Ukraine
hosts military drills led by US and joined by NATO
15
September, 2014
A
total of 1,300 troops from 15 nations, either active NATO members or
would-be members, have come together for a military exercise in
western Ukraine – even as the fragile truce in the east of the
country barely holds.
NATO
members start supplying weapons to Kiev – Ukrainian Defense
Minister
The
exercise, code-named “Rapid Trident” has been an annual event
since 2006, and has been organized by the Germany-based US European
Command (EUCOM). It was initially planned to have this year’s
drills in mid-July, but they were postponed because of heavy fighting
in eastern Ukraine.
“This
year’s exercise will involve command post exercises, patrolling,
counter-IED training and a field training exercise,” the EUCOM
Public Affairs Office said in a statement. It adds that “no live
fire exercises” have been scheduled for the drills
The
exercise is being conducted near Yavoriv, 60 kilometers from the city
of Lvov in north-western Ukraine, at the International Peacekeeping
and Security Center (IPSC)
Image from maps.google.com
The
US earlier pledged to send 200 troops to take part in the exercise.
US
prepares military drill in W. Ukraine for mid-September
Earlier
in September, Ukrainian and American naval forces held joint maritime
drills in the northwestern part of the Black Sea.
The
Russian Black Sea fleet simultaneously tested its new-generation
Bastion coastal defense system, saying the test was pre-scheduled and
was not a response to the US-Ukraine drills in the Black Sea.
Moscow
has been particularly sensitive about NATO’s increased activity in
Eastern Europe and has been thinking of reviewing its military
doctrine due to this new situation.
Russia
to adjust military doctrine due to NATO expansion, Ukraine crisis
Eastern
Ukraine has meanwhile seen the fragile ceasefire there being put to a
serious test on Sunday, when the city of Donetsk witnessed some heavy
shelling.
A
crew from RT’s video agency Ruptly working on the outskirts of
Donetsk witnessed an episode when a family was forced to run for
shelter to escape shelling.
Russia
to boost Crimea troop numbers, worries over military build-up at
borders
15
September, 2014
Russia
is going to increase its military presence on the Crimean Peninsula
as “the situation in Ukraine has escalated sharply,” Russian
Defense Minister announced.
The
plan released by Sergey Shoigu is due to the increased “presence of
foreign military” in “the immediate vicinity” of Russia’s
borders.
"The
deployment of proper and self-sufficient forces in the direction of
Crimea is one of [our] top priorities,"
he said.
“The
military-political situation in the southwestern strategic direction
has changed significantly since the beginning of the current year.
This is largely due to the expansion of the territory of [Russia’s]
Southern Military District after Crimea joined Russia,”
Shoigu said.
The
Russian Defense Ministry will also consider setting up technical
missile bases in “each military district.”
"We
will discuss proposals to create missile technical bases in each
military district. The creation of more autonomous units of storage
and transportation [of missiles] will allow us to fully use missile
military units when they are used in different operating directions
and at a considerable distance from each other,"Shoigu
said.
Russia's military districts: Blue -
West, Green - Center, Orange - East, Brown - South (Updated image
from wikipedia.org now shows Crimea as part of South Military
District)
In
response to the Russian Defense Ministry’s announcement, NATO
warned that any increase in Russian troops in the Crimea region “will
further undermine the ceasefire currently in place,” Reuters
said, citing the alliance’s spokesperson.
"We
have seen reports that Russia intends to increase its troop presence
in Crimea. Such a move can only increase tensions and it will further
undermine the ceasefire currently in place as well as the security of
the region, which Russian actions have gravely eroded," NATO
spokeswoman Oana Lungescu told the news agency.
Ukraine
is currently hosting military drills code-named “Rapid
Trident” that
involves a total of 1,300 troops from 15 nations, either active NATO
members or would-be members.
Earlier
NATO announced its plans to expand to Eastern Europe, specifically
the three Baltic states – Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. The
alliance also said it is working towards the creation of an
expeditionaryforce composed
of 10,000 troops from seven different member states.
Russia
has warned that NATO’s progress towards the east and Ukraine, which
the military bloc sees as a potential member, will trigger a strong
reaction.
In
July, Putin said that the alliance’s military build-up near
Russia’s borders, which includes a US-built missile defense system,
is not just for defensive purposes, but is an “offensive
weapon” and
an “element
of the US offensive system deployed outside the mainland.”
Tires
on fire: Right Sector rallying in Kiev as govt votes for political
purging
15
September, 2014
A
rally outside the Ukrainian Parliament building has turned violent as
activists set tires on fire. Meanwhile, MPs have adopted a law that
bans the closest allies of Ukraine’s deposed President Yanukovich
from politics.
Dozens
of hooded people gathered outside the parliament in Kiev shouting
"Lustration!"
Police
were forced to cordon off the building as the protesters rallying for
Yanukovich-era officials to be removed from their posts put tires on
fire, set off several fireworks and pelted eggs at the law enforcers
The
thick smoke and heat made the police retreat somewhat. Live streams
from the scene showed several people were detained and one person
taken away by a medic te
Protesters burn tyres outside the Ukrainian Parliament on September 16, 2014. (AFP Photo / Yuriy Kirnichny)
At
least three people, two civilians and a National Guard soldier, have
sustained “traumas of varying degrees of severity,” Kiev police
said later in an official statement.
As
the law was adopted, the crowd cheered and applauded.
The
so-called lustration bill has been supported by 231 members of
parliament - the minimum required is 226 votes - during the second
and the last reading. If signed into law by President Petro
Poroshenko, MPs who worked under Viktor Yanukovich will be forced to
leave the parliament and will be permanently banned from occupying
seats.
