U.S. official says 1,000 Russian troops enter Ukraine

Kiev, Ukraine (CNN) -- A top Ukrainian army officer said a "full-scale invasion" of his country was under way Thursday, as a U.S. official said up to 1,000 Russian troops had crossed Ukraine's southern border to fight alongside pro-Russian rebels.
U.S. officials said Russian troops were directly involved in the latest fighting, despite Moscow's denials.
Rebels backed by Russian tanks and armored personnel carriers fought Ukrainian forces on two fronts Thursday: southeast of rebel-held Donetsk, and along the nation's southern coast in the town of Novoazovsk, about 12 miles (20 km) from the Russian border, according to Mykhailo Lysenko, the deputy commander of the Ukrainian Donbas battalion.

U.S. official says 1,000 Russian troops enter Ukraine

So, the whole Ukraine - Russia conflict sounds like the start of WW2 part II.

First we have the invasion of the Sudetenland (Crimea in this case) to "protect" the ethnic Russian citizens.

Now we have the invasion of Poland (Ukraine in this case) after staging an incident (the downing of MH17).

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying Putin is Hitler...I'm just saying that it looks like he's taking a page out of Hitler's playbook on how to invade a country and get away without too much fallout.

Was Tuesday's meeting another "peace in our time" moment with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko playing the role of England's Prime Minister Chamberlain?

Only time will tell.

a reply to: BomSquad

I find it hard to believe that they didn't already have troops there. Albeit not in uniform.

I guess the white house is already booking....
another round of GOLF for Obama....

Riouz

a reply to: Briles1207

I know what you mean. I already believed they were there in a more clandestine role. My guess was Putin was using them as agent provocateurs to try and get Ukraine to make the first move against Russia, giving him an excuse to be acting "defensively" when he invades.

I think Putin got tired of waiting...

No better time. The US has its hands full of Tali...uh, IS militants. Stuck in a damned if they do, damned if they don't position since Syria is in that mix as well. A stern word or two will be all the Russians get. Unless Germany and the EU members of NATO feeL crazy brave...then Universe help us all.

Didn't Ukraine just have the PM step down and Parliament dissolved?

The Russians have been there since before the beginning....this kind of stuff takes some setting up that can last a fair while......
They fomented this thing to get crimea, and whatever else is available......Putin plays chess...Obama Golfs....its a no brainer....

I feel bad for Obama. This is just too much for the poor man to comprehend; what with his Russian Reset and all failing.
Hopefully, that magnificent and wonderful man will be able to find comfort and solace in another nice round of golf and fundraisers.

a reply to: BomSquad


Thing is, what we consider the "Ukrainian army" representing government of Kiev in Ukraine, is actually 3 large legions of mercenaries, plus then some of the regular army - which all four are engaged to fight pro-russians.

The mercenary armies are a mixed rat pack of neo-nazis, white supremacists to regular local nationalists and then some more "normal" local volunteers.

Its hard to see, how that is going to make Ukraine as a state and a country whole, as the intention of these guys is to conduct next to a genocidal cleaning. This was their message already day 1 when they kicked out the first President. They expressed direct threats to kill the Russians (and neo-nazi gangs wanted to kill the jews alike) out of the country.

These are the basic facts and ground rules there. It is not really a nice scenery. The unfortunate fact is, both EU and USA sided with the wrong guys, without really knowing who they initially represented.

Considering WW2 and Russia fighting the nazies - both German and Ukrainian - they are really not delighted to see such nationalism and directly racist directions emerging again there. Hence, support to native Russians in Ukraine, and I guess, pretty soon a complete run-over of the place, if the tune in Kiev is not landing to reality.
I have to admire the time and patience of Putin. In the same position, I had run over the place with full force storm, and kicked the nazis hell out of there already ages ago.

a reply to: deckdel

That could very well be true, but I haven't seen any reports of that outside of ATS.

I'd love to see a reputable, non-Russian source for the makeup of the "Ukrainian Army".

The only reports of anti-Russian ethnic sentiment I've seen have been here on ATS or from pro-Putin sources.

If you have some examples of impartial reporting on this subject, please share.

I'd like to think I have an open mind on the subject.

