[Winnipegger]

Canada produces natural gas. There are ships to transport Liquefied Natural Gas. Does Ukraine have a sea port that could receive natural gas? Would a European country transport natural gas from one of their sea ports to Ukraine? Business will do anything for enough money.

[PostFactum]

Winnipegger Winnipegger:

Canada produces natural gas. There are ships to transport Liquefied Natural Gas. Does Ukraine have a sea port that could receive natural gas? Would a European country transport natural gas from one of their sea ports to Ukraine? Business will do anything for enough money.

The question is if we have and ready to pay this money.

[Winnipegger]

Ukrainian forces attack militant bases in renewed fighting

$1:

Ukrainian government forces launched air strikes and artillery assaults on pro-Russian separatists in eastern regions on Tuesday, a military spokesman said, after President Petro Poroshenko announced he would not renew a ceasefire.

[cabrio]

Winnipegger Winnipegger:

Canada produces natural gas. There are ships to transport Liquefied Natural Gas. Does Ukraine have a sea port that could receive natural gas? Would a European country transport natural gas from one of their sea ports to Ukraine? Business will do anything for enough money.

A couple of years ago there was a project of Liquified Gas Terminal which had to be built at one of Ukrainian ports. But no contract between investors and Ukrainian government was signed.
So what Ukraine have at the moment is a pipe from Russia and reverse supply from EU.

As for Dobass people, there is no way to win their hearts for Ukrainian government. They all live in Matrix called Donetsk people's republic. Even when Ukraine's army will take control of the whole east territory and peaceful life will come again to cities, they still will blaim Ukraine and it's army for all their disasters.

As for Mr.Putin... He is a real HUILO! La-la-la-la-la-la

[Winnipegger]

Saturday, July 5, National Post: Ukraine calls capture of key pro-Russian rebel stronghold ‘start of a turning point’

Also July 5, National Post: NATO, wary of testing a newly aggressive Russia, decides against expansion

Today, July 7, BBC: Ukraine says forces retake two more rebel-held cities

From the Russia perspective, RT has a number of articles: Ukraine -- RT Tags

[DrCaleb]

$1:

Ukraine: 3 bridges blown up in bid to slow assault on Donetsk
Separatist fighters driven out of other eastern towns have regrouped in rebel-held

Three bridges on key roads leading into the Ukrainian city of Donetsk were blown up Monday — an apparent attempt to slow down any possible assault by government forces on the rebel-held stronghold.

Separatist fighters driven out of Slovyansk and other eastern towns by the Ukrainian army over the weekend had regrouped in Donetsk, a city of one million where pro-Russia rebels have declared independence as the Donetsk People's Republic. Pavel Gubarev, the region's self-described governor, had promised "real partisan war around the whole perimeter of Donetsk" before thousands of supporters at a rally Sunday.

It was not exactly clear who blew up the highway and train bridges Monday, but their destruction would most benefit the rebels. Battles between Ukrainian forces and pro-Russia separatists have left over 400 people dead and thousands homeless since they began in early April.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/ukraine-3- ... -1.2698801

[DrCaleb]

$1:

Ukraine says no more unilateral ceasefires
Ukraine will only negotiate with the rebels once they lay down their arms, Kiev's defence minister has said.

"There will be no more unilateral ceasefires" by Ukrainian troops, Valeriy Heletey said in a statement posted on the ministry's website.

He was speaking after separatists fled their eastern strongholds and regrouped in the regional centre of Donetsk.

Ukrainian forces recaptured several cities after President Petro Poroshenko brought an end to a 10-day ceasefire.

He has since ordered the army to blockade the insurgents inside the two cities of Donetsk and Luhansk. On Tuesday he named a new head of the military operation, Vasyl Grytsak.

Mr Poroshenko had promised ceasefire talks no later than last Saturday, but that was before the series of recent military successes.

The latest ceasefire expired at the end of June and failed to lead to any negotiated settlement.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-28209182

[PostFactum]

For today.

[Winnipegger]

I find it very sad that Ukraine has to capture these cities with military force. That's not how to build a stable country. The Soviet Union was built by capturing neighbouring countries, and annexing them. It's economy collapsed due to military overspending. Mikhail Gorbachev tried to turn it into a peaceful country rather than occupation; and thus reduce the expense of military. The result was annexed republics quickly succeeded. Even Canada had trouble with separatists. Canada was founded by French politicians from Quebec and English politicians from Ontario. They convinced colonies that hadn't joined the United States to join them in founding Canada. But French separatists still remember losing the battle of the Plains of Abraham, even though that was 1759. Canada was founded in 1867, so that was long before. Capturing Donbass with military force will cause trouble for generations to come.

But I don't see any other way. I already gave my advice. Mr. Poroshenko already tried a "Play for public".

[DrCaleb]

$1:

Russia 'abducts and charges glamorous Ukrainian pilot with involvement in the murder of two Moscow journalists'

Russia abducted a glamorous Ukrainian military pilot before charging her with involvement in the 'murder' of two Moscow journalists, Kiev claimed yesterday.

Nadiya Savchenko, 31, was seized inside Ukraine and smuggled across the border for prosecution, alleged the country's Foreign Ministry in the latest dispute between the ex-Soviet countries.

She has been charged in connection with the deaths of journalists Igor Kornelyuk and Anton Voloshin, from state television channel Rossiya.

