Ukraine General

[mistyronin 1181]

( Al Jazeera ) Battle over Ukrainian airport intensifies

Clashes between Ukraine's army and pro-Russian rebels for control of a battered airport have intensified, with explosions and heavy gunfire shaking the area throughout much of the day and at least six more people killed.

The battle for Donetsk airport in eastern Ukraine saw Kiev rush reinforcements to the snowy front lines on Saturday, while soldiers in the area spoke of some of the worst shelling yet in the nine-month war.

An elderly man identifying himself as a local resident in Stanicya Luganska handed soldiers at a checkpoint a three-litre jar of honey and thanked them for their service before walking away, said Moskal.

The jar later exploded, killing one soldier and seriously wounding three others.

[sudayev 27]

Constant updates, many videoclips and reports from the war zone. This is in Polish website.

http://www.nowastrategia.org.pl/walki-w-donbasie-17-21-stycznia-2015-r/

Transted version

https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=pl&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=pl&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nowastrategia.org.pl%2Fwalki-w-donbasie-17-21-stycznia-2015-r%2F&edit-text=

Livestream facing airport, distant explosions can be heard

[beastcat 14]

TASS - OSCE information disproves Kiev allegation of the guilty in the tragedy near Volnovakha

OSCE information disproves Kiev and Washington's allegation of the guilty in the tragedy near Volnovakha - Russia's envoy to OSCE.

You don't even have to click the article, this is actually it. Thats the whole article.

[sudayev 27]

Separatists have been driven from the airport, Ukrainian winter offensive reaches the mining town north of Donetsk - Gorlovka. Shelling of Gorlovka and firefights in progress.

Fresh reports.

https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=pl&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=pl&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nowastrategia.org.pl%2Fwalki-w-donbasie-17-21-stycznia-2015-r%2F&edit-text=

[beastcat 14]

The army has gotten the permission to take over the surrounding areas of the airport.

According to this the aim of the Ukrainian offensive was to break through to the airport, which has been cut off from the rest of the army in order to establish a new corridor.

[Tonci87 163]

It seems that at the moment both sides are shelling the absolute crap out of each other and the civilians caught in the crossfire while the UA Army is advancing onto Donetsk.

Here seems to be some separatist artillery at work

[aleksadragutin 9]

Why is the airport so important objective at this point in the war, that units would risk annihilation to secure it? The buildings are destroyed beyond recognition, and the runway burrowed, it seems unlikely for both sides to use it, so why bother?

[Tonci87 163]

Why is the airport so important objective at this point in the war, that units would risk annihilation to secure it? The buildings are destroyed beyond recognition, and the runway burrowed, it seems unlikely for both sides to use it, so why bother?

Staging ground for an attack on Donetsk itself, morale value due to this long fighting/resistance

[aleksadragutin 9]

Staging ground for an attack on Donetsk itself, morale value due to this long fighting/resistance

Direct attack on Donetsk it self wouldn't be such a good idea, if your aim wasn't a bloodbath and collateral damage. Plus there's so many ways to go about doing that besides desperately fighting for an objective that has long outlived it's purpose. If UA starts shelling Donetsk in order to capture it, it could make the residents decide to turn on Ukraine. However if UA goes in without preparing the ground they would be in for a nasty surprise, so not a good idea from whatever angle you look at it.

Edited January 18, 2015 by aleksadragutin

[Tonci87 163]

Well they have to attack it sooner or later if they want to end this rebellion.

[ProfTournesol 956]

Well they have to attack it sooner or later if they want to end this rebellion.

And regain control of their own territory.

[beastcat 14]

http://youtu.be/y2Udfvw92G0

Not quite sure what to make of this...

Edited January 18, 2015 by beastcat

[spooky lynx 73]

TV footage from the new terminal, DPR troops show found AR-15s and some grenade launcher (looks like M32 or similar systemseen at other video - that's Avalanche Multi-shot Grenade Launcher by Arsenal, Bulgaria).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FySoY0jQHM

Not quite sure what to make of this...