This is not suprising and not unexpected. Russia and Ukraine are now in talks. However. with the colllapse of the "rebel" forces Russia had lost a major card in its hand to use to deal with. Russia's rebels defeated, Russia economy failing whille Ukraine walks into the room flush with victory and western aid. Putin is simply trying to give some balance to the talks and save face at home. It is unlikely this will lead to anything larger. The one thing that could set things going is direct intervention from the West. That would back Putin into a corner that he could not get out of without lots of people dying in the process. If the US and West is smart they will continue turn the santions screw and slowly begiin to arm and train Ukraines forces.

I wondered when this was going to happen. It does not surprise me in the least, given that the downing of the plane did not go in the Russians' favor. It should be interesting to see if this is just a preclude to talks ongoing, or if they are in it to win it. Somehow I doubt 1,000 troops are enough to classify it as in it to win it, as much as it may be a saving face maneuver.

a reply to: MrSpad

You have it all wrong.

First off, it's the Ukrainian economy that is failing:

The international community should render assistance to Ukraine to prevent economic collapse in the country, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev said Tuesday.
“The international community, the states of the West and the East should render assistance to Ukraine," Nazarbayev said, adding that this is needed to prevent the economic collapse in the country.

en.ria.ru...

Russia is doing just fine economically, the sanctions are mildly affecting them if even at all.

The rebels are not collapsing as you said, in fact they are gaining ground:

Pro-Russia Forces Gain Ground as Ukraine’s Volunteer Battalions Decry Kiev Leaders

As Russia forces push forward towards the southeastern Ukraine coastal city of Mariupol and evidence mounts of direct Russian military support to the insurgent fighters, besieged volunteer units of "patriots" leading the way in the country's fight back say they are not receiving enough support from Kiev to win the war.

"We have reinforcements, but it's not enough, it's like a drop in the sea," Alexey, a commander of the Dnipro Battalion, told VICE News this evening. "We need armament, what we have is not enough. We need anti-tanks artillery to hold the city."

news.vice.com...

It's the Ukrainian military that is collapsing regardless of all the help they are receiving, even the company formerly known as Blackwater is helping the Ukrainians:



Although I do agree with some of what you posted perhaps a little bit more research is in order next time before you make invalid claims.

Were you purposely misinforming us or was it an honest mistake?

That being said, there is more to the story than what the media outlets from both sides are telling us so it's almost like a balancing act while we filter the lies from the truth as difficult it may be.

a reply to: IAMTAT

I feel bad for Obama. This is just too much for the poor man to comprehend; what with his Russian Reset and all failing

No need to feel sorry for him. I doubt he cares at all. This is all just a distraction from all the great things he could do (in the US) without the Republican interference. That is why he plays golf, he can't be what he wants because of that damn Constitution, plus the Muricans' are too stupid not to elect Democrats... So he will golf while the rest of the world falls apart. That's what everyone has always said they want, the US to stay out of things. Well this is what you get. He is going to do the bare minimum required everywhere. If a conflict looks bad on TV he will do the barest minimum option to get the optics right and that is it. He is an empty seat. The US is being run by a petulant child.


V

a reply to: BomSquad

Here some more details (google for even more, I just picked some to give an idea)

The three mercenary armies are:
- Azov
- Donbas
- Dnipro

Azov is composition of local nationalist extremists and foreign troops. Read more
Dnipro is finansed by the oligark and governor of Dnipropetrovsk, Ihor Kolomojskij Read more
Donbas is composed by local nationalists. Read more

a reply to: deckdel

Thank you for the information.
I think these groups may be mislabeled as "Armies". These groups only appear to be battalion strength, which probably means about 1000 people or less (at least in a typical battalion).
It is troubling that some of these "unconventional" forces might be leaning toward an ultra-nationalist ideology.
In the article about the Azov battalion, one person states:

Oleh Odnorozhenko, the chief ideologist of the Social-National Assembly and a member of the Azov Battalion, insists that they and their sister organization the Right Sector are not neo-Nazis or neo-fascist, as the Russian media have depicted them.

“That is all Putinism propaganda,” Odnorozhenko said about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s claims that the groups are elements of an anti-Russian fascism determined to eradicate ethnic Russians from Ukraine. “We aren’t anti-Russian here. Two-thirds of the guys speak Russian. But we are anti-Putin.”

The Azov Battalion numbers about 300 according to the article.

The Dnipro battalion is apparently a police patrol militia that does have some mercenary qualities to it since they hired foreign advisors to help with training.

