U.S. troops in action in eastern Ukraine / Slowjansk ?

Biden offered military equipment to Ukraine three days ago, but are the guys on the pic below really Ukrainian troops in brand new uniforms?


(Ukrainian soldies in Slowjansk | © Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP/Getty Images)
up.picr.de...

Source: www.zeit.de...

They may tell us we are in a war six months after it starts. First they have to send in a few people to stir things up a bit.

That's exactly what I was thinking. Everything I've seen so far regarding the military in Ukraine is not impressive. You could tell they lacked tactical training which the peope in those pictures have. Not saying their Americans but it seems a little odd.

a reply to: greyhat

biden did no such thing, he offerd 50 million in aid.

and as far as the helmets, bdu's and vests, they can be bought by just about any govt from manufactures , or in surplus.

a reply to: hounddoghowlie

Of cause, but there are countles pics of Ukrainian soldiers in their regular uniform.

When and why did they start wearing ACUs without badges?

up.picr.de...


And they promised military equipment: "administration agreed to send it $8 million in non-lethal military aid in the form of equipment"

www.realclearpolitics.com...

Just spoke with a friend who has family in the SW of Ukraine...he stated that his family wasnt paid for work. I dont know any details about who they worked for or what the circumstances are but he said its related to what is going on....they may be pushing a civil war....

It looks like the support ask off and offered has now reached Ukraine,

Russian arming pro Russian groups

EU & US arming Ukrainian government forces and pro EU Ukrainian defence forces

However NOT US TROOPS

They're Ukraine's anti terrorist forces with new kit

originally posted by: greyhat
a reply to: hounddoghowlie

Of cause, but there are countles pics of Ukrainian soldiers in their regular uniform.

I doubt the There is enough kit for everybody at this point, it is just for Ukraine's anti terrorist units tackling the armed take overs in some places I. Tje East of Ukraine, since Russia has armed the pro Russian groups with far better kit and weapons than the actual Ukrainian army have, it seem Ukraine's government has requested help from outside the country to aid its efforts in stabilising the country

Probably just for Ukraine's elite troops only at this point

originally posted by: hounddoghowlie
a reply to: greyhat

biden did no such thing, he offerd 50 million in aid.

and as far as the helmets, bdu's and vests, they can be bought by just about any govt from manufactures , or in surplus.

And under neoliberal trends, imperial money aid sent to economic colonies is generally used for security to protect imperial interests. You think that $50,000,000 (about $1 per Ukrainian) is going towards putting loaves of bread into the hands of the Ukrainian people?

I don't buy it. Even IF it could be proven that the Ukranian military has gear made in the United States, it still means nothing. All militaries have equipment that is manufactured all over the world. And a US manufacturer can sell almost anything to foreign militaries, except for highly advanced or classified material and hardware. This is how so many nations have US built jet fighters and whatnot. And that is a pretty serious piece of hardware. Yet you won't find any other militaries with the US's most advanced fighters.

I hadn't heard anything about the US offering military aid to Ukraine, and I personally don't believe it. There is no way that authorization would come for something like that. I don't see why so many people are expecting war involving the United States, because I'm sorry to disappoint, but it will not happen. I have detailed why this is the case in at least 5 threads here on ATS, and have also laid out just what I believe Putin and the Russian government and military is thinking...And the truth is that Russia does not want war with the US either.

It is quite obvious that the only reason Russia invaded Crimea in the first place was because it felt its military strength was in jeopardy. The area around Sevastopol is extremely important to Russia both militarily and economically. So the actions in this area are not the same as an invasion of the Ukraine, or at least that is how Putin views things, because the area has its own Constitution, and part of it was already being leased by the Russian military. Plus, Putin is not making all the decisions on his own. He has gone through the Russian parliament to get permission to protect ethnic Russians in the region. And Crimea is about 50% Russian in that respect, while only a quarter Ukranian. So things are not as cut and dry as they would be with an invasion of Ukraine itself.

I highly, highly doubt that Russia will invade Ukraine. It just doesn't make any sense from a military standpoint. The only reason Putin would actually go through with it would be because he was absolutely certain there would be no military action taken against Russia by any other country besides Ukraine. Russia can sweep the Ukranian military off the map very quickly. Russia, by the lease agreement, was allowed to keep 25,000 troops, 24 pieces of artillery as long as they were 100 mm or less in caliber, 22 aircraft, and 132 AV's.

Even if we assume that this is all Russia has in Crimea in terms of personnel and hardware, we must not forget the fact that they also have a fleet stationed there, and although Russia's navy is more geared towards ship to ship combat as opposed to the US navy which is more geared toward land attacks from the sea, these ships can still rain down much fire on land based targets. Then there is the fact that Russia could still have more troops than 25,000 in Crimea. Then there is also the fact that Putin claimed private organizations or militia groups spearheaded, or were at least present, during the Crimean invasion. They likely are still there at present.

So this is why Ukraine has not attempted to retake Crimea. The large Russian population, and the large Russian military presence, means it is virtually impossible for them to succeed. It is a unique situation to be sure. Instead of drawing this post out even further, I will just say that Russia is not likely to invade Ukraine, and the US definitely will not intervene militarily if they do.

