As pre-announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin Saturday, Russian troops have begun relocating to designated areas, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense Sunday. The statements of the Russian Ministry of Defense on the massive redeployment were reported by RIA Novosti. “In the process of checking the combat readiness of troops… the military units have started large-scale relocation to designated areas,” said the Russian Ministry of Defense. In particular, tank and anti-aircraft missiles were loaded onto railway platforms, airborne units were moved to airfields, and some military units were moved. Putin had announced his intentions to redeploy the units Saturday
Russia
Massive Russian Forces Redeployment Started
Russia Moves Tanks Across Border, Pro-Russian Forces Shoot Down Second Ukrainian Carrier, EU Invites Russia to EU-Ukraine Trade Agreement Talks
One day after Russian tanks crossed the Russia-Ukraine border, the EU invited Russia to participate in EU-Ukraine trade agreement talks. The EU continues to include Russia in efforts toward peace in Ukraine, despite the continued violence of pro-Russian fighters in Ukraine, who, according to the Ukrainian government, the US government, NATO, the EU and others, are aided by Russia–allegations which, although supported by proof, Russia continues to deny. EU president Herman Van Rompuy made strong statements Saturday on Russia’s involvement in Ukraine. On Saturday, Van Rompuy said, “There is … no doubt that the armed fighters that are terrorizing and
Approximately 200 Russian Army Vehicles Reported Moving Toward Ukraine Border
[Updated, but still ongoing. More details will be added.] A column of Russian military equipment, composed of perhaps 200 peices, has been videoed moving toward the Ukrainian border. The video shows 16 loader trucks carrying tanks. The column is reportedly moving toward the Dolzhansky crossing. These reports have not been officially verified. Information is being written as it is becomes available. [Update: the reports have now published in Podrobnosti, and is being reported on by several Western outlets.] Reports are also coming in from djp3tros and other sources on Twitter. Russia Has Sent Tanks Into Ukraine, Says US State Department Earlier Sunday, NATO released images it said showed Russian tanks
Long Dismissed, BRICS Beginning to Grab Attention as Serious Competitor to G7, World Bank and IMF
The BRICS alliance is considered to have been largely dismissed by Western players in recent years, but, with new developments, including this years Russian aggression in Ukraine and recent trade and banking agreements and talks among the BRICS community, analysts are beginning to look at BRICS as a potentially historic challenge to a global order that has been in place since World War II. Russia lost its welcome in the G8 and saw economic sanctions imposed on it by much of the Western world due to its illegal annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea and more recent continued military aggression in Eastern
Investigation on Current Russian Information War Finds Will Not Be Successful Against Western Minds
In a recent report on the current Russian propaganda “netwar” being waged against non-Russia minds, the Center for Eastern Studies (OSW) found that Russia is actively carrying out organized campaigns to convince non-Russians that Russia is justified in its recent actions–particularly with regard to Crimea and greater Ukraine–but, the report found, the Russian info-war will likely not be successful outside of the Russian-speaking world where people are “less receptive to Russian disinformation.” The report, entitled “The Anatomy of Russian Information Warfare; the Crimean Operation, a Case Study,” was written by the Centre for Eastern Studies’ Jolanta Darczewska. “The Crimean operation
Russia Has Sent Tanks Into Ukraine, Says US State Department
According to the US State Department, Russia has sent tanks, heavy weapons and rocket launchers into Ukraine over the past days, in order to support pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine, confirming statements recently provided by Ukrainian media sources. The State Department said there was video proof. “We assess that separatists in eastern Ukraine have acquired heavy weapons and military equipment from Russia, including Russian tanks and multiple rocket launchers,” said US State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf in a statement Friday. Three T-64 tanks, several MB-21 “or Grad” multiple rocket launchers, as well as military vehicles crossed into Ukraine from Russia in recent days, Harf said.
UN Security Council and UN General Assembly Now Led by Two Countries Condemned Strongly by UN for Passing Strict Anti-Gay Laws, Threatening Human Rights, With Elections of Kutesa and Churkin
Russia took over the chairmanship of the UN Security Council (UNSC) June 1, and Ugandan Minister of Foreign Affairs Sam Kutesa took over the Presidency of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) June 11. One of these nations is currently at the top of world headlines for aggression in Ukraine, and both have recently made headlines for passing strict anti-gay legislation–in contravention of and threatening the guarantees of the UN Charter of Rights and Freedoms, according to top UN representatives. When Russia passed anti-gay laws before the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, the UN took several measures to condemn the laws. “The United Nations
Ukraine Annexed Crimea, Not Russia, States Russian Parliament Speaker
Russian parliamentary speaker and former Historical Truth Commission Chairman Sergei Naryshkin has made statements asserting that it was Ukraine–not Russia–that actually annexed Crimea, citing a 1991 Crimean referendum as evidence. Naryshkin made his statements to the Russian parliament Wednesday. RIA Novosti quotes Duma Speaker Sergei Naryshkin, “Back in January 1991, the Crimean region held a referendum, which disputed the transfer of Crimea to Ukraine. The vote for this was 93 percent with a turnout of 81 percent. Essentially, then, it was 23 years ago that the annexation of Crimea was made–though peaceful–but it was really annexation.” Naryshkin said that the Ukrainian annexation
