Serious escalation in the Ukrainian crisis.

[another_liberal]

Mortar shells fired by Ukrainian forces have impacted and exploded in a town on the Russian side of the Ukrainian/Russian border today. At lest one Russian civilian was killed and several more were wounded. The Russian government has promised a swift and suitable response:

http://rt.com/news/172404-russian-donetsk-shelled-victims/

[Duckhunter935]

1. I would not put it past the pro-Russians to do this

to draw in Russia. What proof do they have and this would be stupid for the Ukraine government forces to do as it would just give Russia the excuse it so badly wants.

The National Security Council of Ukraine has already declared that Kiev’s troops involved in the operation in the east of the country have nothing to do with the shelling incident.

“Ukrainian troops are definitely not shelling the territory of the Russian Federation. We did not shoot,” said Andrey Lysenko, official representative of the information center of the NSCU.

[another_liberal]

2. Keep your head down, hunter . . .

This could get rough now.

[swilton]

3. I wouldn't put it past

this being a covert operation - in the hopes that Russia will be provoked....

I've heard more than one discussant with Peter Lavelle that the Ukrainian operation is all about Russia and trying to engage Russia into the Ukraine crisis. Destabilizing Russia in the near term by annexing Ukraine and then destabilizing Russia and gaining control of their significant petroleum resources makes perfect sense for the neo-con /Brzezinski Grand Chessboard strategy. In the near term of course the Ukrainizn crisis has bolstered Putin's popularity.


(In my own words) Stephen Cohen has offered that Putin already has forces in the region but their mission is to keep a lid on the pro-Russian factions to keep this from blowing out of control and letting what has happened in this video occur.

Furthermore, the timing of this with the Gaza crisis......