Sergiy Shapoval: separatists are demoralized. They can be finished off

Source: http://inforesist.org/

A journalist of Lutsk’s newspaper “Volin Post” Sergiy Shapoval spent more than three weeks in captivity of Donetsk separatists. He was captured on the 26th of April after he tried to subscribe as a volunteer in Donbass people’s militia. Shapoval was going to join separatists to write a report about people who support the protest.

According to Sergiy, there is a real spy-phobia among separatists: they interrogate all volunteers fearing that members of the “Right Sector” will join them. After they found Sergiy’s journalist ID, he was tortured by electric shock, and for greater impact they put a wet cloth on his shoulder.

During interrogation there were present journalist of Anna News. After the torture, as if nothing happened, they recorded a video with the beaten journalist. Sergiy was forced to say that he is OK and that he is in Slavyansk.

Later this video was removed for YouTube. In total there were recorded 4 videos, in which Shapoval spoke a prepared in advance by separatists and Russian journalists text. They were also publishing articles on Sergiy’s behalf, which were portraying separatists move in a positive light.

Sergiy Shapoval told in his interview to Hubs who and what are these separatists.

Are the ideas of the People’s Republic of Donetsk supported in Donetsk?

Ordinary people in Donetsk do not support People’s Republic of Donetsk. Do you remember on Maidan there were hundreds of volunteers, who cooked and brought food.

In Donetsk the militants make their own sandwiches, and there are few announcements a day from the stage that they need women to cook food. I saw and heard it all, because I was in a room, which windows overlook the main entrance to the Donetsk Regional State Administration.

They didn’t even had enough mattresses. Some militants slept on the floor; they could not organise their everyday life.

In the evening there are patrols in town, presumably to protect the rule of law and at the same time take phones from locals. In the morning they show off who stole better phone.

The parking in front of the Regional Administration is packed with stolen cars. How do I know this? They talk about it – stolen cars.

Are separatists really afraid of the “Right Sector”? Or they understand that the rumors about this organisation are exaggerated?

This is their universal horror story. Whoever is caught is declared to be a member of the Right Sector. Whatever happens – this is all the Right Sector. They are wound up by the Russian TV, which even calls the National Guard the Right Sector.

Who are the people on the rally in front of the administration?

When I came there in the end of April there were many romantics, idealists, adventurers. The audience is 25 to 33 years old.

After the fire in Odessa’s House of Trade Unions on the 2nd of May there was a surge of volunteers. The corridors were packed with people. Some miners squads came.

After the referendum all thinned out. Now there are only young people there. Even on Saturday and Sunday, when there should be many people, there are only a couple of dozens of them. Maximum a hundred, when there is a meeting.

Compare this to the self organisation of participants in EuroMaidan, where they were able to create some structures, organise everyday life, cooperate. Separatists are only capable of impulse, which thins down rather quickly.

This is a very glaring fact. Separatist, who say that they will go all the way to the Polish border, take off their Georgian ribbons when them move more than 100 metres away form the Regional Administration. I have seen it myself. When I asked one girl why it is the case she answered – Don’t you understand how many fascists are here?

Then why the Regional Administration is still not freed?

Because they have machine guns. There are a lot of arms there. I have seen Kalashnikovs, I have seen antitank grenade and objects, which looked like anti-tank mines

There was information in the media that almost in every office in the Administration there is a prisoner. Is it so?

Yes, I have heard cries, heard how they lugged someone though the corridors. One can stand near the building and see how they walk people with hands cocked and heads wrapped in cloth. And so every day. In the best case scenario these people are forced to wash toilets, in the worst – they are tortured.

I was tortured in the editorial office of the newspaper “Life”. They have such editorial office and there I was tortured. Then, after interrogations, Russian journalists came, put a flag on the wall and told me to speak into camera and say that I am in Slavyansk. And say the text that they wrote for me.

What do people in the seized Regional Administration say about Akhmetov?

Bad thing in general. They were saying that he fires people form the mines for taking part in rallies. They also hate the Party of Regions and Tsaryov.

What does the place of protests, the tents village looks like?

Tents village is a loud name for it. There are two or three tents.

There is a stage, but it is always empty. Not like it was on Maidan, where everyone wanted to come out and say something. There, they either play “Get up, enormous country” (old Soviet song – ed.) or a granny reads her poems or a granddad tells how much he should like to throttle Liashko. Or they show reports and news of the channel “Russia 24″

A song “A war with people is bad. Maidan zip it” is very popular. They also have their own “Heaven’s Guard” and slogans “Glory to Russia – Glory to Donbas!”.