Here's a bit longer video. Note Su-24 with black "621" number @0:20-0:21.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWqYrZuZi30

Edited January 18, 2015 by Spooky Lynx

[beastcat 14]

http://youtu.be/d3LMr4kBWJg

[Tonci87 163]

So....where exactly do the separatist get all that ammunition from? Do they sell Grad rockets in surplus stores?

[ballistic09 241]

TV footage from the new terminal, DPR troops show found AR-15s and some grenade launcher (looks like M32 or similar systemseen at other video - that's Avalanche Multi-shot Grenade Launcher by Arsenal, Bulgaria).

There's also a Negev machine gun as well.

Gee, I wonder where those could have come from... :j:

[negah 26]

http://itar-tass.com/en/world/771839

Ukrainian bombers delivered an air strike on the town of Gorlovka, head of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic Alexander Zakharchenko said on Sunday.

“In the evening, Ukrainian bombers dropped 500-killogram air bombs on Gorlovka. It was not targeted bombing because of clouds, they just dropped bombs on the town,†he said, adding that more than 30 people, including children, were either killed or wounded in this air strike.

Seems the rebels still have some mobile air defense systems:

[Tonci87 163]

It seems that the Ukrainians are still controlling large parts of the airport, including the new terminal. The Separatist claims that they had conquered the airport came (again) a little bit too early.

[beastcat 14]

This is a few days old but yeah:

http://youtu.be/O5CQ1edznoc

Russian Naval Infantry Wikipedia

Source: Euromaidan Press Twitter

Oh and videos and photos by Graham Phillips that were supposedly taken inside the airport were actually taken in the supermarket "Metro" nearby.

Edited January 19, 2015 by beastcat

[krzychuzokecia 717]

There's also a Negev machine gun as well.

Gee, I wonder where those could have come from... :j:

Ukrainian-made Negev.

Ukrainian-made AR-15.

Dear Leader said you can buy a tank in a survivalist shop, so why not a machine gun? :)

[beastcat 14]

According to the NSDC two russian batallions have crossed the border as shelling of Debaltseve has intensified

Oh and heres a video of the fighting from yesterday:

http://youtu.be/gfQkT2mfhr8

Edited January 19, 2015 by beastcat

[aleksadragutin 9]

Ukrainian-made Negev.

Ukrainian-made AR-15.

Dear Leader said you can buy a tank in a survivalist shop, so why not a machine gun? :)

Not to burst anyones bubble, but that's not Z-15 in the images above. It's a Colt M4A1.

[beastcat 14]

Chechens being chechens

-snip old video-

Separatists attack on airport Edited January 19, 2015 by beastcat

[krzychuzokecia 717]

Not to burst anyones bubble, but that's not Z-15 in the images above. It's a Colt M4A1.

Or Bushmaster M4A3. Or Norinco CQ-A. Or Astra StG-4 Carbine. Or older generation Luvo (Czech AR). Or even Molot Vepr-15 VPO-140. Yes, even Russians make AR-15s, this rifle is popular not only in USA. My point was that we don't know who made that ARs, and who provided them as Life News video doesn't show the markings.

But even if those are Colt M4A1s, that actually means nothing - Colt is open to any military/LE customer and even ITAR is no problem (Russian SF are full of ITAR-regulated stuff). But if You're trying to say that these guns are "gift" from US gov't, well then where are unfamous US "military advisors"? If You'll look past to Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan (80s war) or Southern America, You'd notice that US involvement was rather direct. So, my bet is that US aid to Ukraine is marginal, if any - because nowadays so called "western democracies" lack any values to stand against their enemies. Money - that's the one and only thing that matters, and conflict with Russia equals less money. So they'll repeat publicly the same old story about "helping our allies" but in reality they won't do anything.

[Colossus 2]

Say, I haven't heard much from the UN about this matter, only that they "condemn" and "worries" about the situation. But is the UN just sitting there, scratching their ass, or are there actual attempts to take action against it only to be vetoed every step of the way?