Brothers and sisters! Here is the summary of March 11.
The bad news:
1. Russian occupants in Crimea took a fully defensive position, and blocked the isthmus. For them, the most important current task is the referendum. And if they crawl to Kherson, and simultaneously cross our eastern border in the southeast, it will happen only after complete stealing of the Crimea. According to this, it is not likely the escalation of the conflict is expected until March 16. Actually, this is not a positive signal, but only the evidence that the Russians are trying to give maximum visual “legitimacy” to their strong determination to take the peninsula in Russian Federation.
Although time is not on (Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s side – only lazy ones all over the world haven’t expressed condemnation of him yet. It is clear that these condemnations do not bother the Kremlin at all, but they really have very bad impact on the Russian economy. The cash stashes of “Gazprom” are quite impressive but they are not endless. Because of this the events after March 16th can develop very quickly, and be unpleasant for Ukraine. The question is whether Ukraine is able to withstand the worst scenarios.
2. About bad scenarios. Defense Minister of Ukraine Ihor Tenyukh unveiled shocking numbers today. Of the 41,000 troops which our land forces consist of (land forces are the most numeric part of our Army), only 6,000 are combat-ready.
This is a complete disaster: both the numbers expressed by Tenyukh, and the fact itself that he voiced them. For any logic it is incorrect (let’s put it mildly) to disclose information about the combat readiness of troops in the time of the invasion (and by the way, in peacetime as well).
But I still tend to think that the defense minister knows what and when he says. I think this message is aimed both to the East and the West. It says to Russia that Ukraine is not ready to carry out a military operation in the Crimea, and therefore Russians should not beware about it. And it says to the West – it’s begging for help because Ukraine can’t defend itself. We will see later what will come of this appeal, although it is certainly not optimistic.
3. The history of a betrayal (or not a betrayal) of the commander of automobile battalion in Bakhchisarai turns into complete absurdity. If we put together all the pieces of information coming from various authors and sources, it looks like some phantasmagoria.
In general, everyone knows the background of the history. Commander committed a traffic accident being drunk (his car hit a car of rally for the referendum). Then he’s been captured by the Crimean police running Aksenov. According to him, he was not beaten or tortured. And after that, the commander brought a crowd of Russian gunmen to the territory of his unit. The Russians lined up the unarmed Ukrainian personnel closed to the wall, and the commander asked politely: who wants to take a new oath to Aksenov for good enough money? (According to him, he asked, who remains faithful to the oath, but it does not matter). Those who agreed to serve the occupants immediately boarded to the vehicles of the unit and left. And he, say, stood there. The Russian flag has been hoisted over Ukrainian battalion, and now the commander claims he is not a traitor. Ukrainian militaries try to figure out whether he took the oath of allegiance to Aksenov, or not.
I neither want nor have moral right to give any assessment to this man, as well as blame or justify him. But I imagine the picture. 1941. Brest fortress. Commander of the fortress gets lost, and in a day he comes back with the crowd of Nazi gunmen. Everything happens like in Bakhchisarai and flag with a swastika has been hoisted over Brest fortress. And then commander says: I did not betray anyone. I do not know what to say. But it looks at least strangely.
The good news. We have very few today:
1. As I predicted yesterday (or rather not I but our source in Brussels so I will not steal his services), Europe today has supported Ukraine even more significantly. The second wave of sanctions against Russia will begin on March 17. This is a signal for Putin to change his mind with the Crimean referendum which is planned on March 16. Of course, this step can’t be considered as an independent instrument of influence, but together with other measures taken by the international community it is able to force Moscow to ponder over the issue. Hopefully, it will happen.
2. Good upbeat has been caused by response of the commanders of Ukrainian 55th air defense missile regiment based in Yevpatoria to an ultimatum by Aksenov’s bootlickers to lay down the weapon and to leave the territory of the unit. Ukrainian commander showed himself as an excellent diplomat. Probably he sent the collaborators to hell not very rudely, but there is no doubt he did. God bless our guys with the firmness. Probably neither army in the world showed such fortitude without firing a shot. But this is not cheerful at all…
And another piece of the good is for us, “Information Resistance Group.” Today we have a logo developed – thanks to Michael Golovachko. As for me, he expressed our idea very well. Now there’s an image associated with us. And motto comes from this: to stifle any stinker, which shows aggression to us.
Hopefully, a new day will give us the opportunity to get rid of the stinkers, who are already defiling our land.
