Russo-Ukrainian War 2014-25

[Ed Anger]

US out of NATO. and the UN.

[barkdreg]

Travelling to Kiev in a few days. I'll post pictures should the Russians decide to invade.

[Duque de Bragança]

US out of NATO. and the UN.

Does it include out of Ed's Normandy?

[Valmy]

Travelling to Kiev in a few days. I'll post pictures should the Russians decide to invade.

I look forward to 'Flemish man streams War in Ukraine' to be the next big internet sensation.

Well actually I look forward to your trip being enjoyable and uneventful.

[DGuller]

If you meet a young impressionable girl, say you're from NATO. 

[Barrister]

Travelling to Kiev in a few days. I'll post pictures should the Russians decide to invade.

Barkdreg - man there's a name I haven't seen in a long time.  WB mate and good luck in Kiyev.

[alfred russel]

I'm stoked that Barkdreg has returned, but bummed it is right before he is killed in a Russian onslaught.

[Malthus]

I'm stoked that Barkdreg has returned, but bummed it is right before he is killed in a Russian onslaught.

On the upside, perhaps he'll leave a remarkable photojournalistic legacy of modern warfare after he is killed in a Russian onslaught. 

[barkdreg]

I've never left. I've been lurking for years.
I'll also visit Poland and maybe Austria. If the Russians don't get me I might kick a few randomn Languishites on the shins.

[Caliga]

[Syt]

http://rt.com/politics/273328-russia-peskov-ukraine-proof/

'Moscow has proof of Kiev's crimes against humanity' – Putin's press secretary

Russia's investigation into the conflict in Ukraine has indicated that the pro-Kiev forces committed crimes against humanity in Donbass, Vladimir Putin's press secretary Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Monday.

"The Russian side is holding its own investigation concerning a number of episodes, and even on the basis of these preliminary investigation results we can claim that there were episodes in Donbass that can be qualified as crimes against humanity," RIA Novisti quoted the presidential spokesman as saying.

However, Peskov told reporters the decision on launching an international tribunal into these crimes should be decided by bodies who have received such requests, in particular by the United Nations and its Security Council.

Last week, activists from the Russian Public Chamber reported they intended to file about 17,000 lawsuits from Ukrainian citizens to the European Court of Human Rights, seeking about $5.6 billion in compensation from the Kiev government over numerous violations committed by the Ukrainian military in Donbass. Russian activists said the court had already accepted about 400 cases and was considering 500 more, and that the first process in one of these cases should start before the end of this year.

Last year, the Russian Foreign Ministry released a major report on human rights violations, abuse of law, torture, inhuman treatment and other crimes perpetrated by the Ukrainian military against the civilian population of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions. The report was dubbed the 'White Book'. The ministry has twice updated it since its initial release and says the facts described in this document have been confirmed by international rights groups, such as Human Rights Watch.

According to the UN High Commissioner for refugees, Russia is currently hosting about 1 million Ukrainian citizens, who fled the war in their home regions. The Russians offered these people simplified registration and various types of aid. The influx of Ukrainians put the Russian Federation number one in terms of the amount of global asylum applications in 2014, and by the same token Ukraine has the greatest number of refugees, surpassing even Syria.

17,000 law suits? I guess that's one way to swamp the court and make sure there's no focus on whatever Russia does.

[barkdreg]

It seems I survived Ukraine. Was wierd to see such a large amount of uniformed people on the streets. 
Lots of anti-Russian propaganda and people begging/demanding money for supporting the troops/wounded/private militia.
Shot up Russian militairy vehicles displayed near monuments. Little shrines with pictures of locals killed in the fighting or in the Maidan protests all over the country.
Yet most people didn't really seem worried.

Syt, I send you a pm.

[Syt]

You remember when we talked about Ukraine instead of IS and Syria?

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-34899491

Crimea hit by power blackout and Ukraine trade boycott

Ukraine has suspended deliveries of goods to Crimea, where a power blackout has caused major disruption.

Only essential services and government offices are operating in Crimea after key electricity pylons connected to the peninsula were knocked down in Ukraine.

Protesters, including Crimean Tatars, are preventing the repair work. Russia has warned of retaliatory measures.

Ukraine is planning new rules for cargo traffic for the southern peninsula, which was annexed by Russia in 2014.

There has been disruption to road and rail traffic to and from Crimea since Ukrainian nationalists and Crimean Tatars began a border blockade in September.

Crimean Tatar leader Mustafa Dzhemilev said the protesters would only let engineers repair two pylons that serve areas of mainland Ukraine - not the two linked to Crimea.

Russia does not have a land border with Crimea, which gets about 70% of its electricity from Ukraine.

Economic impact

Most of Crimea's two million people have been hit by the power cut. There are also water shortages.

Public transport is still running and hospitals are using generators. But the blackout has shut down many businesses and plunged the streets into darkness.

A state of emergency was imposed on Sunday and Monday was declared a non-working day.

The blackout forced the closure of some 150 schools.

"We are outraged by the cut-off... because a lot of us have electric cookers, we can't wash properly at the moment... our fridges are defrosting," Sevastopol resident Raisa Kazhyrnova told Reuters news agency.

Ukraine's state energy company, Ukrenergo, said the damage to the pylons was caused by "shelling or the use of explosive devices".

Trade tensions

Ukrainian PM Arseniy Yatsenyuk said the government "is temporarily banning cargo traffic on the administrative border" between Ukraine and Crimea.

He also warned Ukraine would respond in kind if Russia introduced an embargo on Ukrainian products, as Moscow has threatened to do.

Russia is angry at Ukraine's decision to implement a free trade agreement with the EU on 1 January 2016.

Russia says the deal will undermine its producers, because EU exporters are likely to use Ukraine as a back door into the Russian market.

Russia has blamed Ukrainian nationalists and Crimean Tatar activists for the pylon damage, calling it "an act of terrorism".

Crimean Tatar activists said Russia must release "political prisoners" and let their leaders return to Crimea in exchange for the repair work.

Emergency timetable

Crimean Tatar activists accuse Russia of abusing their rights.

Crimean authorities said they had managed to partially reconnect some cities using generators.

But emergency power-saving measures have been imposed across the peninsula.

Russia has started laying undersea cables to connect Crimea to its power grid. But the first phase will only take effect next month and the switch to Russia as the main supplier will take several years to complete.

In a move that probably has nothing to do with this whatsoever, Russia has stopped gas deliveries to Ukraine over unpaid bills.

[Syt]

To further troll the Russians, Ukraine has closed its airspace to all Russian air traffic.

[Maladict]

We're going to have a binding referendum on the proposed EU deal with Ukraine.