Ukrainian authorities say they repelled an attempted Russian military incursion into Ukraine, marking a dramatic escalation in the crisis in the region, says this Globe and Mail item.
Russian military helicopters reportedly attempted to land several dozen paratroopers in the Kherson area, north of the Ukrainian territory of Crimea, which Russian soldiers invaded in late February.
Ukrainian-language Espreso.tv reported that the incursion involved about 80 Russian soldiers supported by several armoured vehicles and military helicopters.
They reportedly seized natural gas facilities and a village in Kherson. Crimea is heavily reliant on infrastructure in Kherson for gas supplies, electricity and water.
Up to 50,000 at Moscow Anti-War March
The incident follows earlier reports of Russian soldiers and provocateurs attempting to enter Ukraine incognito in recent days.
Ukrainian defense official Andriy Parubiy has warned that Russia appears to be massing troops to mount a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Meanwhile, tens of thousands -- possibly as many as 50,000 -- marched today in Moscow to oppose their government's invasion of Crimea, BBC reports.
Showing posts with label military. Show all posts
Showing posts with label military. Show all posts
Saturday, March 15, 2014
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Ukraine Crisis: Images Contradict Putin's Claims That Soldiers in Crimea Not Russian
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| Heavily armed men stand guard outside government Ukrainian building in Simferopol, Crimea, Monday. Russian president Vladimir Putin claims they're not Russian troops, but rather Crimean "self- defense" forces who may have gotten their uniforms in a store. |
Instead, he claimed that the thousands of heavily armed, Russian-speaking soldiers who have taken over Ukrainian government buildings and surround Ukrainian military installations, threatening to attack if troops inside don't surrender, are local "self-defense" forces.
Putin was asked directly if the soldiers are from the Russian military.
"Why don't you take a look at the post-Soviet states. There are many uniforms that are similar. You can go to a store and buy any kind of uniform," he said.
A reporter asked: "But were they Russian soldiers or not?"
Putin: "Those were local self-defense units."
Russia Claims no Control Over "Self-Defense" Forces
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| Crimean "self-defense" members guard a military airfield near Sevastopol in this photo from the Kyiv Post published March 4. The men don't appear to be armed or dressed in the same uniforms as the thousands of well-equipped soldiers who have suddenly appeared in Crimea. A truck that the Kyiv Post describes as a "Russian military vehicle" is visible in the background. |
Some have, however, confirmed to reporters and locals that they are Russian soldiers, NPR reported yesterday.
The troops have occasionally been seen to collaborate with ragtag groups of pro-Russian activists who appear more clearly to be civilians (shown in this YouTube video attempting to confront Ukrainian marines in Crimea) -- although it's not clear how many of the latter are Crimean residents as opposed to arrivals from Russia.
(Ukrainian authorities say pro-Moscow provocateurs have been arriving by the busload from Russia, and these stories in Toronto's Globe and Mail and Kyiv Post suggest the claim isn't without merit.)
In contrast, the soldiers themselves appear professionally trained and are equipped with military-grade hardware -- bazookas, armoured personnel carriers, military trucks and assault rifles -- difficult or impossible to find in a store.
Yet, Russian officials insist they have no operational control over the Crimean "self-defense" forces and can't order them back to their bases. "They take no orders from us," Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters Wednesday.
Images Emerge of Russian Hardware in Crimea
Nonetheless, photos and video are emerging that provide more evidence the troops are Russian.
This story on the site StopFake.org, created by Ukrainian journalist students to counter Russian government propaganda about the crisis, includes a video showing soldiers breaking into a Ukrainian government building in Crimea.
The soldiers have no insignia, but one has a tag on his back with the name "A.M. Dosanov." StopFake says it has identified him as a Russian special forces soldier from a unit based in Russia's Saratov region.
The tag also says "рядовой," which means "private" in Russian.
Below are images of Russian hardware and military trucks with Russian plates in Crimea taken in recent days.
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| Russian tanks -- not likely obtained in a store -- blockading a Ukrainian military base in Crimea. Source: CNN, March 2, 2014 |
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| Russian armoured personnel carriers on the road to Simferopol, Crimea. Source: The Guardian, Feb. 28. |
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| This image from a CNN report March 4 shows Russian self- propelled guns. |
UPDATE: Many other photographs demonstrating the Russian military presence in Crimea, including special forces, are included in this post on the EuroMaidan PR blog.
