan shootings! You might remember the video that was supposedly shot in Hotel Ukraina. Two snipers in a room shooting out of the window with sniper rifles (correct me if I´m wrong - I´m not a weapon expert). And one of these guys looks like the Danish sniper! The nose surely looks similar. Do you see a similarity between the Danish sniper and the guy in the video?

The capture also says that the Danish soldier arrived in Ukraine on 11/16/2013.

politikus.ru...

That is great.

Only, if this Dane served as a sniper in Afghanistan then why are he and all his comrades carrying carbine class Colt C7/C8s?

Det var noget pjat!

Next.

a reply to: Talliostro

Basically, the text says what I have posted in the first post with the link. The story behind the pictures.

By now, I also think that it´s not the same guy. Some similarities, but we´re 7 billion people here on earth, so there WILL be similarities between people ;-) Just like with the bearded soldier some weeks ago.

originally posted by: cm23
a reply to: Talliostro

Basically, the text says what I have posted in the first post with the link. The story behind the pictures.

By now, I also think that it´s not the same guy. Some similarities, but we´re 7 billion people here on earth, so there WILL be similarities between people ;-) Just like with the bearded soldier some weeks ago.

Well I think somebody on a Russian forum with a copy of photoshop is trying really hard... but not thinking too much while doing it.

If you want to claim somebody, no less a member of a foreign military, is a sniper -- at least pick a guy who carries and uses the class of weapon you are talking about.

Here are C7s / C8s carbines which the Danes use - www.casr.ca...

a reply to: ALoveSupreme

I think that one is explanable. When you have to arm yourself 24/7 in the camp for self defense, a sniper rifle isn't just versatile enough in comparison to an assault rifle or carbine and the optics of a sniper rifle are really fragile. So you carry a "normal" rifle/carbine and a pistol with you in the camp, but when deployed you take your sniper rifle.
That's how it was done in the Bundeswehr in the early 2000 anyway...

a reply to: cm23

I took a good look at the positions of maidan and Hotel Ukraina and my best guess with the distances involved is, that you don't need any special sniper training to hit people on the maidan when shooting from the hotel. You need to be familiar with a hunting rifle and its optics and in fact, the optic the guy on the bottom left picture has in his hand looks like a civilian optic.

originally posted by: Talliostro
a reply to: ALoveSupreme

I think that one is explanable. When you have to arm yourself 24/7 in the camp for self defense, a sniper rifle isn't just versatile enough in comparison to an assault rifle or carbine and the optics are really fragile. So youcarry a "normal" rifle/carbine and a pistol with you in the camp, but when deployed you take your sniper rifle.
That's how it was done in the Bundeswehr in the earyl 2000 anyway...

a reply to: cm23

Possibly. I admit have served much more time in hotels and convention centers than in any barracks.

It just seems that if they were trying to make a connection via photographs, the burden of proof would be on them.

And this tenuous connection seems a bit "desperate", as one friend put it earlier.

What an amazing amount (and varying quality) of propaganda we have gotten to enjoy this past month!

a reply to: ALoveSupreme

The "funniest" piece of propaganda I found in "Die Zeit" (online version). There was an article about the fire in Odessa. The text said, it´s unclear whether the fire was intentional or if it was an accident. Right below the title there was a picture of a pro-Kiev activist throwing a molotov cocktail into the building. If it wasn´t that sad, it would almost be funny...

Like I said earlier, we have a ridiculous amount of propaganda on both sides!

a reply to: cm23

You have a private message. You may find helpful.

@AndersFoghR: If we saw visible signs of a meaningful pullback by #Russia troops I'd be the first one to welcome it

@AndersFoghR: I have very good vision but while we've noted #Russia’s statement so far we haven't seen any - any - indication of troops pulling back

Vladimir Putin has said today that there will be military drills across Russia. He also said that they will involve all sorts of military units. Putin wants to check the "readiness" of his armed forces. Something isn't right here. Why would you want to check the readiness of your military across the country if you weren't thinking about deploying them soon?