The Russian Invasion of Ukraine-The Real Nazis

[lordtiberius]

LT--it is not "only the Tatars are willing to fight". Time will tell you what the real situation is.

agree

Condemning any of these people is simply wrong approach to reconciling them-either now or in the future.

Really?

Those people have one chance to redeem themselves.  That is to pick up a rifle and push the Russian out.  If not they can, share the Russian destiny.

[AkMike]

NATO begins to train Ukrainian NCO corps


By Alex Statko for Southeast European Times in Kyiv | 2014-12-19

A co-operative training programme will boost the number of highly qualified sergeants in the Ukrainian Army.

Ukraine's military is taking advantage of a unique opportunity to raise professionalism by seeking NATO's assistance to improve its military education programmes.

Military commanders and analysts said enrolling Ukrainian soldiers in courses where they will learn to become sergeants according to NATO standards will bring "great results" for the further success of Ukrainian Army.

"Sergeant is the basis of any army in the world, because he commands the soldiers directly," Valeriy Ryabykh of Defence Express Media and Consulting, told to SETimes. "Today, character of the war has changed very much. If earlier military commanders prepared extensive frontline operations, very large-scale, in the modern conditions we are talking about manoeuvrable-type operations, both in defence and in attack. The role of tactical link increases and who is to supervise the tactical level? Yes, these people are sergeants. Therefore, they play a key role in the army now."

A Non-commissioned Officer (NCO) training programme that complies with NATO standards will begin in the army academy named after Hetman Petro Sahaydachnyi, located in Lviv. Later, the programme will be implemented in other Ukrainian cities.


A NATO military delegation visited the Sahaydachnyi Academy on December 17th. Alliance experts and experienced trainers attended the training process of Ukrainian sergeants to check their preparedness and learn about current education methods.

"We are ready for constructive dialogue and the full support of the Ukrainian Armed Forces," Boguslaw Pacek, a retired Polish major general who is NATO's adviser for military education reform in Ukraine, told reporters during the visit to the academy. "I would like to say that the whole world supports progressive desire of the Ukrainian people for freedom and democracy."

Along with professional military education experts, representatives of the NCO corps from Canada, US, Lithuania and the Czech Republic visited the academy to analyse the Ukrainian training programme and provide suggestions on how to improve the educational process and bring it closer to Alliance standards.

"It is very positive that experts from the West will be involved in the preparation of our sergeants, because it is a completely different approach to the educational process and completely different experience," Ryabykh said. "This is something like vaccination to our armed forces. We need this help, but it will be useful if we don't just copy foreign experience on our ground, but if it will be comprehended and transformed into our reality."

The Chief of the Army Academy Lieutenant General Pavlo Tkachuk said learning from the experience of the world's leading armies, especially NATO members, is crucial in the context of NCO corps training.

"During the last months the Ukrainian Armed Forces have turned into the one of the most combat capable and experienced armies in the world," Tkachuk told reporters at the academy. "But there is still a lot of work on formation of the national army, because before our military get invaluable experience on the battlefield, in particular during anti-terrorist operations in the east, they must acquire fundamental knowledge during the grounding and get appropriate military education."

Military experts said the Ukrainian Army is in need of professional sergeants.

"We were negligent in this issue," Ihor Koziy, a military expert at the Institute of Euro-Atlantic Co-operation, told SETimes. "NCO corps will give clearly positive result, only if the army leadership will take care of it, if sergeants will have a good salary and the opportunity for professional growth."

Pacek said it could take three to five years to completely change the sergeants' education system so that it complies with NATO standards.

"After some time you will meet with the military, which passed this training and they will tell you, what they got from it, what they learned," Pacek said. "The main thing is your desire and concrete goals, and we certainly love Ukraine with all [of our] heart. We are ready to help this beautiful country."

On average, the sergeant training takes three to six months. The faster the NATO recommendations work, the faster the Ukrainian Army will benefit from a new generation of sergeants, military experts said.

In addition, Ukraine has a unique opportunity to recruit the best staff for the training programme by including young soldiers who fought in the east. Military commanders can choose the best among those soldiers, assembling a group of future sergeants who already have significant military skills and combat experience, experts said.

