Video - I am a Russian Occupier

[Boethius]

An interesting article on a video glorifying Russia's Soviet past -
http://www.rferl.org/content/i-am-a-russian-occupier-video-dont-mess-with-moscow/26879732.html

[Larry1]

Yet more evidence that units of the Russian Army are fighting in Ukraine:

Dorji Batomunkuev, military unit number 46108, is 20 years old and part of the Russian fifth tank brigade from Ulan-Ude, a city near the Mongolian border. He is a conscript and was called up 18 months ago. When we meet at the Central Regional hospital in Donetsk, his face and hands are burnt and bandaged, and his ears are singed and shrivelled. Beneath the dressings, he’s still bleeding.

He says he was injured in the eastern Ukraine town of Lohvynove on 9 February, at the mouth of the Debaltseve pocket, while fighting alongside the separatist militia of the Donetsk People’s Republic against Ukrainian forces.

The soldier said that he and his fellow tankers weren't told that they were headed to Ukraine, but realized it without being told.

“They told us that we were going to train but we knew where we were really going. I was already prepared mentally and morally – we would have to go to Ukraine.

“Back in Ulan-Ude, the numbers and emblems on some of the tanks were painted over, and our patches and chevrons were removed when we arrived at the firing range. We took it all off in order to disguise ourselves. Passports were left with the military units and military IDs were left at the firing range.

There is no other reason for painting over or removing insignia than to be able to maintain deniability that Russian troops were fighting in Ukraine.

When did you find out that you were on your way to Donetsk?

“When we read ‘Donetsk’ on signs, when we stopped in the city and saw the inscription ‘DNR’. Oh, we are in Ukraine! I poked my head out of the hatch to see the city. It is was beautiful city, I liked it. Everything beautiful.

“When we arrived, we went to a shelter and parked. We were taken to a campus for a hot meal and then put into rooms. One of our guys had a phone, and we found Radio Sputnik. There was a discussion being broadcast about whether there are Russian troops in Ukraine, and all the guests were like: ‘No, no, no’. We all listened, and said to each other, ‘yeah, right’.

The interview goes into some details about the fighting, including how this soldier was injured.  He was evacuated to a regional military hospital in Rostov (Russia, just across the border with Ukraine), where he was treated without being registered on any admission list.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/mar/25/russia-ukraine-soldier

[alex330]

Yet more evidence that units of the Russian Army are fighting in Ukraine:

Good article, I read it earlier today. Funny how all the interviews are translated from Russian sources initially.

[jone]

After reading some of these articles, I realize that they don't realize that they're fighting the Ukrainian army.  He constantly deflected to the Poles and Mercenaries from Chechnya. 

Can you imagine the US having a fight with Canada (invading) and telling the US soldiers that they aren't really Canadians that the US is fighting.  But mercenaries brought in from Siberia?

[lordtiberius]

Russia is, has been and always will be a terror state.

[JayH]

Russia is, has been and always will be a terror state.

As long as it is run by the criminal kleptocrats.

[Photo Guy]

Look back at all of the statements from Strelkov/Girkin.
And yet Russians are in denial of their involvement in Ukraine???

Putin has said that he would respect the Ukrainian elections that have put the government in place in Kiev. And yet Moscow continues to call the government in Kiev a 'dictatorship'. This is exactly why the West is against Putin's Russia. The West does not want to conquer or humiliate Russia. The West wants Moscow to respect the government in Kiev, and the people of Ukraine. Will that ever happen? We understand that Moscow wants the West to respect the separatists in Donetsk and Lugansk, but those separatists say they would like to expand to Lviv and Romania. Remember what they said as they fired missiles into Mariupol? I suggest that Russian citizens communicate with their cousins in Kiev and Lviv. Get a clue about the realities there.
Russia is a powerful nation, but is that all there is? Russians are proud of their big bombs? Grad missiles? Tanks? The word, 'Russia' makes the world think about tanks and weapons. Countries are afraid of Russia. Are Russians unable to see how this affects them? The Russian mindset looks barbaric to me.

[jone]

Look back at all of the statements from Strelkov/Girkin.
And yet Russians are in denial of their involvement in Ukraine???

Putin has said that he would respect the Ukrainian elections that have put the government in place in Kiev. And yet Moscow continues to call the government in Kiev a 'dictatorship'. This is exactly why the West is against Putin's Russia. The West does not want to conquer or humiliate Russia. The West wants Moscow to respect the government in Kiev, and the people of Ukraine. Will that ever happen? We understand that Moscow wants the West to respect the separatists in Donetsk and Lugansk, but those separatists say they would like to expand to Lviv and Romania. Remember what they said as they fired missiles into Mariupol? I suggest that Russian citizens communicate with their cousins in Kiev and Lviv. Get a clue about the realities there.
Russia is a powerful nation, but is that all there is? Russians are proud of their big bombs? Grad missiles? Tanks? The word, 'Russia' makes the world think about tanks and weapons. Countries are afraid of Russia. Are Russians unable to see how this affects them? The Russian mindset looks barbaric to me.

PhotoGuy,

I understand the imagery that forces you to believe that the Russian mindset looks barbaric.  But I know many Russians.  They are far from this.  They are warm loving people. 

It is unfortunate that the Russian government chooses to present to the world the new version of the Soviet Big Lie, but that's what we are getting.  Please do not judge the Russian people by the face their government shows to the world.

[Hammer2722]

PhotoGuy,

I understand the imagery that forces you to believe that the Russian mindset looks barbaric.  But I know many Russians.  They are far from this.  They are warm loving people. 

It is unfortunate that the Russian government chooses to present to the world the new version of the Soviet Big Lie, but that's what we are getting.  Please do not judge the Russian people by the face their government shows to the world.

No, but  I would judge them by their approval of Putin's actions.......

[lordtiberius]

How could these people approve of this?