The Regional Administration itself is smashed. Everything, which could be taken out was taken out.

How did you mange to break free?

I would not be able to break free by myself. I would get caught and would be killed, that’s why I simply sat and waited. Yesterday a man came and told me that I have to eat and wash and that I was to be swapped. Three hours later a man in civilian came for me. He led me to a car. We went to what looked like the Donetsk airport. There were many people there, I recognised Victor Medvedchuk and Nestor Shufrich. I came to Medvedchuk and asked – why do you need this, why did you free me? He answered that this is his position – to help people who are in need.

What is your forecast for the development of events?

Separatists can be easily finished off. If they are not given any surge, like the one in Odessa. They are demoralised, they do not know what to do. They do not see any outcome. People’s Republic of Donetsk, for which they live half hungry and die exists only in the Donetsk Regional Administration.

Dmitry Tymchuk’s Military Blog: Summary – May 19, 2014

Translated and edited by Voices of Ukraine

The bad news:

1. The farther [they go], the less terrorists in Donbass are burdened by moral and ethical standards. This morning, our posts near Slavyansk were shot at by mortars mounted on the territory of a kindergarten.

Using women and the elderly as human shields is no longer a novelty. Firing positions in apartment buildings are also nothing new. The farther [they go], the more cynical and despicable [they get].

2. We don’t observe a withdrawal of Russian troops as was reported by Russian media citing the Kremlin. The media announced that “[military] exercises in Belgorod, Bryansk, and Rostov Regions have been completed” and Putin’s little soldiers would return to the places of their permanent deployment.

This is not the first time Moscow is launching this “duck,” we have grown accustomed to such lies. But today, the withdrawal of Russian troops is extremely important for us.

For one simple reason–I have already mentioned it today. This would not only reduce the degree of tension in Donbass, but would relieve some of the [Ukrainian] forces that are keeping defense along our Eastern border today. And these forces are badly needed for the Presidential elections on May 25 in the region.

But, let’s wait on what happens tomorrow. Maybe Russian troops really will be removed from the border after all. Although to believe Putin–is to deceive oneself. Been there, done that.

3. The SBU received five reports about possible attempts on lives of candidates for the President of Ukraine, the Deputy Head of the SBU Viktor Yagun announced.

In fact, the information received by the SBU does not mean these were 100% attempts on their lives. But the general tendency this announcement reflects: that terrorists can take any possible measures just to disrupt the elections. And the closer it is to May 25, the less boring it will become.

The good news:

1. The governor of Donetsk Region Serhiy Taruta stated today: the support for separatists declined sharply in the Region. Yesterday, only 500 people came to their action in Donetsk. We observe a decrease of terrorist support in Luhansk Region as well.

Ordinary residents of Donbass–even the ones infected with Putin’s propaganda about the “fascist government in Kyiv”–have grown tired. They, like all normal people, want peace and stability.

We still must understand who exactly is fighting for the “independence of Donbass.” When a drunk and cussing creature comes to you, breaks into your home and sets up a “firing position,” or shoots your neighbor for supporting the “Right Sector,” you inevitably begin to wonder who the hell this “independence” is for.

2. Today, over 50 terrorists in 10 vehicles approached the checkpoint near the town of  Amvrosievka  in Donetsk region at the state border with Russia. An armed fight followed. The outcome: none of ours got hurt, one terrorist was killed, seven–wounded, one was captured.

This ratio is encouraging. But what is discouraging is that most reposts from the ATO [anti-terrorist operation] area talk about the terrorists attacking and the security forces defending themselves. For it’s unclear which one of them actually conducts the operation.

Let’s hope that the situation will change. We are sick and tired of this.

3. Dnipropetrovsk Region formed four battalions of volunteers as part of the Ministry of Defense and the Interior Ministry. The self-defense forces provide 4,000 servicemen at the checkpoints.

Actually, it’s the tip of the iceberg. Similar battalions in the Army and the Interior Ministry are forming all over Ukraine.

