Donetsk Update: Pastor Sergey Kosyak

By Sergey Kosyak, Donetsk pastor.
05.25.2014
Translated by Caleb Suko. Edited by Voices of Ukraine.

DONETSK UPDATE: Pastor Sergey Kosyak writes about the events of 23 May 2014, “Friends, today was a tough day, but for me very difficult. To begin with, representatives of Donetsk People’s Republic destroyed our tent, and then there was the following story.

Several times I have gone to the city administration building to talk with the leaders of the Donetsk People’s Republic, so I went once again. I didn’t find the person I had talked with earlier there but happened to see someone who attended my church. I was glad when I saw him, but he didn’t seem too glad we met. He began to yell that I was manipulating the people and things like that. In short, the negotiations failed, in the eyes of these people I had become the enemy. You tend to have short conversations with your enemy.

People are very angry, because, first of all, their hearts are empty and not filled with God. I told them that God loves them, I harbored no anger or hatred towards them in my heart, even when they beat me. I will not describe the beating itself, but that I am still alive, is just by the grace of God.

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Among them were people who knew about our prayer tent, they cursed the others for what they did to me. After that, they gave me my things back and my money, then asked for forgiveness from me and that I would not be offended.

Before they started beating me I told them about Christ, called them to turn their hearts to God, and while they beat me I just prayed. I couldn’t make it to the prayer meeting in the evening because I had to go to the hospital.

Dark times have come to our region, people hate each other, they’re ready to kill, beat for a preposterous idea, and to die for those ideas. And they can not see Him for Whom it is really worth living and dying. God save the people, turn their attention to yourself.

It hurts not physically, but morally, that Ukraine is wallowing in sin, and instead of people fighting together against the enemy they are pointing their weapons at each other.” (translation thanks to Caleb Suko).

Source: Sergey Kosyak FB

Photos by journalist Solomiya Vitvitska originally posted here.

 

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INFORMATION RESISTANCE: The Trials and Tribulations of a Separatist Fighter

Screen Shot 2014-05-22 at 11.35.57 AM

Graffiti: “Dombas is independent” Donbas is misspelled here, presumably by foreign insurgents who don’t know how to spell  local city names properly. It reads like: “Dumbass” this way.

By Information Resistance
05.20.2014
Translated and edited by Voices of Ukraine

Celebrated by Russian humorists, the toughness of Chelyabinsk muzhiks [colloquial for ‘men’] simply pales in comparison with the frankly harsh reality that is the life of the defenders of “Dombas.”

These fearless knights of “wall-to-wall” crusades with iron bars stuck up their sleeves back in the long-gone 90’s, are now forced to leave their usual habitats near pubs and take up important posts protecting public order from themselves as subjects of self-proclaimed republics. However, their valiant service at block-posts, in anticipation of raids by “Banderites” and “Right Sector scum,” has had no effect on their clouded minds, corroded by Russian propaganda, synthetic dope, and surrogate alcohol. Especially since all three of these ingredients are supplied to the block-posts in abundance.

…Shkrek, king of local dives and diners, was behind the wheel of his dad’s old car, not too bothered by the slight tremor in his hands. The new “people’s” government is nothing like the “Kyiv junta.” After getting the sack at the local police for being overly enthusiastic in his one-man effort to make alcohol extinct, Shkrek became a respected man again when he received a gun and a position in the local “self-defense” from the hands of the “people’s governor.”

Less than a kilometer left to the place of duty–a block-post on a highway in the direction of the capital. Up ahead, a big board displayed a heartwarming call, “Everyone to the Referendum.” Driving by, the new “dombas” big shot, saw–for the first time ever–the smaller text underneath, saying, “to join the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.”

A Right Sector provocation! Kolomoysky [governor of the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast] goes on the offensive!“–Shkrek’s brain declared. Emergency braking–and two Molotov cocktails are flung at the big board. Just to be sure.

The unusual commotion in a relatively quiet place caught the attention of a heavily boozing barbeque party, in a glade barely a hundred meters away from the big board. A sacred shrine on fire? Clearly the work of Right Sector scum! And it looks like the boldest of them is standing right under the big board! The first blow landed on Shkrek’s jaw a mere minute after his Molotov cocktail attack. Leaving the obvious Right Sector scum provocateur prone on the asphalt, the real “Dombas” patriots went to trash his car.

The weird racket by the commander’s car did not go unnoticed at the block-post–thanks to Nyasha, the ever-vigilant junkie watchdog. Every man able to move his feet abandoned the western frontier of “Dombas” and followed the ex-boxer Nyasha, who rushed towards the big board shouting, “Right Sector scum in town!”

In this glorious combat between the “self-defense” and the kebab-lovers, lives could have been lost. Chances are, the only survivors would be those who remembered the tactics of the bad old 90’s and the wall-to-wall fights of those days. Both the defenders and simple “Dombas” patriots have Shkrek to thank for their continued survival. Forcing open his swollen eye with difficulty, the former cop and now, a man of influence, recognized familiar faces on both sides, and heard the tell-tale battle cry of “Death to Right Sector scum!”

A couple of missing front teeth did not impair the local “self-defense” leader’s authoritative baritone. The barely legible “stop this f…ing now!” distracted the creators of the bright future of “Dombas” from their scuffle. Shkrek was lifted to his feet and dusted off, they listened to the story of his fight against the Right Sector scum. Soulful words about “f…ing mix-up” kept echoing around the barbeque for a while. Nyasha made two vodka runs back to the block post, while also making sure that “Dombas” is under lock and key, and no Right Sector scum will pass.

The following day, the only working plant in the city was stopped, with six shots fired from a grenade launcher. The reason being, it was owned by [Ihor] Kolomoyskyi, the biggest “Right Sector scum” there is. This puts a whole new spin on “our thanks to the people of Donbas…” [reference to a football chant popular in 2011-2012: “our thanks to the people of Donbas for our faggot of a President.”]