The pair were killed on June 18 after being hit with shrapnel during an attack by Ukrainian forces near the city of Lugansk.

The Moscow Investigative Committee, the equivalent of America's FBI, said Savchenko was detained after posing as a refugee on the frontier without any identity documents.

'Having gained the coordinates of a group of Russian journalists and other civilians near Lugansk, Savchenko passed them on to the combatants,' it said.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... paign=1490

[Winnipegger]

Ok. Time for recommendations. I would like to see the Ukrainian military take control of rebel held areas. But do so by capturing and arresting armed rebels, rather than killing them. But emphasize "would like to see", that's hard to do when rebels have tanks, grenade launchers, and MANPADS.

Tactics are key. Find a way to capture entire units of rebels, without a shot fired. Again, not easy. Especially when you're fighting against trained troops. Didn't Ukraine have mandatory military training until October 2013?

Russia likes to brag about capturing Crimea without death. They will criticise any use of heavy weapons by Ukrainian troops against rebels, ignoring the same weapons used by rebels themselves. More importantly, dead rebels will be treated as martyrs by Donbass for generations to come. So make every effort to avoid death.

[DrCaleb]

Winnipegger Winnipegger:

Ok. Time for recommendations. I would like to see the Ukrainian military take control of rebel held areas. But do so by capturing and arresting armed rebels, rather than killing them. But emphasize "would like to see", that's hard to do when rebels have tanks, grenade launchers, and MANPADS.

Tactics are key. Find a way to capture entire units of rebels, without a shot fired. Again, not easy. Especially when you're fighting against trained troops. Didn't Ukraine have mandatory military training until October 2013?

Russia likes to brag about capturing Crimea without death. They will criticise any use of heavy weapons by Ukrainian troops against rebels, ignoring the same weapons used by rebels themselves. More importantly, dead rebels will be treated as martyrs by Donbass for generations to come. So make every effort to avoid death.

I agree, avoid martyrs. But to do that, they need to send in police, not the army. Armies are for killing, Police are for arresting. (Unless you're in L.A.)

[Winnipegger]

DrCaleb DrCaleb:

I agree, avoid martyrs. But to do that, they need to send in police, not the army. Armies are for killing, Police are for arresting. (Unless you're in L.A.)

Ukraine tried that. I think they're far beyond police. But look at how Russia did it in Crimea. They used full force of Russia troops in Crimea, surrounded one Ukrainian military base at a time, and told Ukrainian troops they had 3 options: surrender, defect, or die. Learn from that, use Russian tactics on the rebels. Use the full force of Ukrainian military, surround one unit of rebels at a time, tell them to surrender or die. It's too late for a rebel to "defect". But when combat is necessary, don't slaughter them, capture as many as possible. Don't use mortars or artillery, but when force is necessary use Ukrainian troops to storm a rebel held position, backed by snipers to take out rebels with heavy artillery (rocket propelled grenade, heavy machine gun, MANPADS).

Here I am talking tactics. I'm sure there are Canadian veterans here who know a lot more than I.

[Canadian_Mind]

Winnipegger Winnipegger:

DrCaleb DrCaleb:

I agree, avoid martyrs. But to do that, they need to send in police, not the army. Armies are for killing, Police are for arresting. (Unless you're in L.A.)

Ukraine tried that. I think they're far beyond police. But look at how Russia did it in Crimea. They used full force of Russia troops in Crimea, surrounded one Ukrainian military base at a time, and told Ukrainian troops they had 3 options: surrender, defect, or die. Learn from that, use Russian tactics on the rebels. Use the full force of Ukrainian military, surround one unit of rebels at a time, tell them to surrender or die. It's too late for a rebel to "defect". But when combat is necessary, don't slaughter them, capture as many as possible. Don't use mortars or artillery, but when force is necessary use Ukrainian troops to storm a rebel held position, backed by snipers to take out rebels with heavy artillery (rocket propelled grenade, heavy machine gun, MANPADS).

Here I am talking tactics. I'm sure there are Canadian veterans here who know a lot more than I.

The ukrainian military is doing just what you suggested. Issue is that rebel positions are fluid. There are no rigid walls to surround. it's much tougher to get people into a "do or die" situation like that when there are more avenues for escape.

[DrCaleb]

$1:

Ukraine crisis: Separatists frustrated Russian support for insurgency dwindles

Deep strains emerged Thursday in the ranks of Ukraine's pro-Moscow insurgents as dozens turned in their weapons in disgust at Russian inaction and bickering broke out between rebel factions.

In the past two weeks, Ukrainian government troops have halved the amount of territory held by the rebels and have grown better equipped and more confident by the day. Once fearful of losing further pieces of Ukraine to Russia, they have shifted their strategy to containing the insurgents, whose pleas to join Russia have been ignored by President Vladimir Putin.

Pushed back into Ukraine's eastern industrial city of Donetsk, the pro-Russia militias appear to be focusing their efforts now on hit-and-run operations, bombing transportation links and bracing for more assaults from government forces.

'Russia abandoned us. The leadership is bickering. They promise us money but don't pay it. What's the point of fighting?'- Oleg, Ukrainian miner turned pro-Russian rebel

Signs of a rift within the rebellion became evident Thursday when the head of the influential Vostok battalion announced he would not submit to the authority of the military leader of the separatist Donetsk People's Republic, Igor Girkin.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/ukraine-cr ... -1.2703505