Yuri Butusov: Pilot of shot down MiG-29 fighter jet makes it back safely.

By Yuri Butusov, journalist
08.09.2014
Translated and edited by Voices of Ukraine

The pilot of the Ukrainian MiG-29 fighter which was shot down by a Russian anti-aircraft missile system [SAM] over Yenakiieve August 6 is secure on Ukrainian territory, according to a source from “Tsenzor.Net” on BBC Ukraine. Mercenaries cordoned off the area of the crash and fallen parachute. They found the pilot’s place of landing and made a real hunt for him. The Russians would very much like, for propaganda purposes, to catch the pilot and combat aircraft, and question him in their traditional ways–and we know that many of our prisoners are tortured to give relevant evidence, shot through the legs and arms.

The officer landed and did not turn on his radio beacon–so that the enemy could not locate his bearings–he decided to make his own way through to safety. He oriented himself on the ground and walked away from his pursuers, and he avoided the enemy [using camouflage and orientation] over about a 40 km distance! Tonight the courageous Ukrainian soldier came to our advanced checkpoint. I was not far from this checkpoint, and immediately learned about the joyful rescue. Now the officer has been delivered to our base. Tough guy. Respect.

Source: Yuri Butusov FB

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Dmitry Tymchuk’s Military Blog: Summary – August 8, 2014

Dmitry Tymchuk, Coordinator, Information Resistance
08.08.2014
Translated and edited by Voices of Ukraine

Brothers and sisters!

information_resistance_logo_engHere’s the Summary for August 8, 2014 (for previous summary, please see Summary for August 7).

The bad news:

1. If Putin gives the command to his occupiers to enter Ukraine under the guise of “peacekeepers” (and such a probability is rather high), then initially it will be an option for a Russian military escort of Moscow’s so-called “humanitarian aid” for Donbas, which will be brought in through the border corridor controlled by the insurgents. Accordingly, the “aid” will exclusively target the residents of districts controlled by pro-Russian terrorists only.

The intention is clear: if at least one Russian “peacekeeper” dies, the Kremlin will start yelling about the “junta’s” shooting at the humanitarian mission, which may be a cause for open aggression by Russia. If Ukraine does not react to this provocation, it might become an excuse to introduce a fully-fledged “peacekeeping contingent” to participate in bringing Donbas under control.

The political measures to disrupt this plan have already been undertaken–in particular, the Kyiv has officially made it clear that any “peacekeepers” from Russia will be considered direct military aggression by Moscow. Meanwhile, the West has fully supported such an assessment.

We are waiting for [further] developments–or better, the lack thereof. The wasteheaps of Donbas, although not the paradise island of Kauai’s Glass Beach, are still hardly worth profaning them with the fraternal graves of Putin’s fighters.

2. Today we received data from the military doctors. They confirmed that during the ATO, no more than seven Ukrainian servicemen died during transport [from the battlefield to a medical facility] (earlier, as of August 5th, the National Security and Defense Council [NSDC] talked about five deceased during transit, i.e. the data are approximately the same).

[I am] infinitely sorry for every one of our soldiers and officers who died on the battlefield or from their wounds. But it is impossible to understand the speculation on these deaths.

We checked the information about those who died in transport because a few days ago–not anonymous social networks users–but certain Ukrainian politicians, reported [there were] hundreds of such deaths. Where they get their information from is unknown. As is the reason as to why they spread this around, causing panic.

3. Russia’s Investigative Committee filed a petition for the arrest of five servicemen from the Ukrainian 72nd Brigade, and of course the Russian court arrested them. Russian investigators say that our military used “phosphorous” ammunition.

It is necessary to carefully consider the official announcement of the Russian Investigative Committee, “…It is unlikely that the detained Ukrainian servicemen, who, in the nationalist frenzy, were heading out for a punitive operation could imagine that sooner or later they would have to answer for all their crimes. And now, instead of gallant marches in their honor on Maidan, as they probably imagined, instead of the promised awards, a banal court awaits them…”

Good people, and the investigator says this? This is the lawyer’s [speaking] style? I read [it], and I see the nonsense of a loudmouth and propagandist or a prostituting journalist from a little yellow rag, but not an officer of the Law.