"Powerful NCO corps will influence automatically to army's combat capability," Koziy said. "In fact, for us it is not a new system. By the end of the World War II, we had a lot of sergeants. These were the people who passed the war, and they were appointed to the most important positions. It was believed that these were very experienced people. But later everything has changed."

But now, thanks to NATO, Ukraine has a chance to rebuild the effectiveness of NCO corps, he said.

"This training programme is a good trend," Ryabykh said. "It has a psychological aspect as well: We are not alone. This is a signal that Europe is aware that threat of war is real, not only for us but for the whole region."
http://ukraine.setimes.com/en_GB/articles/uwi/features/2014/12/19/feature-02

[JayH]

What should be noted here--is the attempt to conduct an accurate opinion poll-- and not a contrived piece of Kremlin inspired propaganda.


More than half of the residents released Donbass not recognize the legality of the self-proclaimed "DNR"
Більше читайте тут: http://tsn.ua/ukrayina/bilshe-polovini-zhiteliv-zvilnenogo-donbasu-ne-viznayut-zakonnist-samoprogoloshenoyi-dnr-400696.html

Donetsk residents responded to a question about the legitimacy of power "NPT".
Більше читайте тут: http://tsn.ua/ukrayina/bilshe-polovini-zhiteliv-zvilnenogo-donbasu-ne-viznayut-zakonnist-samoprogoloshenoyi-dnr-400696.html

Donetsk residents responded to a question about the legitimacy of power "NPT". ZN.UA Respondents were asked "Do you agree that" DNR "- a legitimate authority in Donetsk?"
Almost 82% of respondents in Ukraine in general do not recognize the legitimacy "NPT" . And in the Donbass most of its inhabitants (55%) also did not recognize the "DNR" legitimate authority.
 These are the results of a study commissioned ZN.UA Kyiv International Institute of Sociology. Respondents were asked "Do you agree that" DNR "- a legitimate authority in Donetsk?"
Quite predictably, given the area and population "DNR" and "FSC" (together they occupy under a little less than 3% of Ukraine and account for about 9% of the population), it was found that the majority of citizens, and that 68.2% completely disagree with the legality "of the NPT." If you add on here yet, and 13.7% "rather disagree" that 81.9% do not recognize the Ukrainian "NPT". Read more: The "DNR" growing "guerrilla psychosis": the militants fired tinted by car 38.1% of residents of Donetsk region still did not recognize the legitimacy of "DNR" (of which 29.5% - not recognized).
Also, the poll found that among people living in Donetsk region, remained 33.4% of those difficult to answer the question.
As for the Donbass region as a whole, the overall degree of "legality" (6.1% - completely agree, 9.5% - more consonants) reduced Lugansk, as the survey took place only Ukrainian region and found 86.5% of opponents' DNR ". We can assume, of course, that the FSC to treat it. Record numbers rejection as "DNR" in the West (88.7%) and Central Ukraine (75.7%).
Note that the study "The opinions and views of the population of Ukraine: December 2014" was conducted in order ZN.UA Kyiv International Institute of Sociology, 4-19 December 2014. The study was conducted 3035 interviews with older residents of Ukraine who live in 179 settlements Ukraine.
 In Lugansk and Donetsk survey was conducted only on the territory controlled by the Ukrainian authorities. The statistical error does not exceed 1.8%.
Більше читайте тут: http://tsn.ua/ukrayina/bilshe-polovini-zhiteliv-zvilnenogo-donbasu-ne-viznayut-zakonnist-samoprogoloshenoyi-dnr-400696.html

[JayH]

#Putin replaces mercs in #Ukraine w #Russia Army.Units fr East district now in #Donetsk





VIDEO #Putin replaces mercs in #Ukraine w #Russia Army.Units fr East district now in #Donetsk http://www.youtube.com/watch?

http://twitter.com/raging545/status/551110792964493312
v=KW-xkFmW0Rs …

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSYzYTVNUOw&feature=youtu.be

RETWEETS

Christian PezzettiRoberto Blizzardjeremiah jacquesBongo FuryThorsten MüllerCoalitionForDefenseHurleeAdin of Crimeamyroslawa brulak
12:20 pm - 2 Jan 2015
 conflict info ‏@sheriffenforcer  4h4 hours ago
@raging545 RU PEACE KEEPERS ? ? ?

