The overall goal of the NATO initiative, undertaken in the light of the Ukrainian crisis, is to reassure the allies of the NATO eastern flank, and to maintain collective defense capabilities.

Earlier on, the Thunderbolts were stationed (temporarily) at the Polish Powidz Airbase. Notably, this time the Warthog detachment is larger (includes 12 examples), and the deployment itself is to be longer, as it is going to last until the end of July, according to the rumors.

http://www.businessinsider.com/the-us-just-deployed-a-bunch-of-a-10-attack-planes-to-poland-2015-7

The message was one of intimidation and defiance: Russia is still a power to be reckoned with, and meddling in the Ukraine, Syria, and Russia itself — particularly on human rights issues — is not appreciated.

Now, after months of aggressive flying, Russia’s overworked air force is falling out of the sky. On July 5, a Su-24M tactical bomber crashed during takeoff at Khabarovsk in the Russian Far East. The plane banked sharply after takeoff and hit the ground. Both pilots were killed.

Five Russian combat planes have crashed in the past month. Russia’s attempt to demonstrate strength has backfired spectacularly and demonstrated weakness instead.

In the past year, Russia has sent nuclear bombers to the borders of the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Poland, the Netherlands, and Japan. In May, a pair of Su-24 bombers made a low pass over the destroyer USS Ross in the Black Sea, and Russian fighters have demonstrated “reckless” and “unprofessional” behavior near American spy planes over the Baltic Sea, prompting protests from the Pentagon.

Russia’s Air Force has been run at a high tempo, and the pace is catching up with an already-weary aircraft fleet. The toll in just the last month has been extraordinary: In addition to the fatal Su-24M accident, two MiG-29 fighters have crashed. Less than three hours after the second MiG crash, a Su-34 strike fighter flipped over while landing and went down south of Moscow.

On Monday July 6th, a Tu-95 strategic bomber suffered an engine fire and overshot the landing strip at Ukrainka Airbase in the Russian Far East, where flights against Japan and the Western United States are conducted. Both pilots were killed.

President Vladimir Putin has decided to mount frequent shows of force to remind other countries of Russia’s military power.

And now they will lose key technologies which had been made in Ukraine.

http://theweek.com/articles/565028/russian-air-force-falling-sky

A 64-year-old Urzuf resident whose son, a volunteer soldier with Ukrainian forces, was killed by Russian militants, recorded testimonies of former prisoners of war (POWs) who witnessed Bezler’s thugs . . . . The father provided this information to the Security Service of Ukraine, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Administration of the President of Ukraine.

“Why should I be afraid?” says the man with sad drooping shoulders and dull eyes. “The worst has already happened. For almost a year I have been looking for the body of my son so I can bury him. I know he died in agony. If they can kill me for telling the truth,* then I am not afraid of death. It is important that the whole world knows what inhuman torture is being used against captured Ukrainian soldiers. It is important that Bezler does not escape punishment. That’s my goal….”

Nikolai Kudriavtsev brought printed copies of his conversations with the soldiers who had been POWs imprisoned with his son to the newspaper office.

http://euromaidanpress.com/2015/07/06/its-important-the-world-knows-about-inhuman-torture-used-against-ukraines-pows-says-father/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2ThefJwljo

According to Reuters, “Although nominally part of the Russian opposition, he is widely seen as a servant of Kremlin policy, used to float radical opinions to test public reaction.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vladimir_Zhirinovsky

Armed confrontation in Transcarpathia, which led to blood and death of several people provoked confrontation criminal gangs, led by the deputies of Ukraine Mikhail deer and Viktor Baloga. It is regrettable that the conflict with the law “kryshuvaty” smuggling in the region is trapped Ukrainian patriots.

We understand the dissatisfaction of Ukrainian society and patriots negative trends in the state. At the same time emphasize the prevention of internal conflict in a country that is bitter war with a powerful enemy. Ukrainian society should be mobilized and consolidated and resist all efforts to the opening of secondary fronts in the country. For it is the responsibility of both the government and the patriotic public. Patriots Place with weapons in the East.

