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War, War, War See other War, War, War Articles Title: Rebels seize 3 government bases in eastern Ukraine LUHANSK, Ukraine (AP) — Pro-Russian insurgents captured three government bases in eastern Ukraine in a series of humiliating defeats for the beleaguered armed forces on Wednesday, as the president-elect promised new initiatives to help end the mutiny in the country's industrial heartland. Petro Poroshenko, speaking in Warsaw after meeting with President Barack Obama and other Western leaders, rejected a call from Ukraine's interim authorities to introduce martial law in the restive east, saying he would seek to pacify the region with an offer of amnesty and a promise of early regional elections. Poroshenko's overture, expected to be detailed in his inaugural address on Saturday, came as the Ukrainian troops suffered a series of embarrassing setbacks on Wednesday. National Guard forces ran out of ammunition and had to flee their base near the eastern city of Luhansk after hours of battle in which six militants were killed and three Ukrainian servicemen were injured. The defeat came as rebel forces seized a border guard headquarters on the city's outskirts after besieging it for two days, then forced guards out of another base in the nearby town of Sverdlovsk on the Russian border. The guards there were granted safe passage and left with their weapons. The setbacks highlighted the ineffectiveness of Ukraine's badly trained and cash-starved armed forces, which also have been plagued by bad communication and poor supply lines. Ukraine's provisional authorities have blamed the recent military failures on pro-Russia former President Viktor Yanukovych, claiming that his corrupt government starved soldiers of resources and training. The fund shortage is so desperate that the Defense Ministry had to set up a charity account to support the armed forces while volunteers across the country have been buying provisions for the soldiers. 6 Militants Killed, 3 Ukrainian Troops Injured Play Video 6 Militants Killed, 3 Ukrainian Troops Injured Obama, in Warsaw for a celebration on the 25th anniversary of Poland's first partially free election, praised Poroshenko for reaching out to the east, while offering $5 million in new aid for Ukraine's military — for equipment that could help in the fight against the insurgents. The White House said the aid would include, for the first time, body armor and night-vision goggles for the use of troops. The United States already has provided ready-to-eat meals and money for medical supplies and other non-lethal assistance, including clothing, sleeping bags and generators. Many Ukrainian units in the east are manned by poorly-trained conscripts, who come from the region and appear reluctant to engage the rebels. In the skirmishes overnight into Wednesday, Alexei Toporov, a spokesman for the insurgents in Luhansk, said the guards were fleeing, and the insurgents did not try to detain them. "We released them and let them go home, we impeded nobody," he said. "They left their weapons, and this base is now coming under the control of the Luhansk People's Republic." A rebel fighter who gave only his first name, Andrei, said the insurgents wanted to create a "humanitarian corridor" that would allow civilians to flee to Russia to escape the fighting. An Associated Press reporter saw pro-Russian militia carrying crates of ammunition and explosives out of the base on Wednesday and driving away in border guards' cars. Ukraine's Border Guard Service said that the troops from that outpost had been evacuated to unspecified "safe locations." View gallery Conflict in Ukraine Pro-Russian armed men walk in an entrance to a border guards base, which they seized, on the outskir … The fighting in the east has escalated following the May 25 presidential vote won by Poroshenko, with rebels launching an attack on a major airport, shooting down a government helicopter, and besieging a number of military bases. Trying to regain the initiative, Ukrainian troops on Tuesday launched an offensive against pro-Russian insurgents in Slovyansk, a city that sits on a strategic highway about 90 kilometers (55 miles) north of Donetsk, the largest city in the east. Vladislav Seleznyov, a government spokesman for the anti-rebel operation, said two government soldiers were killed and 42 injured in daylong fighting. Seleznyov put the death toll of the rebels at 300, but the insurgents rejected his claim. In Kiev, Interim President Oleksandr Turchynov — who will hand over to Poroshenko on Saturday — asked Ukraine's Security and Defense Council late Tuesday to consider imposing martial law in parts of eastern Ukraine in a bid to stabilize the situation. Poroshenko dismissed that idea, saying that it would not serve peace efforts in the east. Speaking in English, Poroshenko said he will use his inauguration to make a proposal to restore law, order and peace. It would include a wide amnesty, and the "creation of the conditions for early local elections," as part of efforts to reform Ukraine's local administrations. Poroshenko and Russian President Vladimir Putin will be among many world leaders in France this week to attend events commemorating the 70th anniversary of the Allied invasion of Normandy in World War II. There were no immediate plans for the two leaders to meet there, Poroshenko said, while adding: "Everything is possible." Asked if he's ready to meet with Poroshenko in Normandy, Putin said in an interview with French media that was broadcast Wednesday that "I don't plan to evade anyone." "I think Mr. Poroshenko, who has no blood on his hands so far, has a unique chance to halt this punitive operation now and start a dialogue with people in southeastern Ukraine." Putin said. He said that he's also ready to meet with Obama despite sharp U.S.