I have been sitting on close to a dozen
videos describing the massive damage in military equipment in the the latest
separatist surge.
For a description, but no videos, please see Debaltsevsky
Under Rebel Control, Boiler Remains; What's Next?
I saw no need to post videos because to me it was pretty obvious this was a
repeat of the to the devastating defeat of Ukraine last August in the Battle of Ilovaisk
in which Ukrainain forces refused an offer to exit encirclement by leaving
behind equipment.
Ukraine Lie of the Day
Today Ukrainian "Antiterrorist Operation" spokesman Andrei Lysenko
says Since
2015 Ukraine Destroyed Nearly 3,000 Militants.
I have no idea how many separatists were killed, but the rest of the claim in
the body of the article is preposterous.
"According to operational information and data
provided by our scouts, since the beginning of 2015, in Debaltsevo area, the
Ukrainian military killed 2,911 militants and Russian military. More than 40
tanks, 30 armored combat vehicles, about 30 multiple rocket launchers."
In addition, since the establishment of the cease-fire, that is, from
February 15, we neutralized 868 militants, 8 tanks, 11 armored combat
vehicles and four multiple rocket launchers.
Tour of Carnage
Does anyone in Ukraine or elsewhere believe this horse hockey? If 3,000
rebels are dead, can we have some images? What about images of tanks
destroyed? Images of anything? If there were destroyed separatist tanks,
satellites would pick that up.
Let's take a brief tour. Here is a short 1:32 video showing a destroyed tank,
captured equipment and a Nazi helmet.
Link if video does not play: On
the former APU Position we Found a German Helmet with Swastika. That
video may have an annoying 15-second ad.
Here is a 4:16 video showing whose title translates as Ukrainian
Media Officer and Recon Team Meets Fate in Debaltsevo.
Tank Battle Video
Here is an 11:28 video that describes "Details of the Tank Battle on the
Night of February 18"
This video starts out slow. You may wish to fast forward to the 2-minute
mark. It does not get really interesting until the four minute mark when you
see more destroyed Ukrainian tanks and other equipment. You also see captured
stockpiles of weapons. The heart of the video is the 4 to six minute mark but
more destroyed vehicles around the 7 minute mark and another destroyed tank
towards the end.
Abandoned Tanks
Let's assume for a second the Ukrainian forces managed to destroy a tank or
two. If it pleases you, assume three.
Check out this video of abandoned Ukrainian tanks, other vehicles, and
rockets.
The announcer at the beginning ends in about 15 seconds. Some of the footage
repeats but around the 3:00 minute mark or so it gets interesting for a
second time. The video shows an entire Ukrainian army camp abandoned.
No doubt the soldiers wanted to escape on foot with their lives. Again some
of the footage repeats so it's difficult to tell how many times and many
angles some of the same equipment appears.
Regardless, we can say the separatists captured many "trophies"
captured.
Link if video does not play: Brigade
"Ghost" Took Novogrigorovku Towards Artemovskii
I have many more of these, from many locations, some showing gruesome bodies.
It's as if Andrei Lysenko is describing Ukrainian losses not separatist
losses.
Jacob Dreizin comments ...
Politicians and generals in Kiev have been making up
statistics on rebel casualties and "Russian tanks crossing the
border" (and denying their own losses) since day one. However,
it's clear now that the Anglo-American press is finally wising up to this.
Although they are not yet wise enough to attempt an aggregate total for
Ukrainian KIA to date. I estimate this at 6000 since April 2014 as an
absolute minimum. This is about 4-5 times higher than the
"official" tally from Kiev. That's my minimum estimate. I suspect
the real figure is 1000 or 2000 higher. This does not include those too
seriously wounded to ever return to frontline duty, which may be another 50%
of the total dead. In addition, Ukraine is prosecution of over 1,000
deserters. Those deserters must also be counted as troops lost. As for rebel
losses, I estimate 1/4 to 1/3 of the Ukrainian total.
Ukrainian equipment lost in the "Ilovaisk cauldron" and the various
mini-cauldrons last summer were replaced from mothballed Soviet-era stocks
and to a much lesser extent from new production.
I believe Kiev has finally hit the wall. Its stocks are nearly empty. There's
still enough ammo to fight for a few years, but in terms of equipment,
Ukraine no longer has anything to replace what it just lost around
Debaltsevo, let alone to seriously equip new units coming online.
So all of these new draftees they are now "mobilizing" will have to
fight on bicycles. Either that, or American tanks. Or, Kiev will need to ask
the rebels for a 3-year ceasefire while it produces enough new equipment from
its half-ruined factories. Take your pick.
"Prepare for
Full-Scale War"
Jacob's comment came in yesterday. Today we see this headline from Colonel
Cassad: Ukraine Deputy Foreign Minister Vadim Pristayko Says Ukraine
Prepared for "Full-Scale War."
According to Pristayko, Kiev "is no longer afraid to come into conflict
with a nuclear power".
Don't like Cassad? OK I have Canadian source. CBC News says Ukraine
preparing for 'full-scale war,' says former envoy to Canada.
An envoy to Canada is one thing, and a Deputy Foreign Minister is another.
Vadym Prystaiko is now Ukraine's deputy foreign ,minister. And he is begging
Canada for weapons.
Ukraine's deputy foreign minister says he is preparing for
"full-scale war" against Russia and wants Canada to help by
supplying lethal weapons and the training to use them.
In an interview with CBC Radio's The House airing Saturday, Prystaiko says
the ceasefire brokered by Germany and France was not holding.
"The biggest hub we ever had in the railroad is completely destroyed and
devastated," he told host Evan Solomon about Debaltseve, captured by
Russian-backed rebels after the terms were to have taken effect earlier this
week.
The former ambassador was in the room during the attempts to broker a
political solution with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Minsk.
"Personally I don't trust him," he says. "You look at him and
you think, 'Are you serious?'"
[Mish comment: And why the hell should anyone, including Ukrainian citizens
trust Ukraine president Petro Poroshenko. Poroshenko has lied about the
losses, the civilian casualties, amnesty, constitional reforms, and damn near
everything else. This does not condone Putin. It's a statement that lies are
not one sided.
"Nobody knows what is going on in his head. I believe he is becoming
very emotional [over the two countries' historic ties]," he suggests,
calling Putin's intentions "difficult to predict."
[Mish Comment: I do not pretend to know what is going on in Putin's head. But
what the F is going on in Poroshenko's head to not give a damn about
willingness to engage a nuclear power? And if anything it's easier to
ascertain Putin. He does not wnat NATO on his back porch anymore than Kennedy
wanted Russian missiles in Cuba.]
"We don't want to scare everybody, but we are preparing for full-scale
war."
What to do in the face of such a threat? For starters, get over your fears,
he says.
"What we expect from the world is that the world will stiffen up in the
spine a little," he says. "Everybody is afraid of fighting with a
nuclear state. We are not anymore, in Ukraine — we've lost so many people of
ours, we've lost so much of our territory.
[Mish comment: Prystaiko now begs Canada for weapons.] "We would like
Canada to send lethal weapons to Ukraine," he said. "Weapons to
allow us to defend ourselves."
Canada has been helping to train Ukrainian soldiers for the last decade, but
it isn't enough, he says. "It wasn't on the level that would help our
army [against an] invasion." Ukraine wants weapons, and training to use
them, he said.
Prepare for Full-Scale War - With What?
Why is Prystaiko begging Canada for weapons?
Because Ukraine is out of weapons. Ukraine losses masses of weapons last
summer in various cauldrons and were pounded again recently.