Accompanying the photos is interesting explanatory text by French firearms expert Edmond Huet.
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Ukraine Crisis: Most Crimeans, Easterners Don't Want to Rejoin Russia, Poll Finds
Some of the media coverage of the Ukraine crisis suggests that the country is divided between a pro-Russian east and south, where many -- even most -- hanker to rejoin Russia, and a nationalistic west.
That's not quite true, according to an opinion poll for the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology. A majority of residents in every region of Ukraine do not want the country to join Russia, reports the survey of 2,303 Ukrainians conducted Feb. 8 to 18.
That includes Crimea, which Russia has invaded on the pretext of defending Russian citizens from the new Ukrainian government. There, most residents speak Russian as their native language; yet, just 41 percent support joining Russia.
(Note that in Ukraine's 1991 referendum on independence from Russia, every region also voted by a majority to leave Russia, including Crimea, where 54 percent voted in favour. Nationally, 90 percent supported independence.)
12.5% of Ukrainians Seek to Rejoin Russia
Elsewhere, support for joining Russia is lower -- 33 percent in the eastern city of Donetsk, 15 percent in Kharkiv (the largest city in the east), 5 percent in the capital Kyiv (in the centre of the country) and 0 percent in the western city of Lviv.
Overall, 12.5 percent of Ukrainians want to join Russia. That's down from 20 percent in Oct. 2010.
Age plays an important role in the question, with 17 percent of those 55 and up wanting the two countries to be one again, while only 5 percent of those 18 to 29 agree.
That's not quite true, according to an opinion poll for the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology. A majority of residents in every region of Ukraine do not want the country to join Russia, reports the survey of 2,303 Ukrainians conducted Feb. 8 to 18.
That includes Crimea, which Russia has invaded on the pretext of defending Russian citizens from the new Ukrainian government. There, most residents speak Russian as their native language; yet, just 41 percent support joining Russia.
(Note that in Ukraine's 1991 referendum on independence from Russia, every region also voted by a majority to leave Russia, including Crimea, where 54 percent voted in favour. Nationally, 90 percent supported independence.)
12.5% of Ukrainians Seek to Rejoin Russia
Elsewhere, support for joining Russia is lower -- 33 percent in the eastern city of Donetsk, 15 percent in Kharkiv (the largest city in the east), 5 percent in the capital Kyiv (in the centre of the country) and 0 percent in the western city of Lviv.
Overall, 12.5 percent of Ukrainians want to join Russia. That's down from 20 percent in Oct. 2010.
Age plays an important role in the question, with 17 percent of those 55 and up wanting the two countries to be one again, while only 5 percent of those 18 to 29 agree.
Sunday, February 16, 2014
Investigations: Canada Lags in Accounting for Billions in Afghan Spending
There's been virtually no public accounting of the $18 billion or more that Canada spent on the mission to Afghanistan, the world's most corrupt country, reports this investigative story by the Ottawa Citizen's David Pugliese.
The few audits or investigations that have been done have pointed to significant problems, but Canada's auditor general has no plans to study the Afghan spending.
Even the exact amount of Canada's spending in Afghanistan isn't known. Canadian government departments refused to turn over the numbers to the parliamentary budget officer.
Critics say most aid dollars never reach ordinary Afghans and are instead diverted into the pockets of powerful local officials.
U.S. Investigating Aggressively
Meanwhile, the U.S. has moved aggressively to nail misspending and fraud in its $97 billion aid program in Afghanistan. A watchdog agency created by the U.S. Congress found a construction company working on a new hospital was charging $500 per gallon for diesel fuel, when it actually costs $5.
The agency also looked into a $19-million project to build police bases and found they were abandoned or never occupied. One couldn't be used because it had no water supply. At another, one of the buildings had been turned into a chicken coop.
Even though most Canadian troops are now back home, Ottawa has pledged another $550 million in security aid and development funding.
Pugliese's story is one of a seven-part series looking at the legacy of the Afghan mission.
The few audits or investigations that have been done have pointed to significant problems, but Canada's auditor general has no plans to study the Afghan spending.
