Wednesday, August 26, 2015

The Face of War



August 26, 2015 (Cenzor.net) Ukrainian artist Dariya Marchenko works on a portrait of Vladimir Putin made from empty bullet cartridges. The portrait - called The Face Of War - is made from 5,000 cartridges collected from the frontline of the conflict in eastern Ukraine. The portrait is presented along with a novel which tells the personal stories of six people involved in the project, including Ms Marchenko's own story and those of people who helped her collect the shells. Ms Marchenko calls her art approach "philosophic symbolism", where every element has its hidden meaning. In her work, the cartridges are supposed to symbolize human life that has been brutally ended.

Monday, August 24, 2015

The US embassy in Ukraine released a video Sunday to wish Ukrainians a happy Independence Day

August 24, 2015 Independence Day



The US embassy in Ukraine released a video to wish Ukrainians a happy Independence Day. The video shows US embassy staff and NATO personnel sending their best wishes from various parts of this former Soviet republic. US Ambassador Geoffrey Pyatt is shown standing in front of a Donetsk Region monument in a sign of US support for Kiev’s bloody crackdown on the independence supporters in Donbass. Lower-ranking embassy staffers are seen sending their congratulations from Odessa, Chernihiv, Lviv, Kherson, Kiev, Poltava and Uzhgorod. Wrapping up the video are NATO soldiers training Ukrainians on their way to the frontlines in Donbass. Lined up in front of the camera, the NATO instructors cry out “Glory to Ukraine! Glory to Heroes!



The video is available at https://youtu.be/Dc1gqc69h8s

This is not victory day yet. but these are victory soldiers



August 24, 2015 (Cenzor.net) Independence Square and Khreshchatyk are seeing new Ukrainian army. At the corner of Prorizna Street a hundred-throat yell shockwaved the area: "Glory to Ukraine! Glory to the heroes!", "Glory to the nation! Death to enemies!", "Ukraine above everything!" These are not football fans, it is an infantry rank, wearing new combat gear with their guns at the trail. The volunteers are rehearsing the Independence Day march to honor Ukrainian armed forces.

The 24th assault battalion "Aidar" and the glorious Afghan company are showcasing young recruits. Heroes of the last August are rare, but morale is as high and the Afghan traditions are kept and honored, battle experience being adopted. No rookies here - just excellent young soldiers, not forced but motivated.
The full article is available at http://en.censor.net.ua/r348566

Monday, August 17, 2015

President Vladimir Putin is making his visit to Crimea



August 17, 2015 (Ukrinform). Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko compared the trip of Russian President Vladimir Putin to Crimea with the actions of Russian mercenaries in Donbas.

The President wrote this on Facebook. "Putin's visit to Ukrainian Crimea without the consent of the Ukrainian authorities is a challenge to the civilized world and part of the scenario to exacerbate the situation, which is implemented by the Russian military and mercenaries in Donbas. Such visits mean further militarization of the occupied Ukrainian peninsula and increase its isolation," Poroshenko said.
The Ukrainian President stressed that Crimea had a future only as a part of Ukraine.

Thursday, August 13, 2015

Russian bombs signed "Toward Berlin!" spotted at exercises in Kaliningrad



August 13, 2015 (UNIAN News Agency) Russian Air Force bomber pilots used training bombs signed “Toward Berlin!” and “To Stalin” at the military drill held in the Kaliningrad region in early August 2015, according to Deutsche Welle citing Bild.

Slogans "Toward Berlin!" and "To Stalin!" were widely used by the Soviet Union’s Red Army during the World War II against Nazi Germany, Deutsche Welle reports. The publication reminds that the exercises were held just 500 kilometers from the Germany’s capital. Bild refers to Flot.com, the online Navy portal, where the photos were published. It is noted that Flot.com is part of Mil.press media group - Russian private online publication specializing in the navy fleets of the Russian Federation and other countries. 

According to Flot.com, within the mentioned drills, the bombing by military transport aircraft An-26 was practiced, for the first time in twenty years. The ongoing campaign for the glorification of the Soviet era in Putin's Russia draws parallels between the struggle against fascism in World War II and Moscow’s modern confrontation with the Western world against the backdrop of the conflict in Ukraine, according to the report.
"The inscriptions on bombs "Toward Berlin!" and "To Stalin!" are something more than just an expression of nostalgia; they show portray dangerous tendencies in the Russian government and the army," concludes Bild.

Monday, August 10, 2015

A new finds of black archeologists on the Poltava Battle field



August 10, 2015. Luckily or not, but modern metal detectors are becoming more affordable every year, even for people with average incomes. Hundred people prefer to spend weekend or even a full vacation digging somewhere on the battlefield being armed with spade and appropriate computerized equipment.The use of such equipment for gain, undoubtedly, is a criminal offense but nevertheless such kind of outdoor activity is becoming more and more popular in Ukraine.
All findings are generally not plotted to the map and enter the black market in the hope of selling them to foreign tourists. The state which budget is bursting at the seams, unfortunately, can not properly protect all battlefields. The state also can not organize an appropriate archaeological survey of these fields. Only due to support of the Swedish Society of the Military History (SMB) the first archaeological survey of the Poltava Battle field was made by Swedish-American group of archaeologists headed by Bo Knarrström and Adrian Mandzy eight years ago. 
Many finds on the Poltava Battle field were made by the local villagers in their gardens. Many discovered cannonballs, musket balls, firearms and cold steel were transferred to the Poltava Battle Museum, where they can be seen by visitors.


But nevertheless some findings, even though they were made by black archaeologists, can be very interesting for military history. Not long ago a three pound cannon ball and a handful of musket bullets were found near the village of Petrovka where Russian army crossed Vorskla river on June 20, 1709. 
It is well known that there was no fighting with Swedish army there because Russians soon left their first fortified camp being seeing that an enemy is not going to advance. Within a few days a new fortified camp was completed near the village of Yakovtsy. So may be these findings, even though they were made by black archaeologists, can be very interesting for military history. I was lucky to learn about these findings before they were sold out and take a picture.

Saturday, August 1, 2015

Russia celebrates Navy Day



On June 26, 2015 a few anecdotal evidences have taken place in the city of Baltiysk (Kaliningrad region) when Russian Federation arranged a display of the naval might dedicated to the Navy Day in the presence of the President Vladimir Putin.
At the very crucial moment the Russian rocket simply didn't fly out of the guided-missile ship launcher. All this happened in front of numerous spectators including Russian President Vladimir Putin who bitted his lip with vexation.

This video is available at   https://youtu.be/5zZraMvoXM4
At the same time the Governor of the Kaliningrad region Nikolay Tsukanov fell asleep during this Navy Parade.
This video is available at   https://youtu.be/KIAEBrDMqdQ
In his address to spectators before the parade, President Putin stressed that Russia is a great sea country and its Navy assure defense capability and protects the national interests.
As it was broadcasted before a similar incident occurred in Sebastopol. During the July 26 celebrations, a guard ship in the Black Sea Fleet launched a rocket that immediately broke into pieces in mid-air and plunged into the sea. No one was injured in the incident.
Onlookers have also uploaded video of several successful rocket launches during the parade.
Russia celebrated Navy Day in ports across the country with parades. In Crimea, festivities included 20 warships, more than 30 jets and helicopters, 10 support vessels, and coastal defense troops.