The fact of the matter is that Putin not just turned the Russian Themis into his personal whore. All of Russia today is a cheap farce that has a “Freak show” performance as its permanent fixture.

Mykolayiv Regional Council photo of a 79th Airborne Brigade returned paratrooper.  Photo source: https://www.facebook.com/mykoblrada/photos/pcb.709562935747370/709562652414065/?type=1&theater

Mykolayiv Regional Council photo of a 79th Airborne Brigade returned paratrooper.
Photo source: https://www.facebook.com/mykoblrada/photos/pcb.709562935747370/709562652414065/?type=1&theater

The good news:

1. After an operational pause, the ATO forces began to operate in a significantly more powerful and efficient manner.

In fact, today they finally figured out how to block the “Donetsk” group of insurgents. A serious “splitting” of the other formations and their blocking has begun.

The situation remains difficult in the liberated areas–time and again, unfinished terrorists and subversive groups “keep emerging.” The question of the border with Russia remains open. That is, the ATO has plently of problems. But our troops are moving forward, and this is important.

2. By the way, about the liberated cities. The special working groups of the Interior Ministry work in them, which determine [who the] terrorists are and [who] actively worked with them. As reported by the Interior Ministry, a detention phase of these individuals has begun already.

Meanwhile, according to our data, there is an acute problem with classifying the actions of local government officials who had collaborated with the terrorists. We observe that many of these gentlemen now come back to their offices, in which they sat under terrorists and did not hide their sympathies and connections with them [the terrorists]. I’m afraid there are still a lot of questions to the same Interior Ministry about this unhealthy phenomenon.

3. The Mejlis head, Refat Chubarov, announced that the Crimean Tatar Peoples are planning to nominate their candidates for early elections to the Verkhovna Rada [Ukrainian Parliament].

We must remember that it is the Crimean Tatar people who remain one of the few thin connections that bind Crimea with Ukraine today. We must cherish and nurse this relationship. Because only by strengthening it and integrating the population of Crimea into the common Ukrainian space in every possible way, will we be able to return Crimea from Putin the thief.

Source: Dmitry Tymchuk FB

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Editor of Channel 5 in Lysychansk: “An Icon of Our Lady that we found in the bushes saved our lives three times” (photos)

By Daria Horskaya, for FACTS
08.06.2014
Translated and edited by Voices of Ukraine

Journalists shooting a film about peaceful civilians caught in the ATO zone have returned alive and unharmed to Kyiv.

It is no secret that in war soldiers become very superstitious and attach great importance to omens, dreams, and coincidences. Some will not remove crosses and consecrated medallions from their chests; others take amulets and talismans [with them] on combat missions.

Journalists who recently returned from the area of the ATO [anti-terrorist operation] admitted that during their perilous journey, they also were protected by a higher power.

“I, as a young woman and the mother of a young child, was not going to look for trouble and shoot while artillery was firing,” editor of Channel 5 Khrystyna Bondarenko told FACTS. “But I understand that in the area of ​​the anti-terrorist operation (even in the cities liberated by our soldiers), we can be in danger. Therefore, before leaving for Eastern Ukraine, I went to church, prayed, lit a candle and ordered a prayer service. And it turned out, God heard me and gave me an icon that guarded our group throughout the trip.”

The image of Our Lady (pictured) we found quite by accident at a checkpoint near Lysychansk.

We saw a big portrait in the bushes. From a distance, it seemed to us to be an image of Bandera or Gogol. But when our cameraman went closer, he was surprised to find that in the bushes, amidst cartridges and other debris, was lying a reproduction of the “Madonna and Child” (The Benois Madonna) by Leonardo da Vinci. Everything about it was surprising—that such a large portrait of the Virgin was lying about getting dirty in the bushes, and that the grandmothers, who were sitting next to this checkpoint (Lysychansk had already been liberated) were not interested in it. In the end, we put our find in the trunk of the car and drove on.

In the following days, the television journalists came face to face with mortal danger several times, and nothing short of a miracle can be said to have rescued them from the hands of the separatists and snipers.

