Ukraine Revolt/Civil War News, Reports, Data, etc.

Rail link between Lugansk and Ukraine used to send coal over has been blown up on Ukraine's side.



Rail bridge linking Lugansk region with Kiev-controlled areas blown up


The only railway link between Ukraine and the Lugansk People’s Republic has been destroyed, reported the head of the self-proclaimed republic’s emergency service, Sergey Ivanushkin. The Rodakovo-Krasny Liman railway section that has been used for delivering coal to Ukraine was blown up on the Ukrainian side. It was discovered by a train driver as he was trying to cross the bridge

Footage from the frontlines of Novorossiya:


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Footage from the frontlines of Novorossiya:


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Women serving in “Oplot” and “Vostok” people’s militias took part in a beauty contest
on: March 09, 2015
On the eve of March 8 – the International Women’s Day – the girls changed camouflage uniforms to designer outfits

The girls, who serve in the People’s Militia of the DPR, have no chance of displaying their womanhood everyday, but it does not mean that they have forgotten about their inner self – nothing of the kind, and 12 girls proved it on March 7 in Donetsk. The militia women changed camouflage uniforms to evening dresses, heavy boots – to elegant pumps on high heels and buns or pony-tails – to luxurious hairdos, and appeared on a catwalk. It was not a real contest or a beauty show, but just a chance for women who are engaged in a non-female business to demonstrate their charm, sex appeal and sophistication.
– We wanted everyone to see that women serving in the army can also be beautiful, – said the organizers of the show.
By the way, the girls were presented not only by their first and last names, but also by their call-signs, and after the defile in party dresses they appeared on the stage in their habitual uniform. To be frank, they were no less charming wearing uniforms. In their interviews the beauties spoke about their dreams about peace. Unlike the participants of various shows of “Miss Universe” kind, the women from Donbass had been very sincere while expressing their wishes, undoubtedly.

It has been a while since I last posted and not for any particular reason. I have been waiting for more details of the fighting to become public and of course the Ceasefire is bringing a lot of conversation to a close.

One of the big unanswered questions is still "Is the Russian Army in the Donbass?"
Personally I doubt it and always have done. There are no doubt Russian soldiers serving in the militia, but the quote from the article in my last post, which put the figure at 3000, is revealing.

Its revealing as it rather reinforces my basic assumption; that Russian soldiers are incorporated into the militia, primarily to uimpose effective C & C at all levels.
What this means is that Russian Staff officers will be embedded at Strategic HQ level, Junior Officers will be embedded as Field Officers and that other ranks will be embedded primarily as NCO's and some specialist functions.

The benefits of this are twofold,
1) That the militia will have a professional backbone in command at all levels that understand and can operate battlefield communications, how to understand and enact orders and how to read the tactical situation and take the initiative.
2) Can have confidence in the chain of command and orders which are issued by it.

In many ways this is not dissimilar to what would happen in all out wartime and under conditions of full mobilisation.

On top of this it is possible that specialist units; specifically Air Defence, will have been sent. It is one thing for Putin to ask his people to go with into battle with one hand tied behind their backs and without the benefit of their total Air Supremacy, quite another to go without any Anti Air Protection whatsoever.

Did actual Russian Regular formations take part in any of the fighting?
The West accuses them of being there and indeed the Russians accuse NATO of sending forces or Contractors into the key battle areas. My answer then is that I can rationally believe that either both sides had forces in key locations or that neither did. In other words, that only the presence of NATO regulars would be deemed sufficiently serious to warrant the risk of RF regular formations being discovered crossing the border.

SampanViking said:

It has been a while since I last posted and not for any particular reason. I have been waiting for more details of the fighting to become public and of course the Ceasefire is bringing a lot of conversation to a close.

One of the big unanswered questions is still "Is the Russian Army in the Donbass?"
Personally I doubt it and always have done. There are no doubt Russian soldiers serving in the militia, but the quote from the article in my last post, which put the figure at 3000, is revealing.

Its revealing as it rather reinforces my basic assumption; that Russian soldiers are incorporated into the militia, primarily to uimpose effective C & C at all levels.
What this means is that Russian Staff officers will be embedded at Strategic HQ level, Junior Officers will be embedded as Field Officers and that other ranks will be embedded primarily as NCO's and some specialist functions.

The benefits of this are twofold,
1) That the militia will have a professional backbone in command at all levels that understand and can operate battlefield communications, how to understand and enact orders and how to read the tactical situation and take the initiative.
2) Can have confidence in the chain of command and orders which are issued by it.

In many ways this is not dissimilar to what would happen in all out wartime and under conditions of full mobilisation.

On top of this it is possible that specialist units; specifically Air Defence, will have been sent. It is one thing for Putin to ask his people to go with into battle with one hand tied behind their backs and without the benefit of their total Air Supremacy, quite another to go without any Anti Air Protection whatsoever.

Did actual Russian Regular formations take part in any of the fighting?
The West accuses them of being there and indeed the Russians accuse NATO of sending forces or Contractors into the key battle areas. My answer then is that I can rationally believe that either both sides had forces in key locations or that neither did. In other words, that only the presence of NATO regulars would be deemed sufficiently serious to warrant the risk of RF regular formations being discovered crossing the border.

Click to expand...

That must be part of the explanation of the vast difference in quality of the armed forces of both sides. A quarter of a century ago they were the same. In the late nineties the Russian army was probably as bad as the Ukrainian army proved to be last year. Since then the Russian army has been restored, greatly as proved by the quality of the leavening of the East Ukrainian militias provided.
There will also be a vast reconnaissance operation looking over the border in support of the militias and which can only be effective when experienced officers receive the intelligence.

Exclusive report from Debaltseve: Captured weapons, tanks, armored personnel carriers, etc..


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Footage from Shyrokyno:


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War through the eyes of a journalist: Airport


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One day on the front. Kiev forces wanted to spit on a truce. DNR. Spartak, 5th-6th of March


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