Unfortunately, the data about the number of these units and the number of personnel are closed. I can only say the following: the scale of the process is impressive. The country is able to defend itself–both from Putin, and from pro-Russian terrorists. If only we could solve the problem of Donbass…

May 18-19, 2014 Lithuania media round-up

On 18th of May Ivan Simonovic, the UN assistant secretary general for human rights, said that ‘Ukraine is coming close to the “point of no return“. He also added that situation in Ukraine remains similar to the situation in Croatia in the 90s. (vz.lt, alfa.lt, bernardinai.lt)

On 18th of May Michael Birnbaum, journalist of Washington Post, in his article wrote that ‘Vowing to defend ethnic Russians wherever they live, President Vladimir Putin has embarked on an aggressive campaign to rebuild the pride and assertiveness of the Russian people, which he says was lost in the breakup of the Soviet Union’ (15min.lt). Read more in Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/russian-president-putin-builds-ties-in-moldova-kazakhstan-and-baltics/2014/05/17/fa1beb22-c45f-4027-9b30-cc45212c785e_story.html?tid=pm_world_pop.

On 18th of May, John Ohman, one of Lithuanian activists supporting Ukraine, in an interview to ‘Šiauliai plius’ news portal said that ‘conflict in Ukraine is not only an attempt to expand a territory, but also a grand experiment by Russia which was aimed to test the new tactics in warfare.’’ Also he thinks that Russia is retreating from Ukraine now, but there’s a possibility that Russia will try to experiment in Baltic states too. (etaplius.lt)

On 19th of May Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Secretary General of NATO, said that they have unfortunately not seen any evidence of Russian troops withdrawing from the borders of Ukraine’. (15min.lt)

 

Petition to the president of France for inviting Putin

Sign the petition here..

The following text has been delivered to the President of France:

“Monsieur le Président,

On 6 June 2014 the free world commemorates the beginning of the liberation of France – and Europe – from fascism that struck the heart of Europe and destroyed millions of lives in a killing madness.

Sadly fascism is back to Europe, from the East this time. Ironically, the man who has reinvented fascism remains a guest of honor (sic!) of these celebrations!

As a French citizen and a European, I implore you to cancel this invitation as long as Ukraine remains occupied by the Russians soldiers, and as the worst abuses continue on the soil of the Crimea and in the rest of this great country.

After the dissolution of the Soviet Union Russia has “inherited” the history of the USSR, but Ukraine has suffered much more during the last war (16.3% of the population of Ukraine perished against 12,7% of the Russian population).

It would be much fairer to invite a representative of Ukraine to the commemorations, or at least a true Russian veteran who fought against fascism, but not an odious character of modern history that is on the side of all the dictators of the world.

I join the list of more than 300 citizens who support this proposal.

Monsieur le Président, I am counting on your sense of justice in international relations that you demonstrated during your presidency. Ukrainian people relies on the support of France, even as symbolic as the cancelling of an invitation.

Ruslan S

and

more than 695 signatories”

Thousands of Crimean Tatars Mark 70th Anniversary of Deportation

Source: Euromaidanpr

Despite a ban on any demonstrations by the Russian occupation authorities and a decision by the Milli Mejlis not to hold a mass commemoration lest it become the occasion for a Russian provocation, thousands of Crimean Tatars have assembled in their homeland today to mark the 70th anniversary of their deportation by Stalin.

Today (ed.-18th of May), all roads approaching Simferopol were under surveillance by the police and security forces, to make sure that Crimean Tatars weren’t able to get to their traditional May 18th rally in an organized manner. Most people decided to get to the rally separately. Russian security forces created artificial traffic jams on the main roads. So, many people ended up walking to the rally point at the Ak-Mosque/Kebir-Jami Mosque in pouring rain, leaving their cars behind. Moreover, there entire city was chock full of the ‘self-defense’ gangs with helicopters flying over. About 40 minutes after the the rally started, helicopters left and it stopped raining.

Despite all efforts to prevent the commemoration, several hundred people with Crimean Tatar national flags finally assembled in the Salgirka Park, and several hundred more met in the square in front of that city’s railroad station where the foundation has been laid for a future monument to the deportation which involved 200,000 Crimean Tatars, a large fraction of whom died as a result.

They were peaceful, did not use loudspeakers as in the past, and were surrounded by a heavy presence of Russian security officers. After brief meetings, they left in small groups via public transport and traveled to the predominantly Crimean Tatar Akmechet district away from the city center where they have joined more than 5,000 others

According to the Kryminform news agency, people from all parts of Simferopol as well as neighboring regions are at the meeting. They are carrying Crimean Tatar flags and slogans like “The Motherland! The People! Crimea!” And they are being addressed by longtime veterans of the Crimean Tatar national movement.