And at present, since Russia has not invaded, the US CANNOT risk conflict by sending ANY military hardware or supplies to Ukraine. It just cannot, and therefore it will not. If some politician said otherwise, they are full of it, because this will not occur. It would be a horrible strategy for the US, because Putin will see this as aggression in some form. Humanitarian aid would be fine, but not military aid.

So if the US is unlikely to get involved militarily even in the event that Russia crosses the northern or western border of Ukraine, they sure as heck aren't going to get involved before Russia does that. Which they won't anyway. So on the off chance that US military supplies are just being sent to Ukraine, there is no way that the US government is behind it. They likely realize the futility of doing that anyway. Ukraine cannot win in a conflict against Russia. Russia's military might is greater. And not only that, but Russia has virtually its entire military force RIGHT THERE.

I like how the German caption puts "Ukrainische Soldaten" (Ukrainian soldiers) in quotation marks.
Btw. isn't Academi on the ground in Eastern Ukraine since March?

originally posted by: cosmicexplorer
Just spoke with a friend who has family in the SW of Ukraine...he stated that his family wasnt paid for work. I dont know any details about who they worked for or what the circumstances are but he said its related to what is going on....they may be pushing a civil war....

Wouldn't suprise me.Since this started, it doesn't look like anyone in the country is working, thus businesses and trade not functioning. Ukraine's economy is in ruins.

Those boys look sharper than the Ukies ive seen too....Id bet Blackwater type mercs...

I'd say there's a decent chance it's green hats. Operating in such an environment is right up their ally.

a reply to: aLLeKs

Academi seems to be the best explanation.

a reply to: JiggyPotamus

You're wrong. The US government has already promised "soft" military aid to the junta, just like they originally did with islamofascists operating in Syria.

And as for your logic on how all countries use other countries' gear, that's not really true either. Ukraine was the #4 arms exporter of the world when this all went down. Why would Ukraine produce and sell light arms and equipment while buying gear for their own troops from a geopolitical enemy (which the USA was under Yanukovich's regime)?

originally posted by: Vovin
a reply to: JiggyPotamus

You're wrong. The US government has already promised "soft" military aid to the junta, just like they originally did with islamofascists operating in Syria.

And as for your logic on how all countries use other countries' gear, that's not really true either. Ukraine was the #4 arms exporter of the world when this all went down. Why would Ukraine produce and sell light arms and equipment while buying gear for their own troops from a geopolitical enemy (which the USA was under Yanukovich's regime)?

You are purposefully using contemporary vocabulary coined by the Russian government to discredit the Ukraine regime. Hence, your arguments lose all merit.

Junta - "a small group ruling a country, especially immediately after a coup d'état and before a legally constituted government has been instituted. "

The legal status of the Ukrainian government is only in question by the Russians who are ignoring facts and Ukrainian laws, refering to political theory of legitimacy to deny Ukrainian sovereignty. Hence, to call the Ukrainian government a Junta can only have one reason - Putin's soundbyte.

The fact that the Ukrainian government has completely and utterly fallen to corruption is a different question.

a reply to: greyhat

These could be Yarosh Right Sector troops. I am most certain, that the Greystone (and Co.) are using the most basic Ukranian camo but with visual markings, like color ribbons/marks and IR strobes. Don't show off - don't get picked out. The well-equipped troops are cannon fodder decoys. Sure enough, they enjoy the hi-tech loadout, but they are the first to get shot. Most likely, Greystone has binocular IR sights for this purpose. On the field, it looks like a soldier looking through an ordinary detached scope. A common thing for many assault operations, where fast target acquisition is of most importance and scopes are considered a burden, rather than an asset. That's the way it goes. Damn sad it got this far. From a protest to civil war. People died already.
If not for the Right Sector and laws, banning the Russian language in Ukraine and general anti-Russian rhetorics, East Ukraine would have stayed with the rest of Ukraine. And Crimea would have stayed too. Funny, but Yanukovich kept all the sides at bay. Stable. Until the US intervened. Now we got what we got. Too late to change course now.
Yanukovich would have joined the EU in some 10-15 years...as a candidate state, of coure, but still. it would have been controllable. Now...well..
US is one of the greatest nations in history, but this kind of dick-wobbling bull# will not do anyone any good. We've got the vast cosmos, but quarell over trifles. Pathetic. One nation will not be able to tackle such a problem on it's own. We can throw # at each other when we've colonised something. Mars would be a good start. Then we can go on. Hopefully, by then we will get smarter. And we will.

a reply to: 13th Zodiac

You would be surprised, but that's how people reacted at first : "Those who want a better future - they go to work; those who want to change the regime - they go to Maidan." But who knows better? Yanukovich was an asshole, but this is much, much worse. Same in Egypt. Same in Lebannon. Same in Lybia. Same in Iraq. Afganistan isprobably the only exclusion...because nothing was achieved there. Taliban is still strong. You can't hit what you can't see Sad.

a reply to: fedeykin

Ahahahaha...I dare you to show Ukraine on the map first. Previous government fallen to corruption...well, I guess then, businessmen urged to give money "for the needs of the revolution", is OK. In your world of rainbows and unicorns, dogs are considered evil. Way to go, rainbow warrior.