Ukraine protests: Thousands march through capital
- over 100,000 by some counts
Ukrainian protesters besiege government building
Clashes amid huge Ukraine protest against U-turn on EU
Over 300,000 defy protest ban in Ukraine- "Fierce clashes erupt after protesters take to streets again, chanting "revolution" as anger against government grows."
What started as a protest against the decision not to sign an agreement with the EU seems to have escalated into a "Color Revolution" or "Arab Spring" style movement to force the government to resign. By some reports, the police are using violent tactics to suppress the street protests.
The Western half of the Ukraine has historically felt closer to Europe , and wants to move Ukrainian society in that direction. Eastern Ukraine feels culturally closer to Russia, and favors closer relations with that country. The current regime of President Viktor Yanukovich is part of that camp. The current confrontations can be seen as a clash between these two halves of Ukrainian society.
EDIT (2/24/2022)
This thread was originally opened in 2013 during the beginning of the revolt in Ukraine that eventually over-threw the dictatorship of the Yanukovyich regime and instituted democratic elections soon afterward. As of this writing, in the aftermath of the Russian invasion that began on 2/23, it is not clear whether or for how long Ukraine will continue to exist as an independent country.
Statements made nine years ago still seem relevant: "The Western half of the Ukraine has historically felt closer to Europe , and wants to move Ukrainian society in that direction. Eastern Ukraine feels culturally closer to Russia, and favors closer relations with that country... The current confrontations can be seen as a clash between these two halves of Ukrainian society." Some people have expressed the view that the confrontation between Russia and Ukraine, beginning in 2014, never really ended.
The invasion is also a result of certain grievances proclaimed by Vladimir Putin, the current President of Russia, and used by him as justification for armed attack and occupation. Western governments, and others around the world, have joined together in condemnation of this attack.
While we do not know what the ultimate outcome of these events will be, this thread will continue to be made available as a place to record news, ask questions and express opinions about the "Crisis in Ukraine."
This map will help track the latest developments.
Do not post anything about the Ukrainian military movement and strategy. This could actually result in casualties.
No discussion regarding nuclear war. As nuclear weapons are not being used by either side, nuclear war is off-topic.
When posting social media links, please (1) state the source [e.g. Reuters reporter? State-sponsored Facebook account? Civilian Twitter?] (2) clarify if it is fact or opinion and (3) summarize the information being presented.
Edited by Tabs on Mar 20th 2022 at 4:26:26 AM
According to that report, shrapnel damage was seen on the remains of the cockpit.
It was pretty much the plane equivalent of a Boom, Headshot!. Poor bastards never stood a chance.
edited 13th Oct '15 11:51:13 AM by amitakartok
In less depressing news:
BBC: Ukraine: Lenin statue given Darth Vader makeover
The statue, in the grounds of a factory in the Black Sea port city, had been earmarked for removal under the country's "de-communisation" law. But instead, it now wears the instantly recognisable shiny black helmet and mask of the Star Wars villain, the local Dumskaya news website reports. "Everything flows and nothing abides," says warehouse manager Semyon Horbunov, taking inspiration from the Greek philosopher Heraclitus. "New heroes replace old ones, and this is how the world goes round."
But while the monument is Darth Vader on the outside, deep down it's still Lenin. "The bronze Lenin was left inside, so that the grateful or not-so-grateful descendants could exhume him, if needed," sculptor Alexander Milov is quoted is saying by Ukraine Today.
HGW XX/7
![[up]](https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/smiles/arrow_up.png "[up]"){kind=icon}
Love it.
Schild und Schwert der Partei
The law in the night
I was just going to post that.
Come to the dark side! We have Wi-fi!
Inter arma enim silent leges
The Cosmopolitan Fictioneer
... Darth Lenin? I have to admit, it has a ring to it.
Fiat iustitia, et pereat mundus.
Darth Marx wins with the rhyming thing alone, though.
Even if he were a Jedi, his light-saber would be red.
"I have no fear, for fear is the little death that kills me over and over. Without fear, I die but once."
Some article to share regarding foreign fighters, especially those from mother Russia (I meant to do that) and Belarus:
http://www.newsweek.com/why-russian-fighting-ukraine-320723
http://foreignpolicy.com/2015/10/19/ukraines-abandoned-soldiers-russian-belarusian-volunteers/
Another article has a Polish fighter who said that he's there to volunteer.
So it seems someone in Kherson oblast blew up an electricity pylon...which has promptly thrown Crimea into darkness.
Yeeeah, the Russians ain't gonna sit quietly for that one....
United Earth
What, this conflict isn't over yet? What did I miss?
edited 22nd Nov '15 5:18:03 PM by TheHandle
Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
Indiana Solo
It's less over, more paused
. Russia still occupies Ukrainian territory and Ukraine still is not having that but there's not much shooting right now.
I'm baaaaaaack
Actually not quite. The shooting has been picking up lately. Both sides are moving heavy equipment back to the front.
The war's not over, and the ceasefire is still very relative, even if both sides tend to avoid ground attacks or large-scale shelling. It's quasi-frozen.
Our movie about the battle of the Donetsk Airport.
When you say "our" who do you mean?
@Emuran
- You heard anything about Ukrainian Army Cyborg (кіборг) patches made after the battle at the Donetsk Airport?
Ukrainian news on the civil war there for Japanese language readers.
edited 5th Dec '15 5:21:47 PM by Ominae
Shameful Display
Turkish firms in talks to upgrade Ukrainian Tanks. Can't imagine why their doing that now.
http://tass.ru/en/world/801999
Could only find this in English, but it seems the "Tornado" group of the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs was already disbanded. Heard these guys were involved in the insurgency in east Ukraine.
Ours as in "made by our team".
Yeah, I've heard about the cyborg patches, what of them?
Meanwhile, there's more or less a political crisis, with fisticuffs breaking out today, after a Poroshenko Bloc MP gave Yatsenyuk flowers with a funeral band, and then tried to carry him out from the tribune. Here's the video.
The problem is that the coalition is at an impasse, with Poroshenko trying to oust Yatsenyuk and the latter banking on dissolving the coalition, forcing premature parliamentary and presidential elections. This also comes with a lot of politicians being hit by corruption scandals, unrest from the right-wingers, and Saakashvili playing his own games.
The ceasefire is more or less off, with artillery duels and skirmishes every night in Horlivka and near the Donetsk Airport. Neither side is willing to push it, though.
Khto tse, mamo-mamo?
What is Saakashvili trying? Any details?
Also yeah, I've heard about the ceasefire essentially collapsing. Good that it hasn't gone back to full volume (yet).
So who will win do you think? The Chocolate King or Yats?
@Emuran
- Heard that the cyborg patches are only made commercially and not adopted by the forces that fought in Donetsk.
Good VICE News documentary on how the Russian Army and the FSB are trying to cover up their involvement in Ukraine as much as possible. Journalists/activists trying to find any info are attacked and chased by pro-Moscow hoodlums or the Russian Army and FSB give out ambiguous answers or they stop bothering to pick up the phone.
Ukraine mirrors them.
Not surprising. Ukraine was already comparable to mid-tier sub-Saharan African countries in economy and style of governance before the war.
^^ doesn't make it any better
This is really not the statement that matters. What matters is what the investigative committee says. And even then, it's highly unlikely justice will prevail.
In more interesting news, both the republics and Kyiv are moving the heavy artillery away.
Days of silence were marred by shelling today near the Donetsk airport, though, and a Donetsk apartment building was hit by a bomb on Sunday.
Khto tse, mamo-mamo?