“We had vaguely heard that Debaltseve was already liberated, and we went there,” continues Khrystyna Bondarenko. “But at the entrance to the city, it became clear that things are very different. Artillery guns were aimed at the city. The unit commander, whom we were approaching for permission to travel, only dismissed us with a wave—they had just brought him four Cargo 200 [trucks]. In general, we were there at our own risk and were attached to the military convoy and drove into town. We did not stay there a long time—we understood that you can be in an open space for no more than five minutes, otherwise you risk becoming a target for a sniper.”

At some point, a man on a scooter drove up to us and began to ask where we were from. I cautiously replied that we were with a television channel, and asked where the militias were (I did not dare to speak more specifically, not knowing who was in front of me). Our interlocutor took us for Russian journalists and was obviously happy. He said that the guys (he meant the separatists) had just gone—after sitting it out a couple of days, they will come out again. He suggested that we drive up to their hideout to talk. We filmed it all on camera, smiled stiffly, promised that now we’ll shoot a little bit here and then will head there immediately. As for us, as soon as the scooter was out of sight, we were in the car—and took off. Never has our Daewoo Nexia flown so fast at a speed of 180 kilometers per hour!

The Ukrainian military has repeatedly rescued journalists (In the photo by Jana Dobronosovoy: Khrystyna Bondarenko with soldiers of the National Guard).

The Ukrainian military has repeatedly rescued journalists (In the photo by Jana Dobronosovoy: Khrystyna Bondarenko with soldiers of the National Guard).

In Lysychansk, the first day after [its] liberation, Khrystyna and her television crew lost their military escort. Their situation was desperate—in the city, the sweep was in full swing, and to move by yourself in a light passenger car here was unthinkable. The reporters were lucky, they were taken away on an APC. Later, the crew got lost: the driver turned the wrong way and ended up at a glass factory where the notorious Ghost Battalion was based—one of the most dangerous terrorist groups.

The fact that we were in all of these critical situations, yet remained alive and unharmed, I’d have earlier called a fluke—says Khrystyna Bondarenko—but now I understand that it’s not. During the entire trip, we were guarded by a higher power. I think the whole thing was in finding the icon of the Virgin at the checkpoint. The military who learned about our adventures unanimously stated that these were enough to tempt fate. Three times, we were saved from death—there may not be a fourth. We have to leave. And the directors of Channel 5 just called: as it turns out, a new journalist arrived at the ATO zone rotation ahead of schedule and we can leave. I wanted to take the icon of the Virgin with me to Kyiv, but my colleague Alex [Lesha] Bratuschak, who took our place in the war zone, begged me to leave the portrait for him. I did just that. Hopefully, the Virgin will protect Lesha just as well as she protected us with the guys.

Source: fakty.ua

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Dmitry Tymchuk’s Military Blog: Summary – August 7, 2014

Dmitry Tymchuk, Coordinator, Information Resistance
08.07.2014
Translated and edited by Voices of Ukraine

Brothers and sisters!

information_resistance_logo_engHere’s the Summary for August 7, 2014 (for previous summary, please see Summary for August 6).

The bad news:

1. Talks about the possible introduction of Putin’s troops into Ukraine began to reach a panic level. Today, I even got phone calls from the people in Kyiv–who kept asking, is it time to move the family out?

Let’s understand that the threat of an open Russian invasion has already existed to some degree of probability for five consecutive months without interruption. Currently, the most likely format [of invasion], as you know, is aggression under the guise of a “peacekeeping operation.”

Moscow has accumulated enough forces and means near the border for this operation, aimed at taking control of Donbas. But, we do not see a set of Russian troops with the help of whom [Russia] could target something other than Luhansk and Donetsk Oblasts (or more precisely, the parts of them now controlled by terrorists), and attempt to invade Kherson Oblast from Crimea (although this option is highly disadvantageous from the military point of view, because it can be easily disrupted).

Our military leadership is convinced that the army can protect the Donbas, and Kherson to Odessa, from Russian invaders. And that everyone else can sleep completely easy. At least for now.

2. Terrorists shot down an ATO forces Mi-8 ambulance helicopter, which was flying to pick up the wounded under an agreement with the freak-insurgents. Also, as reported by the ATO headquarters (we are currently verifying this information), the terrorists downed a Ukrainian MiG-29 fighter jet over Yenakijeve [Donetsk Oblast]–according to preliminary data, this was done from the “Buk” SAM [surface to air missile].

