English speaking military found serving among Ukranian troops in Mariupol

a reply to: nOraKat

I guess you can come to whatever conclusions you want.

Well the conclusion is that it doesn't matter where you live you can find English speaking people everywhere...including the military.

And how is this thread any different than the first thread that tried to say he was American...changing the title doesn't change what your intentions are.

Also this shows that what you think is ridiculous really isn't.

a reply to: douglas5

I worked with a bloke on a building site who could could speak Russian/ Estonian /Polish / English / German + one other i cannot remember , and that is not uncommon for East Europeans

That is my point...you can find English speaking people all over the world, and some speak better English than those who have it as their first language.

a reply to: tsurfer2000h

It's Ok. I understand.. We're all on the same team (wink, wink)

originally posted by: nOraKat
a reply to: Shamrock6

I would consider, "It's no surprise.." as being defensive, though it is indeed subtle. I understand psychology enough to recognize it.

It may not be a surprise, but it is news, I think.

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Shamrock6: "I'm incredibly amused by the inability, either willful or not, of people to discern accents .."

Enlighten us..

There are accents in both videos in the article. Accents can be learned, picked up, or faked. The same article that claims a guy hiding his face is probably a PMC then contains a clip of a guy giving a tour, and somehow managed to claim he might also be/probably is a PMC.

Gotta make sure we cover as many bases as possible, eh?

Boom. Enlightenment.

Could be mercenaries. Foreign nations recruit ex-military to teach war tactics. With the US down sizing it's military there lot of Soldiers for sale.

This is a non-story being pushed forward by the Russian media. They're trying to distract people from the fact that the separatists killed 30 civilians in a rocket attack.

originally posted by: tsurfer2000h
a reply to: nOraKat

Also anyone suggesting that native Ukrainian soldiers have chosen to speak English over there is ridiculous, especially considering that in one footage, one particular soldier has a much stronger accent than the other.

Well then your not going to like this...

Looks like they have decided to talk and learn English over there...guess it isn't as ridiculous as you think now is it?

Err, that's quite the erroneous assumption you made there, or assumed we would make.


I happen to love in a non-English speaking country where they have been teaching English well over 20 years in high school, meaning that even before my generation (and I'm 26 btw), people have been getting at least 6 years of English.



I know VERY few people who actually speak it flawless and without an accent. I'd even dare go as far as to say I don't know any that do, actually.


The US has an interest in Ukraine, has a record of known coup d'etats, and there is documented proof the West was involved in funding and helping organize the opposition.

originally posted by: Xcalibur254
This is a non-story being pushed forward by the Russian media. They're trying to distract people from the fact that the separatists killed 30 civilians in a rocket attack.

Where is your proof of this? Both sides are claiming the other side did it, if you don't have any proof, there's no real need to point fingers.

People have died, stop fueling a goddamn propaganda war, it will only end when it reaches you.





Ukraine was perfectly FINE before the West got involved. Thousands of deaths in a civilized country because their leader refused to join the EU, that is normal according to you? Because even IF Russia is involved now, the West was the "brilliant" mind behind this scheme and the whole world knows it.

Russia is as wrong as the West is, but when you poke around at it's borders any rational sane being would understand that when you pick a fight, a fight is what you'll get.

The expansive behavior of the West and the EU (yes, creeping up to Russia's borders is EXPANSIVE BEHAVIOR) is no excuse for Russia to do the same, but you can't act as if it was not to be expected.



Our GD politicians need to get a sense of responsibility, but the NEVER will if their people keep swallowing the propaganda telling them it's actually the other side that's 100% evil while they are saints.



NEITHER ARE SAINTS. They're both bickering like children, he started it, she started, but meanwhile innocent people are dying.

a reply to: Strawberry88

The OSCE have actually investigated the scene and evidence. They claim the rocket came from separatist held territory.

Source

The responses are interesting.. (well not that interesting).

Either it is - "It is no surprise" that they (U.S., British, NATO or whoever else it may be), are there.

Or the other comments suggest that the people speaking English in that video, like the guy covering his face and saying "Outta my face, outta my face! please.." is actually a native Ukrainian soldier who chose to speak English for that moment.

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Quite contrasting opinions.

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I don't really believe anyone actually believes that that man was indeed a native Ukrainian soldier, instead I believe what is happening here is the 'good ol' boy' mentality and support for their side (whether it is done consciously or not; I think many people are not even aware).