The unit claims to have hired Romanian and Georgian military advisers to help with the training of troops. Before June 2014 this training was often just one week. It first operated outside Dnipropetrovsk Oblast in May 2014. The militia unit, nicknamed Kolomoyskyi’s battalion, is funded by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine and also through the charitable organization "Fund Dnipro-1". Ukrainian oligarch Ihor Kolomoyskyi (who was during the 2014 pro-Russian conflict in Ukraine also Govenor of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast) is believed to have spent $10 million to create the unit.

The Donbass battalion started out as an all volunteer paramilitary organization which has since been integrated into the Ukrainian national guard, according to the article.
The article quotes Semyon Semenchenko, the unit commander.

He vehemently disputed rumors that the battalion was the pet project of a powerful oligarch who formed the paramilitary group as a way to protect his business assets.

“We aren’t anybody’s army, and we don’t have a single sponsor. We have many sponsors, including just ordinary people who give us as little as food and water supplies,” Semenchenko said.

The battalion is now officially part of the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ national guard units, but it has more autonomy to use its private donations and fundraising to hire outside trainers specialized in counterinsurgency and to purchase technical equipment.

The articles you've posted have been informative and I thank you. Unfortunately, they don't support your earlier statements very strongly. If you have other references from unbiased non-Russian sources, I would be very interested in reading them.

Again, I'd like to think I'm open minded about the whole thing. Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to argue with you. I have no agenda here.

Thank you.

a reply to: MrSpad.

NATO is to meet in an emergency meeting tomorrow.

Russia infiltrated this are with more non insignia troops. Moscow is denying the reports and is accusing Ukraine of making it up.

If Putin can't get the south and east I wonder if he is instead going for a land corridor to link crimea.

How can Ukraine be the Sudentland amd Polanf? It was one country...lmao and staginh an event? MH17? Nice theory exceot for the fact Russiawas blamed for the downing...you guys and your theories. This is noy WW2 part 2. Settle down.

Putin is invading without much fallout because Obama nor NATO have a single pair of nuts between the both of them.

Besides the US invades countries all the time with no fallout other than terrorists.

originally posted by: BomSquad

I think Putin got tired of waiting...

Putin probably had nothing to do with it, he's too busy drinking whiskey and shedding tears over the Ogliarchy money that got lost on Cyprus ... but yeah, it was sort of obvious that when you send paratroopers that "stray" away, with a white band on their arm ... and get "murdered" by Kiev, for fun. It's going to have consequences ... it was probably some military commander, that had an exercise in the neighborhood, where the soldiers "strayed" of course.

And Kiev, they couldn't sit on themselves to grab the excuse to murder a few Russians ... for the heck of it. Even with a white band on their arm ... they're Russians.

The Ukraine has been using every opportunity to "provoke" the Russians, from day one. Even to the point, where they let a passanger airplane "make a turn" into the battle zone, with a fighter support. Just to make it a more clear target ... and who could believe, that Holland who "cleared" the flight path has a lot to gain in all this ... yeah, right. Money makes the world go round ... and a few billion dollars investment by Shell, is a lot. Especially when those bloody rebels, can't get their Russian arse out of the territory. Right.

A Russian intervention, is more than acceptable. Except, they should have done it earlier and more decisively to deter EU/US and Ukraine from the idea, from day one. A lot of people have died, unnecessarily because the Russians flinched, when they shouldn't. Ukraine and the west in general, are and have been acting out of the premises that they are in open war with Russia. Russia, has been busy with "backing down" ... although their version of "backing down", isn't running away.

Personally, I think Russia should ... make your day. You want it that bad, you should get it.

a reply to: Variable

Obama is NOT a warmonger Ok!

There are lots of good things O has done to US for which he does not get appreciated at all. Like cooling off two wars and bringing the troops home. That reduces the monthly bills to US taxpayers by several billions.

Obama can go and find the aliens and still will not be appreciated. But that is the part of the equation for some folks.

a reply to: bjarneorn

Personally, I think Russia should ... make your day. You want it that bad, you should get it.

I do not think that Russia should out in open invade and get involved in the mess of all sorts. But Russia should surely help the DPR forces in taking territories and big cities. Once all that is done then Russia and allies can go ahead and recognize NovoRossiya and end the mess.

I do not sure how easy it would be for DPR to take Meriupol where Terrorist Junta is not even allowing people to leave but forcing them to stage protests against Russia etc. That is where some technical sophistication would really help. I bet Kiev Terrorists will do some false flag type event to make DPR look bad. All that should be ignored although as that is the trend of Kiev Junta since it got active.