 Mantelzorger ‏@jdj1980  4h4 hours ago
@raging545 those forces are they the same as those who did winterexercises last year?

 raging.me ‏@raging545  4h4 hours ago
@sheriffenforcer Yes #Russia troops now dressing as "Militia" in #Ukraine

 raging.me ‏@raging545  4h4 hours ago
@jdj1980 last year? These are troops from #Russia Eastern Districts that now have replaced the "Volunteers" (paid mercenaries) in #Ukraine

 Mantelzorger ‏@jdj1980  4h4 hours ago
@raging545 yes, that was a big winter exercise then espacially for whats happening now
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSYzYTVNUOw&feature=youtu.be 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSYzYTVNUOw&feature=youtu.be

[Boethius]

http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/intercepted-phone-conversation-suggests-russia-will-supply-weapons-vehicles-to-rebels-376833.html

[Boethius]

Good article on a Russian conscript who eventually joined the terrorists -


http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/11/magazine/a-russian-soldier-vanishes-in-ukraine.html?_r=1

[Anotherkiwi]

Good article on a Russian conscript who eventually joined the terrorists -


http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/11/magazine/a-russian-soldier-vanishes-in-ukraine.html?_r=1

Excellent - and so sad at the same time.

[JayH]

Russian base exposed; military expert analysis shows military base used for Kremlin’s intervention

A massive Russian army base used as a command center for the Kremlin's military intervention in Ukraine has reportedly been uncovered.

A prominent online military analyst discovered the hub following the latest update of Google satellite data which revealed images of the area previously unavailable to the public.
http://www.kyivpost.com/multimedia/video-2/ukraine-today-russian-base-exposed-military-expert-analysis-shows-military-base-used-for-kremlins-intervention-video-377101.html

[JayH]

Frontline journalist: Russian attack to take place in two weeks



Olena Bilozerska is a journalist that is currently participating in military action as part of the Right Sector volunteers corps

Here are some facts:
1. Poroshenko has announced a wide-ranging mobilization, which the Verkhovna Rada has ratified, and it will definitely happen. In the small village where my parents live, for example, 36 people have received notification.

2. Putin’s soldiers, whom we refer to here as “separatists”, have become extremely active within the past few days. Their artillery now stands at 150 units per kilometer. For the first time in the entire war, an artillery bombardment now sounds like an automatic weapon.

3. Poroshenko has promised to demobilize the first wave of Ukrainian soldiers this spring.

Here are my conclusions:
1. Ukraine is obviously in no position to feed an army of the magnitute that it has intentions of training. And those soldiers who already have been mobilized would be going hungry and barefoot even now if it weren’t for the help of volunteers;
Therefore, by springtime or earlier, there are plans to commit the Ukrainian army to an all-out attack;

2. Putin will be unable to withstand such a comprehensive advance with his current conglomerate of thugs, deserters, and Ukrainian traitors, Russian anti-social misfits, Caucasus mercenaries and others, complemented by various Russian regular army professionals. They will try to defeat the Ukrainian army and Ukrainian volunteer army, but any chance at success will only come from the deployment of significant numbers of regular forces of the RF, discarding completely the charade and pretension of being “Novorossia militiamen.”

3. In other words, Putler will also be preparing to go on the attack. He will not be able to wait for spring: first, by springtime, the Russian economy will deteriorate even more than it already has; second, he will face a much larger adversary in the springtime than he currently does.

4. Such an attack will take place within two or three weeks, the amount of time he still requires for preparation.

http://euromaidanpress.com/2015/01/21/frontline-journalist-russian-attack-to-take-place-in-two-weeks/

[AC]

Very interesting post, Jay.  If I read that correctly the Ukrainians want to do an all-out pre-emptive attack on the "separatists", however if so, why would they announce or post about it in any way?  Loose lips sink tall ships and all.  I guess whoever this person is just wants to get credit for a story without regard to potential loss of life.

Of course it will be interesting to see if Putler responds like he did the last time he was losing, and if the Ukrainians can do a better job of documenting RF soldiers coming over the border as well as the firing of rockets and artillary from the Russian side to the Ukrainian side. 

[JayH]

'Fascists' Join Russian Insurgency: Militant leader Gubarev says 'real fascists' help fighters

An insurgent leader in eastern Ukraine says that fascists are fighting alongside his forces

Pavel Gubarev, the self-proclaimed governor of the so-called Donetsk People's Republic, posted on Facebook that one month ago, "real Italian fascists" had come to eastern Ukraine to fight against Americans. Gubarev has ties to Russian nationalist groups and doesn't conceal his neo-nazi beliefs.

