THE WAR GOES ON....

The Vineyard of the Saker reports today:

It appears that the ceasefire has had a bigger impact on the big cities of Lugansk and Donetsk than in the smaller cities on the frontline like Slaviansk or Kramatorsk were combat operations have apparently continued.  Furthermore, as Juan has reported, Ukrainian troops are further being resupplied and reinforced.  The junta's Minister of Defense has officially confirmed that the notorious "Battalion Aidar" death-squad, which had been wiped out by the NDF, was being re-formed and re-trained with new soldiers.  Igor Kolomoiski appears to be the person financing this effort.
There are now officially half a million refugees from the ex-Ukraine now in the Rostov-on-the-Don region alone.  400,000 refugee centers have now been created in Russia east of the Ural Mountains.  The US ambassador to the UNSC has denied that there is a refugee crisis.  To Uncle Sam half a million refugees are, apparently, invisible, just like the 275,000 Serbian refugees from Croatia, Bosnia and Kosovo are *still* invisible to the West.

Then the Ukranian insider (Juan) shared this latest news from the eastern battleground:

1. There was and is no 'cease fire' in Novorossiya. Right sector/nats guard never stopped their attacks and bombardments nor have units of Ukraine Army. We know what West Media is saying, blaming all incidents on us. They are liars. We can not stand down while under attack from the enemy.

2. Bombardments of Slavyansk, Kramatorsk, Donetsk City, Lugansk City and outlying towns and villages continues day and night. 

3. Smerch missile systems are now in the Lugansk and Donetsk City areas. Confirmed eyes on.

4. Ukraine is now deploying by artillery anti personnel mines. These mines have no 'inert date' in them. Confirmed, eyes on. We will be losing civilians for years after the fighting is over.

5. Reports of 400 soldiers of 25th Airborne Regiment leaving the combat area are not confirmed. 

6. Large areas of the Novorossiya/Russia border are under Novorossiya control. There have been scattered attacks by Ukr Army on some of our border posts. Attacks were not successful. No known civilian casualties in these attacks.

7. Many thousands of Novorossiya civilians are crossing the border with Russia to escape the bombardments and attacks on them. At some crossing points traffic is backed up for more than 5 kilometers. Confirmed, eyes on.

8. Krasni Limahn is still not secure. Our troops are involved in scattered fighting in the area. Novorossiya has made an effort to remove the many civilian bodies in the streets and buildings of Krasni Limahn in areas that we control.

9. Neither Donetsk Airport nor Lugansk Airports are totally under control of Novorossiya. Scattered fighting is ongoing in both areas.

10. The Mi24 shoot down yesterday is confirmed. The helicopter was not full of 'cease fire monitors' as Kiev says. It is confirmed the now deceased occupants were all combat armed Ukr soldiers.  

11. Slavyansk and outlying towns and villages are completely cut off from water, gas, electric and sewer systems. The only water available is from wells and streams. Food supplies are dwindling rapidly. Novorossiya Army is making efforts to get food in to the areas. These efforts are contested by the enemy even though clearly marked as to their purpose. Confirmed. 

12. The systematic bombardments by Ukr Army of Novorossiya cities, towns and villages has several purposes. One is to terrorize and drive out as many civilians as possible, leading to the death and wounding of many innocent civilians. Second is to cut off water and electric to all civilian areas possible. Third is to destroy as much of the physical plant and industry including mines as possible.

13. Ukraine Army is laying minefields in civilian and uncontested areas. These fields are unmarked. Confirmed loses of civilians and livestock in the minefields.

14. Two carelessly driven Ukr Army trucks became mired in mud near one of our outposts. We are in possession of the contents and drivers of both. Drivers are now members of Novorossiya Army at their request. Contents of both trucks are a welcome addition to our supply train and were quite interesting. 

15. 07:17 25 June fierce fighting ongoing in Slavyansk area near foot of Karachuk Mountain. Mountain is bombarding Slavyansk and under bombardment from our mortars. We do not have long range artillery to bombard all of Karachuk. Casualties are unknown at this time.

16. 24 June and 25 June, confirmed eyes on strong armor columns of Ukr Army including main battle tanks and light tanks are moving and deploying in the Donetsk City and Lugansk City areas. 

17. Partisan activities in Kharkov area are ongoing. Confirmed a large column of fresh right sector/nats guard replacements was ambushed and suffered significant casualties and vehicle losses. No known casualties for the partisans. 

18. без комментариев.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOHNVzXGOEE

 

19. My evaluation of your Watershed Moment analysis:  Shows and tells pretty much everything in the overall view with most the players and actors mentioned. The only problem is the situation is so fluid what is true this morning may not be true at noon. As I said some time ago, you and a lot of the posters on blog are intellectually so far above this poor old grunt I've got to look up to see your feet. That being said, the post was pretty complete and well laid out in the analysis of the options and actions of both sides of this war. Easily understandable even for my poor tired brain.  The moral of our boys is extremely high. Those I talked to Sunday were tired but very upbeat and that's putting it mildly. There has indeed been a sea change in the last week or 10 days.  A massive attack on Lugansk City and Donetsk City proper is expected by Friday at the latest. There are again rumblings of a concerted gas attack in the opening bombardment. Kiev is desperate to force VV to intervene. He won't unless civilian casualties from a gas attack are huge. And they will be and will be blamed on our boys if the gas attack is done. Casualties will be bad enough from the preliminary bombardment. Kiev is massing everything they have for the bombardment right down to slingshots.  I know the downed chopper is being ID'd as an Mi8. My sources are pretty adamant the one they saw go down was an Mi24, in the same general area and with roughly the same soldier load. If it's an Mi24, why so few soldiers? Full of some kind of special cargo? Perhaps two birds got waxed?