Верховна Рада проголосувала ЗА закон "Про очищення влади" - люстрації бути!
Ukraine
has not previously employed lustration. The bill was earlier adopted
in the first reading in mid-August. The bill’s authors propose
checking candidates for government positions before appointment.
“Under
the bill, those who failed the check are those who held office
between February 25, 2010 and February 22, 2014. In particular,
Ukraine's president, prime minister, first deputy prime minister,
vice prime ministers of Ukraine, ministers, heads of the security
service, the General Prosecutor's office, and national Bank,” the
draft law reads.
The
law, MPs said, would revive people’s trust in the government
Protesters burn tyres outside the Ukrainian Parliament on September 16, 2014. (AFP Photo / Yuriy Kirnichny)
Ukraine
Currency Crashes To Record Low As IMF Blasts "Gross Abuses"
15
September, 2014
Despite
celebrations of de-escalations and truce in US equity markets (by
asset-gathering commission-takers), the situation continues to go
from bad to worse in the nation almost forgotten now that ISIS is
stealing American headlines. The
Hryvnia plunged 7.5% this morning - its biggest single-day drop on
record - following the release of a scathing IMF
letter and devaluation warnings from BofA. The IMF blasted Ukraine's
"premature emission of extra money," and demanded
it "immediately
halt these gross abuses," as BofA warns of
risk of "10-20% devaluation" in the next year is high
given reserves are at
a "critical level."
UAH
plunges 7.5% to record lows this morning...
As
far as the truce is concerned,
we leave it to Bloomberg's Richard Breslow to explain the idiocy...
For
a truce that people keep celebrating -- the 11th day -- there
seem to be a lot of people still dying, troops moving around, still
questions about more sanctions, ultimate effects on Russia eco, the
local markets look quite ill.
Russia
itself has put out dire f/casts, growth down 3%-4% and recession;
RUB
made yet another all-time low, seems to have
quieted, Micex is up, hryvnia getting pole-axed
Additionally Luhansk
Rebels Would Like to Switch to Ruble,
RIA Says
Self-proclaimed
Luhansk People’s Republic hopes it won’t have to use Ukraine’s
hryvnia much longer, RIA Novosti reports, citing republic’s leader
Igor Plotnitskiy.
Plotnitskiy
says political issues complicate matter, though he doesn’t expect
hryvnia to be used for much longer: RIA
Luhansk
still must resolve many economic, financial issues, including
development of banking system: RIA
Which
likely confirms
BofA's warning of the potential for a Hyrvnia devaluation...
Central
bank may have to further deplete FX reserves, now near “critical
level” of $15b, Bank
of America Merrill Lynch economist Vadim Khramov says in report
Natural
gas purchases for winter to widen current-account deficit: Khramov
“We
see risks of 10%-20% hryvnia devaluation from the current level
within a year":
Khramov
*
* *
But
apart from that, everything is under control in Ukraine. Given the
extent to which the UAH is falling and the strong language from the
IMF, one could be mistaken for thinking the USA is pushing for
another leader to be put in place once again...
Germany
and France consider sending drones to Ukraine
15
September, 2014
German soldiers stand behund an unmanned Luna reconnaissance drones (Reuters
German
drones may soon be flying over Ukraine as part of the OSCE mission to
monitor the truce between Kiev forces and militia fighters. The
German Defense Ministry has sent a team to southeastern Ukraine.
France is also considering sending drones.
The
ministry announced its readiness to fulfill the OSCE’s request in
an official statement published on Bundeswehr’s (Germany’s armed
forces) website.
On Tuesday, a team of 14 UAV (unmanned
aerial vehicles) experts from Germany arrived to Ukraine, along with
French colleagues. They are examining the area near an uncontested
site near the rebel-held city of Lugansk.
Over the next
three to five days, logistical, technical, and medical staff will
analyze the conditions and determine whether Germany – and possibly
France – will be able to deliver drones to the region.
“Based
on the results of the reconnaissance mission it will then be
considered whether and in what form Germany and France could
participate in a support mission for the OSCE, subject to political
support,”the
German military said.
Schiebel's unmanned aerial vehicle
Camcopter S-100 (AFP Photo/ HO / Schiebel)
If
a green light is given for deployment, Germany will send Luna
reconnaissance drones. The drones are capable of flying at an
altitude of up to 5,000 meters (16,000 feet) for six hours. They are
only 2.36 meters (7.74 feet) long and weigh 40 kilograms (88 pounds),
and can deliver video and still images to a ground station in real
time.
On September 13, Ukrainian President Petro
Poroshenko officially authorized the OSCE mission to deploy drones.
The OSCE then called on its partners to join the mission.
Austria
has offered its Schiebel Camcopter S-100 drones, which can fly for
six hours at a height of up to 5,500 meters (18,000 feet), at a speed
of 220 km/h (136 mph). The drones will enable observers to easily
monitor troop and civilian movements in contested areas and along the
border.
The idea of monitoring the border with UAVs was
earlier welcomed by Moscow, which insisted on stationing OSCE
monitors at Russian checkpoints back in July.
On
September 5, Kiev and members of self-proclaimed republics in Donbas
agreed to a ceasefire during talks in Minsk. The peace plan, based on
Russian President Vladimir Putin's proposals, calls for an “all
to all” prisoners
of war exchange, hardware withdrawal, and humanitarian aid access to
the area.
The two sides in Ukraine have vowed not to use
military force unless the opposing side violates conditions of the
truce.
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