With this situation, the country must make appropriate conclusions. We call on civil society activists to take control of its own investigation into these events to the real culprits were punished events rather than a handful of patriots. “Azov”, for its part, is ready to participate fully in the conflict.

In order to ensure an impartial and objective investigation of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine offer immediately remove the parliamentary immunity of MPs and deer Baloga as the main perpetrators of the conflict. And also – to take full control of the actions of law enforcement agencies whose participation in the solution of this conflict raise doubts about their impartiality.

http://start.co.ua/index.php/item/zayava-azovu-shhodo-situac%D1%96%D1%97-u-mukachevomu

since Debaltseve, Russian military forces have reportedly increased their recruitment and training of Ukrainians. At least one massive Russian military base now operates in Ukraine to train new recruits. As the proportion of Ukrainians fighting alongside the Russian military increases, the civil war that the Kremlin manufactured may become a reality.

http://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/new-atlanticist/here-s-how-the-kremlin-manufactured-a-civil-war-in-ukraine

Anti-corruption Right Sector goes to war with mafia & police in Mukachevo, Western #Ukraine. 2 KIA, 4-6 wounded. Details emerging.

Sound of battle here:

Conclusion
Clearly multiple extreme explosions with corresponding large craters appeared in the areas of the Chemical Factory.
That raises the question: WHAT IS GOING ON THERE?

Some possibilities:
1. Does Ukraine regularly bomb it with Tochka-U?
2. Do the Russian have ammunition depots there and something goes wrong every now and then?
3. Do the Russian blow up stuff just to be able to blame Ukraine using Tochka-U and thus have a reason to inflame the conflict again?
4. Are the Russians building, experiment and testing mega-bombs?
5. A combination of the above?

One thing is clear. The numerous wagons there have not moved since May 30th 2014

Therefore it seems unlikely that these are used for transporting ammunition. On the other hand these bunkers and the factory are designed and used for producing and storing ammunition. How much (old?) ammunition was still stored in these bunkers? Could simple shelling have caused a chain reaction and blow up depots?

But then: if ammunition depots are blown up, why again and again? Or do the Russians deliberately blow up large stocks of old ammo there? And intimidate Donetsk residents and make a nice blame-Ukraine story of it?

http://ukraineatwar.blogspot.com/2015/06/why-does-donetsk-chemical-factory.html

http://arstechnica.co.uk/tech-policy/2015/06/wayback-machines-485-billion-web-pages-blocked-by-russian-government-order/

http://globalvoicesonline.org/2015/06/25/russia-bans-the-internet-archives-wayback-machine/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Who is most to blame for the violence in eastern Ukraine?
Pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine Ukrainian government Russia Western countries Don’t know
US 15% 13% 42% 5% 22%
Canada 18% 5% 37% 7% 29%
France 30% 14% 44% 9% 2%
Germany 25% 9% 29% 12% 17%
Italy 22% 7% 29% 6% 23%
UK 17% 7% 40% 7% 24%
Spain 15% 9% 37% 8% 21%
Poland 15% 8% 57% 3% 8%

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-33072093

Donetsk under Russian occupation June 22nd 2015

Russia only needs a headline. Their focus is domestic propaganda.

It’s near Moscow.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/hayesbrown/basically-jurassic-park-but-with-soviet-style-propaganda

http://pikabu.ru/story/cocacola_trolit_ukrainu_2495579

In September 2013, just before the Maidan revolution, 88% of Ukrainians felt “positively” about Russia, says the Kiev International Institute of Sociology. By May 2015, that number had fallen to 30% (it would be a lot lower if it excluded people in the rebel-held south-east).

http://www.economist.com/news/europe/21654663-war-has-made-most-ukrainians-see-russians-enemies-not-friends-putin-uniter?fsrc=scn/tw_ec/putin_the_uniter