Also in attendance are representatives of the other peoples who were deported from the peninsula in 1944. In the air above the demonstration, Kryminform reports, there are two government helicopters. But as of this writing (0630 EDT in the United States), security officials have tried to enforce their regime’s ban on such meetings or reports of any clashes between them and the Crimean Tatars.

You can also read this photo report about commemoration in Simferopol: https://news.pn/en/public/104378. And Dmitry Tymchuk also writes about it here: http://maidantranslations.com/2014/05/18/dmitry-tymchuk-70th-anniversary-of-crimean-deportation-peaceful-rallies-in-crimea-today/.

Meeting ‘Light a fire in your heart’ was held in Lviv (photos by Alim Aliev)

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Dnipropetrovsk also held a rally commemorating the deportation of Crimean Tatars on May 17. The Crimean national symbol ‘tamga’ was formed out of lit candles on the bank of the Dnieper river. Representatives of the Crimean Tatar community as well as Ukrainians and people of other nationalities participated in the gathering. The activists plan to ask the city authorities to grant them a flowerbed where volunteers will make a ‘tamga’ out of planted flowers.

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Commemoration in Dzhankoy: 

Beyond the borders of Crimea, there have been meetings and declarations of support for the Crimean Tatars and their cause from governments and public organizations around the world. The quiet courage the Crimean Tatars have displayed in coming out today in the face of a new wave of Russian repression will only gain them and their cause more support.

And consequently, while the number of Crimean Tatars taking part in this year’s round anniversary commemoration is smaller than the 30,000 who have typically gathered in recent years, the event this year has achieved even more for the Crimean Tatar cause and its fight for justice than did any previous meeting.

May 17, Lithuania media round-up

On 17th of May, news portal lzinios.lt published an interview with Elvina Ergashova, Crimean Tatar. She said that ‘Tatar’s situation in Crimea is very tense at this moment.’ Also Elvina hopes that Crimea will come back to Ukraine in a year or two and this chaos and terror will come to an end.’ (lzinios.lt)

On 17th of May, Vytautas Leškevičius, Lithuanian Vice-minister of Foreign Affairs, met with Mustafa Dzhemilev, Leader of the Crimean Tatars, in Kiev. According to Mustafa Dzhemilev, ‘kidnapping of Tatars, prohibition to speak the native language, limitations of the meeting law, discrimination and even murders because of ethnicity became common place in occupied Crimea.’ (ELTA, 15min.lt)

John Kerry, US Secretary of the Department of State, has made a statement on the 70th anniversary of Joseph Stalin’s forcible deportation of more than 230,000 Crimean Tatars from their homeland in Crimea. In his statement, he said that ‘for many Crimean Tatars, these abuses are still fresh in their minds and current Russia’s occupation and illegal attempt to annex Crimea has reopened these old wounds.’ (15min.lt)

DPR in the near future once again will be asking to join Russia

Source: http://inforesist.org

Prime minister of the self-proclaimed People’s Republic of Donetsk announced that in the near future the Republic is planning to ask Russia for inclusion of the Republic into the Russian Federation. He made this announcement on a press conference on Saturday.

“Of course, we are planning,” – said he answering a question from an OstroV journalist.

When asked when such request can be officially prepared, Borodai answered that it will happen in the near future.

“We will do all this very hastily,” – he said.

A. Borodai has also announced that the DPR will ask the Russian Federation to establish diplomatic contacts with the Republic.

As was reported earlier, a political analyst from Moscow Alexander Borodai became the prime-minister of the self-proclaimed People’s Republic of Donetsk.

Symbols of subversives from Donbas explained

Do you know that symbols are signs and in turn signs are words? It doesn’t matter if you don’t, you just have to comprehend the following semiotic term: sign. Sign is a depiction of something, for example a word, a road sign, an emblem, coat of arms or something else. A sign always has a meaning and it is used to depict that meaning. It does not matter, whether the sign is spoken or drawn.

Flag of Donbas's People army, wuite popular between insurgents, and also translated symbol of Slovyansk TV. Do you notice something wrong with that shield and sword?

Flag of Donbass People’s army, quite popular between insurgents. Do you notice something wrong with that shield and sword?

For instance, the symbols of “self-defense” units of Donbass separatists were broadcasted on local television in Slavyansk and seen on different flags, although, now they are less seen (compared to how it was before), so maybe the separatists have come to reason. Does it give you any thoughts? Do you know what it says? Older people should remember the symbols.

If you have guessed, let’s go through some other signs, used in Donbass, now teeming with separatists and terrorists. If you haven’t guessed, I’ll tell you after some images with flags.

Continue reading →