Russian-backed forces in eastern Ukraine have long said they oppose fascism as part of the Kremlin's smear campaign against Ukraine's pro-Western government. But in fact the Russian insurgency has been a magnet for far-right Russian nationalists and members of neo-Nazi groups. Among the foreign militants are a group of far-right French fighters. Most have ties to neo-Nazi groups and believe they are fighting for a movement called Eurasianism.

It's a neo-Fascist idealogy that calls for the destruction of the European Union and resistence to globalization. They view the conflict in eastern Ukraine as a fight against the EU and the US and a struggle for ultra-nationalist causes throughout the continent.

http://uatoday.tv/geo/fascists-join-russian-insurgency-militant-leader-gubarev-says-real-fascists-help-fighters-368118.html

[mendeleyev]

Whew, finally some fascists in Ukraine! What a relief.

I was challenged by a Russian journalist two days ago when, fed up at a meeting, I commented that there were more Nazi's in Moscow that the whole of Ukraine. She went ballistic and demanded that I name them.

Now I will have apologize to her. 

[lordtiberius]

NATO begins to train Ukrainian NCO corps


By Alex Statko for Southeast European Times in Kyiv | 2014-12-19

A co-operative training programme will boost the number of highly qualified sergeants in the Ukrainian Army.

Ukraine's military is taking advantage of a unique opportunity to raise professionalism by seeking NATO's assistance to improve its military education programmes.

Military commanders and analysts said enrolling Ukrainian soldiers in courses where they will learn to become sergeants according to NATO standards will bring "great results" for the further success of Ukrainian Army.

"Sergeant is the basis of any army in the world, because he commands the soldiers directly," Valeriy Ryabykh of Defence Express Media and Consulting, told to SETimes. "Today, character of the war has changed very much. If earlier military commanders prepared extensive frontline operations, very large-scale, in the modern conditions we are talking about manoeuvrable-type operations, both in defence and in attack. The role of tactical link increases and who is to supervise the tactical level? Yes, these people are sergeants. Therefore, they play a key role in the army now."

A Non-commissioned Officer (NCO) training programme that complies with NATO standards will begin in the army academy named after Hetman Petro Sahaydachnyi, located in Lviv. Later, the programme will be implemented in other Ukrainian cities.


A NATO military delegation visited the Sahaydachnyi Academy on December 17th. Alliance experts and experienced trainers attended the training process of Ukrainian sergeants to check their preparedness and learn about current education methods.

"We are ready for constructive dialogue and the full support of the Ukrainian Armed Forces," Boguslaw Pacek, a retired Polish major general who is NATO's adviser for military education reform in Ukraine, told reporters during the visit to the academy. "I would like to say that the whole world supports progressive desire of the Ukrainian people for freedom and democracy."

Along with professional military education experts, representatives of the NCO corps from Canada, US, Lithuania and the Czech Republic visited the academy to analyse the Ukrainian training programme and provide suggestions on how to improve the educational process and bring it closer to Alliance standards.

"It is very positive that experts from the West will be involved in the preparation of our sergeants, because it is a completely different approach to the educational process and completely different experience," Ryabykh said. "This is something like vaccination to our armed forces. We need this help, but it will be useful if we don't just copy foreign experience on our ground, but if it will be comprehended and transformed into our reality."

The Chief of the Army Academy Lieutenant General Pavlo Tkachuk said learning from the experience of the world's leading armies, especially NATO members, is crucial in the context of NCO corps training.

"During the last months the Ukrainian Armed Forces have turned into the one of the most combat capable and experienced armies in the world," Tkachuk told reporters at the academy. "But there is still a lot of work on formation of the national army, because before our military get invaluable experience on the battlefield, in particular during anti-terrorist operations in the east, they must acquire fundamental knowledge during the grounding and get appropriate military education."

Military experts said the Ukrainian Army is in need of professional sergeants.

"We were negligent in this issue," Ihor Koziy, a military expert at the Institute of Euro-Atlantic Co-operation, told SETimes. "NCO corps will give clearly positive result, only if the army leadership will take care of it, if sergeants will have a good salary and the opportunity for professional growth."