No comment [on this occurrence]. I only regret that we don’t have public executions for Putin’s bastards.

3. The Kostopil police department in the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine at Rivne Oblast began an investigation into the installation of a tombstone depicting Russian President Vladimir Putin. The criminal proceeding has been initiated in accordance with Art. 296 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (hooliganism).

Earlier, the local organization of the “Right Sector” party held an action, “Putin’s Funeral.” They installed a tombstone with his image at the entrance to Kostopil from the direction of Rivne. On the monument are the following dates: 07.10.1952 – 05.09.

It is not clear what angered the police so much–since Putin’s date of death has not been specified, no one wished him ill. We don’t incarcerate the old ladies who are preparing for death. Or do Kostopil policemen believe in the immortality of the Russian president?

Once again, hooliganism by definition is an anti-social act, a flagrant violation of public order. And if the public rejoices and has fun from the act, and generally supports it in every way–then what is hooliganism? This is a show. Russians have been putting on a show for decades with a perfectly real corpse in the mausoleum on Red Square–and nothing’s happened. No criminal cases have been initiated [there].

 

The good news:

1. A special operation to unblock the divisions of the 79th Brigade is finally completed. Military personnel have been withdrawn to a safe area. The guys from the 72nd Brigade, who returned from Russia, have also been sent on vacation.

The fate of these military units troubled many [people] for a long time. It’s good that this hell has finally ended. According to our data, all further options that are being considered by ATO leaders regarding blocking the border will eliminate the possibility of a blockade of any of our units who will perform these tasks.

2. The Security Service of Ukraine [SBU] outlined its account of the downed Boeing.

The Buk [missile] which hit the plane was driven from Russia by a full-time crew (by the way, we reported that from the beginning). Having confused their destinations, they launched their missile from another [launch] point–not at the Russian Aeroflot plane (AFL-2074 en route Moscow–Larnaca) as planned, but at the Boeing [Malaysian Airlines MH17].

Accordingly, the airplane fell not onto territory under [Ukrainian] Army control, but into the hands of the insurgents. The insurgents themselves rejoiced about the “downed AN-26,” since they were not privy to the details–which is also understandable. This whole operation was planned in order to justify the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, scheduled for July 18th.

As for me, this version puts everything in its place. The only clarification being: intensive training for the open conflict in fact began as early as July 15th, when Russian reconnaissance and sabotage groups that were supposed to “pave the way” for Russian troops, began to enter Ukraine. And in my summary for July 18th, I wrote that, one day the [Ukrainian] security services will tell us how close we were to the [Russian] invasion (according to our estimates, it should have taken place on the night of July 17th). And now they have told us…

Everything was prepared, verified, and stood at a ready alert, when crooked-handed Russian fighters suddenly disrupted the entire plan. Although, if it were not for their crooked-handedness, who knows what would be happening in Ukraine right now…

3. A lot of talk continues about the fact that Putin has imposed sanctions against Western countries that had previously imposed sanctions against Putin. 

If you ask me, Ukraine should give Putin the Order for a ban on the import of food products to the Russian Federation from these countries. Since this pepper in fact strengthened Western sanctions and imposed additional sanctions against himself as well–on positions which the EU and the United States did not even consider. Well, who would have helped us more to punish Russia, if not its simple-minded and ambitious president?

Source: Dmitry Tymchuk FB

 

 

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“Es wäre besser, zu sterben” – eine ukrainische Journalistin spricht über die Qualen in der Gefangenschaft

irma krat“Ich fragte meine Entführer, ob sie mich vergewaltigen würden. “Nein!” Wollt ihr mich töten? “Nein!” Und dann sagte ein Mann in einem sehr ernsten Ton zu mir: “Wir werden dich lebendig begraben.” Und drei Monate lang dachte ich, sie würden mich in der Tat lebendig begraben.”

Der ukrainischen Journalistin und Maidan-Aktivistin Irma Krat fällt es immer noch schwer, über die 77 Tage dauernde Gefangenschaft zu sprechen, nachdem sie am 20. April von pro-russischen Rebellen im Osten der Ukraine gefangen genommen worden war. Continue reading

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