Based on a real story told by emissaries of the Information Resistance group.

Source: sprotyv.info

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People in Donbas are being kidnapped by the “Russian Orthodox army”

05.21.2014  07:40  censor.net.ua
Translated and edited by Voices of Ukraine

People in Donbas are being kidnapped by the “Russian Orthodox army” –said Parubiy’s adviser, a former prisoner of terrorists.

Kidnapping in Donbas [a general name for Donetsk and Luhansk regions] is directed by the Donetsk branch of “Oplot” [a criminal organization], which has separated from the Kharkiv “Oplot” branch some time ago and now call themselves the “Russian Orthodox army.”

This was said in the “Glavcom.ua” interview with NSDC [National Security Defense Council] Secretary Council advisor, a former policeman and a sotnyk [a man in charge of a military unit – sotnya] of the 28th Sotnya of Maidan Self-Defence Nikolay Yakubovich [reposted by “censor.net”].

Nikolay Yakubovich

Nikolay Yakubovich

“On the 1st of May in Makiivka [city in Donetsk region] an activist from “Batkivshchyna” [“Fatherland” Ukrainian political party], who worked in the election headquarters was kidnapped. I heard about it from friends and decided to help. I drove to the local administration, talked with the militants. I said that this man did nothing wrong to them, tried to make sure that this guy would be released. However, nothing came of it. The next day this guy called me, said he was being released. I sat in the car, went to meet him at the appointed place, just wanted to talk about what happened. When I arrived, I was immediately surrounded by a group of men with guns. Of course, I never thought that I would be captured. The people who held me named themselves the “Russian Orthodox army” –said Yakubovich.

According to him, it is the Donetsk branch of “Oplot,” which has separated from the Kharkiv “Oplot” branch some time ago and now call themselves the “Russian Orthodox army.”

“They have about 100 activists. There is no single leader. Mostly they are Ukrainians. At least, I have not seen any foreigners among them. One of the activists is a resident of Krasnoarmiysk [city in Donetsk region], nicknamed Mongol, whose identity is now being traced. There are many former soldiers in their ranks who were mercenaries in the Russian army, fought in Chechnya and Transnistria, –said Yakubovich. They asked me why I was driving to a meeting, what information I needed.”

Yakubovich was beaten several times, transported from place to place, but after 4 days he was released by being traded for one of the terrorists.

“My liberation can be explained by a set of factors, starting from interactions at the NSDC and Self-Defense level, and ending up with interested people in the camp of militants who agreed to the exchange” –Yakubovich explained.

Source: censor.net.ua

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Ukrainian Vs Russian: The Ban That Never Was

chornajuravka's avatarEuromaidan PR

ukrainian-language-300x199Oleksiy Stolyarenko, a lawyer from XXX, offers some insights into the Ukrainian language law and why it has been so misunderstood. Opinions aside, Stolyarenko lays out what is actually written in Ukrainian law.

One of the first ‘scandals’ that beset Kyiv after the dust had settled from the departure of Viktor Yanukovych was with regard to what has widely been called a ‘ban on the Russian language.’ Opinions on this supposed ‘ban’ have been many and loud, but most of the people who have raised the language issue not only are not legal specialists, they have not even read the actual laws involved.

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DMITRY TYMCHUK: Regarding the armed fight involving the Donbas Battalion on May 23 near Karlivka

Dmitry Tymchuk, Coordinator, Information Resistance

05.24.2014
Translated and edited by Voices of Ukraine

information_resistance_logo_engUsing different sources and having coordinated the information received with the leadership of the Donbas Battalion, we, the Information Resistance group, have reconstructed the chain of events that received a great public outcry.

[Here’s the chain of events] in general, omitting the details.

10 to 15 minutes after the start of the military engagement, the personnel of the Donbas Battalion realized that it was in a carefully organized ambush. The locations of enemy firing positions were carefully considered, the sniper work indicated their high level of professional training.

The high level of organization of the ambush in an area where the activity of the ATO forces had not been noted before, suggests that the terrorists received information about the movement of the Donbas Battalion in advance.

Shortly after the start of the fight, the terrorist reinforcement arrived. According to our data, a little earlier a motorcade with armed men (judging by appearance–from the Caucasus) left Donetsk and moved towards the scene.

Reinforcements were armed with assault rifles of the AK-100 series (which is in service with the Russian army, while the Armed Forces of Ukraine and other legitimate armed forces of Ukraine do not have such weapons) and PK machine guns, at least one of them has been identified as a NSV-12.7 caliber heavy machine gun “the Rock.” Terrorists also used RGN grenades with a fuse (intermediary detonator) DPU (“shock remote fuse”)–which are used by the Russian army.

Appeals from the Donbas Battalion to the ATO leadership didn’t bring any results. There were promises to send the armored vehicles and rescue aircraft, but ultimately no assistance was given.

Also (this includes our efforts) the commanders of almost all the law enforcement agencies were informed about the events occurring near Karlivka, which participated in the ATO. It likewise, had no effect.

At the same time, we have evidence that one of the units of the Armed Forces in the area of ​​the ATO team received orders to advance towards Karlivka and assist the Donbas Battalion. For unknown reasons, this order wasn’t carried out. Currently, we are carefully checking this information.

Ultimately, the Donbas Battalion fought in a battle that lasted 4.5 hours, alone. The personnel of the Battalion suffered casualties. Battalion fighters have identified that at least 15 terrorists were destroyed.

According to available information, the Battalion left the environs on its own: without any outside help received–either from the ATO forces, or from other forces.

Source: Dmitry Tymchuk FB

 

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