Pacek said it could take three to five years to completely change the sergeants' education system so that it complies with NATO standards.

"After some time you will meet with the military, which passed this training and they will tell you, what they got from it, what they learned," Pacek said. "The main thing is your desire and concrete goals, and we certainly love Ukraine with all [of our] heart. We are ready to help this beautiful country."

On average, the sergeant training takes three to six months. The faster the NATO recommendations work, the faster the Ukrainian Army will benefit from a new generation of sergeants, military experts said.

In addition, Ukraine has a unique opportunity to recruit the best staff for the training programme by including young soldiers who fought in the east. Military commanders can choose the best among those soldiers, assembling a group of future sergeants who already have significant military skills and combat experience, experts said.

"Powerful NCO corps will influence automatically to army's combat capability," Koziy said. "In fact, for us it is not a new system. By the end of the World War II, we had a lot of sergeants. These were the people who passed the war, and they were appointed to the most important positions. It was believed that these were very experienced people. But later everything has changed."

But now, thanks to NATO, Ukraine has a chance to rebuild the effectiveness of NCO corps, he said.

"This training programme is a good trend," Ryabykh said. "It has a psychological aspect as well: We are not alone. This is a signal that Europe is aware that threat of war is real, not only for us but for the whole region."
http://ukraine.setimes.com/en_GB/articles/uwi/features/2014/12/19/feature-02

I know we are getting there but it is taking forever

[JayH]

I know we are getting there but it is taking forever

  I am very worried now that too little too late is going to be the case.

[AC]

  I am very worried now that too little too late is going to be the case.

What made you change your tone?  Previously you were claiming that Ukrainians supported by the West could re-take Crimea.

Have you finally realized that there is little chance of NATO intervening?

Believe me it doesn't make me happy to think about this.  I do hope that recent weapon allocations from Poland and Lithuania will help.

[lordtiberius]

Billy B was right.

[JayH]

BBC reveals the secret training camp of terrorists from the Donbass in St. Petersburg

Russian service of BBC" revealed a secret training base in St. Petersburg, where the basic military training fighters, which are then sent to fight in eastern Ukraine.
 
The film was released on YouTube last night, January 27.
 
Base, owned by "Russian imperial movement" supposedly located in the basement of an apartment building on the outskirts of St. Petersburg. The exact address is not called, but in the community "RID" in "VKontakte" has the address to which it is recommended to apply to "help Russian New Russia" - St. Petersburg, ul. Drhttp://reviewnews.net/video-1/3060-bbc-pokazala-sekretnuyu-trenirovochnuyu-bazu-boevikov-donbassa-v-peterburge-videoesden, d.20 (military sports club "Reserve", m. Specific), the newspaper notes Elephant.
 Boethius
Hero Member
*****

Re: The Russian Invasion of Ukraine-The Real Nazis
« Reply #572 on: Today at 06:13:34 PM »
Quote
BBC expose on "rebel" training camp in St. Petersburg.

http://reviewnews.net/video-1/3060-bbc-pokazala-sekretnuyu-trenirovochnuyu-bazu-boevikov-donbassa-v-peterburge-video

[Boethius]

Good article in the FT about Russia's changing strategy -

(W)estern intelligence analysts are coming to the  conclusion that Mr Putin is no longer trying to carve out a semi-autonomous  region within Ukraine or gain geopolitical bargaining chips but — having made  the calculation that Kiev is lost to Moscow’s influence for good — he is trying  to create a new, economically viable puppet state outside of it.

“Taking Crimea was a retaliation for the ousting of Yanukovich. But that took  2m pro-Russian votes out of Ukraine so Mr Putin’s next strategy was to carve out  influence in enclaves in eastern Ukraine in order to blackmail Kiev and wield  some kind of federal constitutional veto. That has failed too,” says Jonathan  Eyal, international director and a Russia expert at the Royal United Services  Institute in London.

“So now we are moving to him establishing a more permanent situation: a  Mickey Mouse Russian-controlled state. It’s the Abkhazia situation and the  Transnistria situation. And like those it is something that could stay like that  for 20 years.”