Even the exact amount of Canada's spending in Afghanistan isn't known. Canadian government departments refused to turn over the numbers to the parliamentary budget officer.
Critics say most aid dollars never reach ordinary Afghans and are instead diverted into the pockets of powerful local officials.
U.S. Investigating Aggressively
Meanwhile, the U.S. has moved aggressively to nail misspending and fraud in its $97 billion aid program in Afghanistan. A watchdog agency created by the U.S. Congress found a construction company working on a new hospital was charging $500 per gallon for diesel fuel, when it actually costs $5.
The agency also looked into a $19-million project to build police bases and found they were abandoned or never occupied. One couldn't be used because it had no water supply. At another, one of the buildings had been turned into a chicken coop.
Even though most Canadian troops are now back home, Ottawa has pledged another $550 million in security aid and development funding.
Pugliese's story is one of a seven-part series looking at the legacy of the Afghan mission.
Monday, February 10, 2014
Investigative Reports: U.S. Drone Hits Based on Flimsy "Geolocation" Intel
U.S. drone assassinations are often based on flimsy and unreliable intelligence, such as the location of a cell phone SIM card, according to this interesting investigative report by former Guardian writer Glenn Greenwald and journalist Jeremy Scahill, who both specialize in intelligence issues.
The SIM card "geolocation" intelligence is rarely confirmed by a human source on the ground to make sure the possessor of the SIM card is actually the intended target, they write on Greenwald's new investigative reporting website, The Intercept.
The target is often selected simply because of "metadata" activity deemed to be suspicious--such as repeated contact with other suspected militants--and isn't verified through other methods, says the story, citing an anonymous former drone operator who is troubled by the assassination program.
Unintended Deaths
The imprecise targeting has led to the killing of unintended and unknown people, the story says.
While a Guardian columnist, Greenwald reported extensively on whistleblower Edward Snowden's unprecedented revelations about the U.S. National Security Agency's massive dragnet spying operations on Americans and non-citizens alike.
The Intercept promises "aggressive and independent adversarial journalism" on a range of issues.
It has also posted a second piece featuring never-before-seen aerial photos of NSA and other U.S. intelligence facilities.
Read more about the latest NSA revelations in this Democracy Now! interview with Greenwald and Scahill.
State Lawmakers Seek to Cut Off NSA
In related news, state legislators in Maryland, Arizona, Tennessee, Washington and California have proposed bills to deny water and electricity to NSA headquarters in Ft. Meade, Maryland, and other facilities of the agency, this news item says. The moves are in protest over the NSA's sweeping spying programs.
One bill now before the Maryland state legislature also bans the use of NSA-derived evidence in state courts and prevents state universities from partnering with the agency on research.
The SIM card "geolocation" intelligence is rarely confirmed by a human source on the ground to make sure the possessor of the SIM card is actually the intended target, they write on Greenwald's new investigative reporting website, The Intercept.
The target is often selected simply because of "metadata" activity deemed to be suspicious--such as repeated contact with other suspected militants--and isn't verified through other methods, says the story, citing an anonymous former drone operator who is troubled by the assassination program.
Unintended Deaths
The imprecise targeting has led to the killing of unintended and unknown people, the story says.
While a Guardian columnist, Greenwald reported extensively on whistleblower Edward Snowden's unprecedented revelations about the U.S. National Security Agency's massive dragnet spying operations on Americans and non-citizens alike.
The Intercept promises "aggressive and independent adversarial journalism" on a range of issues.
It has also posted a second piece featuring never-before-seen aerial photos of NSA and other U.S. intelligence facilities.
Read more about the latest NSA revelations in this Democracy Now! interview with Greenwald and Scahill.
State Lawmakers Seek to Cut Off NSA
In related news, state legislators in Maryland, Arizona, Tennessee, Washington and California have proposed bills to deny water and electricity to NSA headquarters in Ft. Meade, Maryland, and other facilities of the agency, this news item says. The moves are in protest over the NSA's sweeping spying programs.
One bill now before the Maryland state legislature also bans the use of NSA-derived evidence in state courts and prevents state universities from partnering with the agency on research.
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
Resources: Investigative Journalism Techniques From the Black World
Just found this interesting top-10 list of books written about the failure of torture to provide useful information, written by U.S. army lieutenant-colonel Douglas Pryer, who is in military intelligence.