I see the same thing happen in 9-11 debates.

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I think ultimately, a candid discussion and debate will serve everyone the best.

a reply to: nOraKat

Once again I say this is a non-story meant to distract. The separatists have Russian "volunteers" among their ranks. So why shouldn't Ukraine accept foreign volunteers? Canada has one of the largest Ukrainian populations in the world. I'm sure there's more than a few Canadian citizens that don't want to see their motherland annexed by Russia.

originally posted by: Xcalibur254
a reply to: nOraKat

Once again I say this is a non-story meant to distract. The separatists have Russian "volunteers" among their ranks. So why shouldn't Ukraine accept foreign volunteers? Canada has one of the largest Ukrainian populations in the world. I'm sure there's more than a few Canadian citizens that don't want to see their motherland annexed by Russia.

That may well be so, but then it is no less than fair that it gets pointed out there ARE non-natives fighting on either side, so it is ridiculous to use this argument against Russia, when both sides are guilty of doing it.

a reply to: Strawberry88

If the only Russians that were fighting for the separatists were volunteers then you'd have a point. However, the stories coming out of Ukraine and Russia indicate that the Russian military itself is operating in Ukraine. If that's the case then it goes beyond simply Russian civilians volunteering. Then it becomes the Russian military invading a sovereign country. That's where issues start to arise.

a reply to: Xcalibur254

Xcalibur254: "So why shouldn't Ukraine accept foreign volunteers?"

Yes, Ok, but do you see your mentality?

This post was never intended to vilify, or to say that it is right or wrong for Ukraine to accept foreign support.

It is simply saying - 'hey look, it looks like there is some foreign support here in Ukraine.'

There is no need to take a defensive stance like most everyone here has done.

This is indicative of something, I think.

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Xcalibur254: "Once again I say this is a non-story.."

I would say that it is a pretty significant story. If it is the case that Ukraine has foreign support from either the U.S., Britain or NATO, and there is Russian involvement in the 'separatists', then this will be one of the first times to have a direct conflict between Russia and the West with direct involvement.

a reply to: nOraKat

Actually what the post says is that "English speaking military" are involved in Ukraine.

That paints a much different picture than "volunteers who speak English are involved in Ukraine fighting."

But I'm sure that was unintentional

a reply to: Shamrock6

Automatic weapon slung over your back = military.

I don't see how that makes any difference.

First you have to understand what is going on to have any opinion, which I do not.

originally posted by: Xcalibur254
a reply to: Strawberry88

If the only Russians that were fighting for the separatists were volunteers then you'd have a point. However, the stories coming out of Ukraine and Russia indicate that the Russian military itself is operating in Ukraine. If that's the case then it goes beyond simply Russian civilians volunteering. Then it becomes the Russian military invading a sovereign country. That's where issues start to arise.

Given the obvious involvement of both the US and Europe, I simply can't agree.

Covert operations are no better than boots on the ground, perhaps, they are even worse, since they caused all of this.


And please don't be one of those "there already were troubles in Ukraine", sure there were, but when financing and manipulation is involved, the game changes. The West is known for doing this, if you want to turn a blind eye like the public has every previous time, you can go ahead.


I simply won't.

a reply to: nOraKat

Perhaps this might shed some light on it.

Paul Wolfowitz, the neoconservative who was Deputy Secretary of Defense under the Bush regime, declared:

“Our first objective is to prevent the re-emergence of a new rival, either on the territory of the former Soviet Union or elsewhere, that poses a threat on the order of that posed formerly by the Soviet Union. This is a dominant consideration underlying the new regional defense strategy and requires that we endeavor to prevent any hostile power from dominating a region whose resources would, under consolidated control, be sufficient to generate global power.”

Is Wolfowitz, when referring to “hostile power” referring to any power independent of Washington’s control?

Ref: paul craig roberts

a reply to: nOraKat

Good catch nOraKat looks like you were right russia-insider.com...

An English speaking mercenary seen in a video following the assault on Mariupol early Saturday has been identified through social media as British-born Leon Swampy.

Swampy was identified through his profile on the popular Ukrainian social media site vKontakte which lists 3 ‘noteworthy’ pages, one of which belonging to the Azov Battalion: “Azov” Special Purpose Regiment.

Swampy also had an Instagram page which appears to have been taken down, but we’ve managed to secure a couple of shots from his account for readers reference.