“[It] is certainly the indication,” concurs one senior figure in the Nato  intelligence community, speaking on condition of strict anonymity. “Not a  separate enclave any more. Not a constitutional settlement. Something totally  separate from Kiev and with more direct control.”

http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/db589e94-a602-11e4-9bd3-00144feab7de.html?siteedition=uk#axzz3QAFN0pXs
 
 

[Gator]

“So now we are moving to him establishing a more permanent situation: a  Mickey Mouse Russian-controlled state. It’s the Abkhazia situation and the  Transnistria situation. And like those it is something that could stay like that  for 20 years.”

That seemingly would be acceptable provided Ukraine does not relinquish its claim for the territory to be returned.  Let Russia foot the bill for rebuilding the war damage and modernizing the antiquated industry.  Such will take at least 20 years.  In that time Ukraine can use its limited capital to develop Western Ukraine's economy to that of Poland's and other former Soviet satellites.    Eastern and western Ukraine can eventually be reunited as done in Germany. 

[Boethius]

Just as Russia has done in Transnistria?

And, what about the regions that are being attacked now, regions which have little desire to leave Ukraine?
 

[Gator]

Just as Russia has done in Transnistria?
And, what about the regions that are being attacked now, regions which have little desire to leave Ukraine.

I agree that Ukraine should put up a fuss and never withdraw militarily - do its best to maintain a stalemate.  Hopefully the West will do its part to help Ukraine establish a defensible position to prevent further advances.    What else can Ukraine and the West do while Putin is in power?   

The worse case - it would eventually become another North and South Korea where reunification is impossible.  Meanwhile, Crimea will become the equivalent of Turkish Cyprus.   

[Boethius]

The problem is, the rebels want new territories.  They can't make much of a go with what they have. 

[Boethius]

BBC expose on "rebel" training camp in St. Petersburg.

http://reviewnews.net/video-1/3060-bbc-pokazala-sekretnuyu-trenirovochnuyu-bazu-boevikov-donbassa-v-peterburge-video

[JayH]

Good article in the FT about Russia's changing strategy -

(W)estern intelligence analysts are coming to the  conclusion that Mr Putin is no longer trying to carve out a semi-autonomous  region within Ukraine or gain geopolitical bargaining chips but — having made  the calculation that Kiev is lost to Moscow’s influence for good — he is trying  to create a new, economically viable puppet state outside of it.

“Taking Crimea was a retaliation for the ousting of Yanukovich. But that took  2m pro-Russian votes out of Ukraine so Mr Putin’s next strategy was to carve out  influence in enclaves in eastern Ukraine in order to blackmail Kiev and wield  some kind of federal constitutional veto. That has failed too,” says Jonathan  Eyal, international director and a Russia expert at the Royal United Services  Institute in London.

“So now we are moving to him establishing a more permanent situation: a  Mickey Mouse Russian-controlled state. It’s the Abkhazia situation and the  Transnistria situation. And like those it is something that could stay like that  for 20 years.”

“[It] is certainly the indication,” concurs one senior figure in the Nato  intelligence community, speaking on condition of strict anonymity. “Not a  separate enclave any more. Not a constitutional settlement. Something totally  separate from Kiev and with more direct control.”

http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/db589e94-a602-11e4-9bd3-00144feab7de.html?siteedition=uk#axzz3QAFN0pXs
 
 

It is definitely a possibility-- and continue with destabilisation over all Ukraine-- and terrorist bombings.
Apart from potential short term aims-Putin is intent on making Ukraine pay as big a price as possible for independence and escape of Russian domination- so the stakes are high for Russia.
It is also another major reason why I would concede nothing to Russia  at any stage.If Ukraine can survive the immediate future of military attacks then time will be in Ukraines favour.
Sanctions( & hopefully increased sanctions) will impact savagely in another year- The sanctions are only in early days and only superficial results at this stage-when they really impact in Russia then they will be vunerable.
Militarily-Ukraine will get stronger,better organised & better trained and prepared --plus upgraded defensive weapons will see much greater pressure put on the Russians. The death toll and cost to Russia will not remain a secret in Russia for long-that will put pressure on Putin & the Kremlin lies.

[jone]

I read somewhere today that mobile crematoriums (3) have been brought into the separatist regions so that Russia does not have to ship bodies home for examination.  Now, lucky Russian families will simply get a notification that their son/husband has died in battle a training exercise and that due to circumstances it was impossible to recover the body.