Pryer's list consists mostly of real-life war-time accounts of interrogators who used respect and brains to bring around captives, instead of brutality.
Such accounts aren't just valuable as an indictment of torture and the media that supports it in various movies and TV shows.
They also present techniques of information gathering useful to a journalist dealing with reluctant sources (including those in the security and police community whose experiences are recounted in the books).
Pryer is also author of Fight for the High Ground: The U.S. Army and Interrogation During Operation Iraqi Freedom, May 2003-April 2004.
Astute readers may recall an earlier post I wrote on the same topic back in 2010. It was about a 203-page study of "intelligence interviewing" produced by the U.S. Intelligence Board, which answers to the CIA director.
Pryer's list consists mostly of real-life war-time accounts of interrogators who used respect and brains to bring around captives, instead of brutality.
Such accounts aren't just valuable as an indictment of torture and the media that supports it in various movies and TV shows.
They also present techniques of information gathering useful to a journalist dealing with reluctant sources (including those in the security and police community whose experiences are recounted in the books).
Pryer is also author of Fight for the High Ground: The U.S. Army and Interrogation During Operation Iraqi Freedom, May 2003-April 2004.
Astute readers may recall an earlier post I wrote on the same topic back in 2010. It was about a 203-page study of "intelligence interviewing" produced by the U.S. Intelligence Board, which answers to the CIA director.
Saturday, August 3, 2013
Tools: Worried About the Edward Snowden Revelations? How to Protect Your Investigative Reporting
Concerned about protecting your confidential sources and communications after Edward Snowden's revelations about Big Brother snooping?
Just came across this interesting post on how to do just that from investigative journalist Dan Meredith of Radio Free Asia. Includes tools to conceal your web research, email, calls and files from prying eyes.
Be aware, of course, that using some anonymity tools can actually be a red flag for spies, themselves attracting attention. Do your own research!
Here's a good tipsheet from the Global Investigative Journalism Network on protecting your investigative reporting.
And on a related note, here's a 65-minute video of former MI5 intelligence officer Annie Machon talking about how spy agencies use and manipulate the media, hosted by the UK's Centre for Investigative Journalism.
Just came across this interesting post on how to do just that from investigative journalist Dan Meredith of Radio Free Asia. Includes tools to conceal your web research, email, calls and files from prying eyes.
Be aware, of course, that using some anonymity tools can actually be a red flag for spies, themselves attracting attention. Do your own research!
Here's a good tipsheet from the Global Investigative Journalism Network on protecting your investigative reporting.
And on a related note, here's a 65-minute video of former MI5 intelligence officer Annie Machon talking about how spy agencies use and manipulate the media, hosted by the UK's Centre for Investigative Journalism.
Friday, August 2, 2013
Investigations: Canadian Forces Failing Injured and Ill Vets
Solid investigation here from The Ottawa Citizen on Canada's failing support program for injured and mentally ill vets.
A freeze on funds has left support units overwhelmed and unable to cope with the quickly growing demand for help from soldiers needing help after returning from Afghanistan, the story says.
"The army doesn't look after its injured soldiers," one severely injured Afghan vet said. "If I had worked at Walmart I would have been looked after better."
A freeze on funds has left support units overwhelmed and unable to cope with the quickly growing demand for help from soldiers needing help after returning from Afghanistan, the story says.
"The army doesn't look after its injured soldiers," one severely injured Afghan vet said. "If I had worked at Walmart I would have been looked after better."
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Investigations: F-35 Wings to Last Just Five Years
Yet another setback for the massively expensive F-35 warplane - the most costly military program in history (full operating cost: an estimated $1 trillion). Already beset by delays, cost overruns and performance questions, two of the three models of the $100-million-plus planes have been found to have a major structural defect. The result is their wings have an operational life of only five years, according to this Wired report. That's a lot less than the expected 25 years.
Earlier reports had questioned the F-35's key attribute - its supposed stealthiness. This Wired story cites a study that found the jet is "demonstrably not a true stealth aircraft" and can't operate against Russia's latest air defence systems. An aviation expert said the F-35's stealthiness is undermined by its "very conventional-airplane-shaped lumps and bumps around its underside, not to mention the hideous wart that covers the gun on the F-35A."
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