Based on this article here.
Yes, the Ukrainian rebels are essentially Russian proxies supported by Russian troops and equipment.
This is just wrong. I am close to a lot of people who are at the heart of that movement, and trust me, they are not puppets. Those Donbass Russians are convinced that the Ukies are Nazis and are out to screw the Ukrainian Russians.
The US says the Ukies are not Nazis, fine, convince the Donbass people of that. The Donbass people rose up on their own because they said “We refuse to live under these Nazis,” who incidentally passed a slew of anti-Russian laws.
The initial rebellion had almost no arms, and for a long time, they got little or no support from Russia. The people I know were screaming for Russian help forever, and nothing came. Some puppets eh?
Finally as the fighting picked up, and Putin decided that the Ukies were slaughtering Russian civilians in Donbass, he started aiding the Donbass, but for a long time, the Donbass only got junk weapons, surplus leftover, bottom of the barrel stuff. The people I know were very mad about that and screamed about Russian treason for a long time. Some puppets eh? Puppets always scream that their puppetmasters are treasonous, right?
As the Ukies started making huge gains, and the bodies began to pile up, yes, the Russians got involved big-time. Mostly this is the Voentorg – the surplus weapons supply. They started shipping large quantities of Russian equipment over the border with few if any Russian troops.
As things looked very dire, yes, finally, 7,500 troops were poured in and took some casualties. Then they were withdrawn.
The fighting picked up again with the Debaltsevo round, but most of the fighting was done by Donbass people and local volunteers. In this phase, there were very few Russian troops, however, Russia did help with intelligence. The only Russian forces were military intelligence and Spetznatz special forces. The armed men you see coming over the border are Donbass people and volunteers who have training camps set up at Russian military bases over the border.
Even with heavy Russian military involvement, the Donbass people were always screaming that Russia was selling them out. Some puppets!
The Donbass people often wanted to keep fighting and take more land, but the Russians were always stopping short and limiting the offensives. The Russians said if you try to take more land, we will cut off the money and weapons.
So the Donbass people and Russia are two completely different entities with very different goals in the region who are often at odds with each other. No one is a puppet of anyone.
Yes Russia or Russian proxies shot down a civilian airliner over the Ukraine – though not even most idiots have managed to argue that this was deliberate.
About M-17, I have much to say but let us chew on this: Are people aware that the US CIA has concluded that the jet was shot down by a Ukrainian fighter? If any of you have sources in US intelligence, go check with them, because I am 100% certain this is what the CIA has concluded.
Yes, Ukrainian fascists don’t run the Ukraine.
On the contrary, there is massive evidence that the Ukraine is run by fascists or Nazis, though I suppose this is a matter of debate and it is hard to answer questions like this one way or the other.