-Russian differences over Ukraine. "I am always ready for dialogue, and I think that dialogue is the best way to bridge any gaps," he said. Putin accused the West of triggering the Ukrainian crisis by backing the ouster of Yanukovych, and again denied Ukrainian and Western claims that Russia has sent its agents to foment the mutiny in eastern Ukraine. "There are no armed forces, no Russian 'instructors' in southeastern Ukraine. There never have been." ___ Monika Scislowska reported from Warsaw. Nedra Pickler in Warsaw and Nataliya Vasilyeva and Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow contributed to this report. Poster Comment: [I] Stop the nonsesne. UKRAINIAN NAZI ARMY IS KILLING DONBASS/LUGANSK PEOPLE.Right NOW. I know what I'm talking about-I'm from Donbass.Those are not rebels, those are locals! Women and kids are hiding in basements, and men have to go to war to protect their families because Ukrtainain Army has no merci for "Russians", "separatists", "Rebels" etc. Ukrainian solders are paid daily hefty fees to go and kill..They do not care who they kill, most of them are not educated and have no skills and morals to make living some other way. Again, my family and friends live there, I do not have to read a Western press to know the truth. Lugansk 06/02/14,Mariupol 05/09/14, horrible massacre in Odessa on 05/02/14 ( 116 people were burned alive),Slavyansk,Kramatorsk and so on... Eastern Ukrainians are begging Putin to come and defend them...Read an alternative press,and educate yourself, please. Do not be a tool. # SAVE DONBASS PEOPLE FROM UKRAINIAN ARMY+3 [Rafik] yahoo, why do you not report on the humanitarian catastrophe in the eastern Ukraine? the kiev illegitimate government forces deliberately target the objects of infrastructure, destroying communications, bridges, electrical facilities, water supply and sanitation objects. The stores are getting empty and food scarce. Also junta terrorizes civilians with regular air bombing raids. There are over 200 thousands refuges in Rostov region in Russia alone, and many thousands are trying to escape the chaos everyday. When the kiev loyal forces captured the hospital in Krasniy Liman they executed all patients. They also execute all men found with bruises on arms or calluses on fingers or without local registration in passport. One local old lady lost both sons and the husband because their house was burned with all documents. And neighbors word was not enough. There are a lot of videos on youtube, go and educate yourself. 7vnjQeV_wj0 - shocking video shows bombing raid from the ground+31-4 [r4zk4l] Petro O. Poroshenko, Ukraine's new president elect is so hilarious with his remarks. He said he will use his inauguration to make a proposal, to include "wide amnesty." I think that the ones who need the amnesty are, beginning with the illegal false interim regime that the U.S. help put in power and ending with this illegally voted for president elect Petro O. Poroshenko and his staff. Also, what the United States has caused with their planned and funded coup d' tat which was not only blotched and failed but that blew up in Washington's face, the U.S. have been pointing fingers at everybody except themselves. First they blamed Vladimir Putin for their F--- up and now they blame Viktor Yanuchovych the illegally overthrown legal Ukraine President of his corrupt government of starving it's soldiers of resources and training. What starved Ukraine of it's resources was that useless Budapest Memorandum, and secondly, Ukraine was a peaceful sovereign country who was never in fear of Russia so it did not need to have an army to defend from it. But now that the U.S. has screwed up that country it's army is not prepared to unite what the U.S. has disbanded, Ukraine. The best atonement that the U.S. can make to Ukraine is to just leave it alone and Russia will leave it alone. The people who voted for this usurp president elect Petro O. Poroshenko do not thrust this new regime, and some are beginning to have second doubts if what they have done was the right thing to do. As long as the U.S. keeps interfering and destroying Ukraine on account of Washington's politicians meddling in it's internal affairs there will never be any peace until either the Kiev regime or the pro-Russian separatists conquers and vanquishes the opponent.+18-4 Tatarewicz Washington can't leave Ukraine alone because Israel wants it in the Western camp supporting Israel's theft of Palestinian lands. Western politicians have to go along or they won't get organization, financial and media support from Jews at election time. D. Myllär...Like most wars involving Russia, winter favors Russia! It will be no different this coming winter. When it gets cold, we will all see a different tone used by Europe as they will become more dependent on Russia to stay warm. Putin is patient. Russia knows all they have to do is wait for winter and it's game over. I'm curious, what will Obama do to help Ukrainians now that their gas bill doubled and pensions decreased due to the IMF stipulations? What a mess. You'll see another Maidan soon as Tymoshenko promised. You know the same US supported #$%$ who siphoned cheap gas and sold it for a profit to Euro nations. Face it, there is enough corruption in Ukraine by Ukrainians. Will be comical to watch if it does happen, Pro-west vs pro-west revolution. Who will the EU and US support then? +26-5 [V] I was born in Luhansk and let me tell you, the way this war is being painted in US media is totally opposite from reality. It’s not “Pro-Russian insurgents”, it’s local people who are fed up with the way Ukraine is being run and with corrupted government they did not elect. Poroshenko already has blood on his hands. Luhansk city center was air bombed yesterday, innocent people are dead. Check out youtube videos. And now Obama is going to give them money? My tax money. I guess he’ll do anything just to #$%$ off Putin.+46-7 [Spider] They are well trained. Most Russian men have had a military service and due to numerous engagements in the past decade, they have enough military experience. This is also true for Ukranians, who not only fought side by side with their Russians brothers, but also went through the military training. The problem in the East is that the actual Ukranian army doesnt want to fight against Russians in the East. You can hardly blame them as both military veterans have fought and died together as brothers just a few years before in Chechnya. So what ended up happening is that Ukraine began to draft these young kids from the West whose ideologies and allegiances are completely opposite... And to no surprise, these will never match these Russian paramilitary groups. It's an old maxim... when you defend your home (and to these Russians it has been their home for centuries before they were transfered to Ukraine by Communist in 1920s) you are worth ten soldiers. Now imagine that those defending their homes are also war veterans, imagine just how many ordinary Ukranians (from the West) they are worth?+16-1 [DEFAULT_USERNAME] Commenter Wars are won or lost on how effective your propaganda portrays your enemy. It was done on both sides in every war ever fought. Also by how much money can be borrowed to finance the conflict. Doesn't matter who wins or loses, the bond holders are the only ones that are guaranteed to get more richer+2. Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread
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