Ukrainian troops begin special operation in Slavyansk - Polidicks

[quote]The Ukrainian army has reportedly begun a special operation against pro-autonomy activists in the eastern town of Slavyansk early Friday morning, as air raid sirens went off and gunfire was heard. Slavyansk self-defense forces told RIA Novosti that the Ukrainian military has attacked several positions. “The attack is targeting a few checkpoints at the same time. A few armored vehicles and airborne combat vehicles arrived and airborne troops descended from the helicopters and attacked the checkpoints. Some forces were dropped off around the train station, where we didn’t have anyone,” RIA Novosti quoted the press secretary of the Slavyansk self-defense units as saying. Early Friday morning, a city siren – which is designed to warn local residents of a Ukrainian military attack – went off and shots were heard. A few minutes later, the siren stopped and everything calmed down, according to reports. A few of the activists were injured during the attack, Interfax cited the city’s self-defense unit as saying. A commander at one of the checkpoints told RIA Novosti that the Ukrainian army has taken control of one of the roadblocks on the outskirts of Slavyansk, as well as the city’s TV broadcasting center. A police station was reportedly seized, while the city center remains quiet, RT’s Paula Slier reported from Ukraine. Several armored vehicles have been seen outside Slavyansk, she added. Thick smoke was spotted on the outskirts of the city, where the roadblocks are located. The Slavyansk self-defense leader said that two Ukrainian army helicopters were shot down, and that one of the pilots is dead and the other one was captured, Interfax reported. He added that helicopters are shooting down at the city with missiles, but that there have been no reports of damage. A video posted on YouTube reportedly shows the start of the special operation in Slavyansk:[/quote] [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJYLQwsNSr8[/media] Let's see what happens! [url]http://rt.com/news/156292-slavyansk-army-special-operation[/url]

Good, they've accomplished something and that's good for morale.

[QUOTE=Reshy;44701207]Good, they've accomplished something and that's good for morale.[/QUOTE] Losing two helicopters on camera?

[QUOTE=laserguided;44701337]Losing two helicopters on camera?[/QUOTE] Speaking in regards to reclaiming some positions.

Damn, they're losing Helicopters like a Hollywood film.

Hopefully the Ukrainian Troops capture or kill them all. These barbarians are out of control with the way they are kidnapping, torturing, and killing innocent people and foreign nationals.

That air raid siren is eerie af

[QUOTE=Zenreon117;44701633]That air raid siren is eerie af[/QUOTE] Working as intended as some other Facepunchers have said. When you hear emergency warnings and air raid sirens, you know shit is getting bad or they are testing things.

[QUOTE=Crazy;44701174][media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJYLQwsNSr8[/media] Let's see what happens![/QUOTE] god the sirens in the background sound so surreal

I'm actually amazed they were able to shoot down two helicopters. How much fire power do the pro russian forces have?

[QUOTE=-n3o-;44701744]I'm actually amazed they were able to shoot down two helicopters. How much[B] fire power[/B] do the [B]pro russian forces[/B] have?[/QUOTE] Is that even a question?

[QUOTE=-n3o-;44701744]I'm actually amazed they were able to shoot down two helicopters. How much fire power do the pro russian forces have?[/QUOTE] They're being armed and coordinated by the Russian Military, so they're pretty well armed. [editline]2nd May 2014[/editline] To knock out 2 helicopters so easily, I wouldn't be surprised if they have AA guns somewhere.

[QUOTE=JoeSkylynx;44701591]Hopefully the Ukrainian Troops capture or kill them all. These barbarians are out of control with the way they are kidnapping, torturing, and killing innocent people and foreign nationals.[/QUOTE] I hope they're all slaughtered TBH. I have no sympathy for traitors who attempt to attack and occupy their own country so that another country can annex it. Either move to Russia or get what's coming to you.

Man sucks for those pilots, one dead and another one captured. Hopefully the captured one makes it out alive.

Im actually very confused as to who the "bad" and "good" guys are here. I dont mean to cast a black-and-white comparison but my point is that it all seems very confusing and I dont know who is fighting who, for what, and why. The Ukranians want to defend their country from the Russians. But some want to join the Russians. But there are rebel Ukranians both for-and-against the Russians. Where does that leave the military? How is the Russian Military able to support Pro-Russian Ukranians in an armed revolution when that effectively counts as invasion via third party? I dont mean to belittle the issue. I know its quite serious. But even after reading through multiple reports of X faction attacking Y I still cant really make any sense of it.

When did we find out that those "peaceful and weaponless" pro-Russian protesters were not as such?

[QUOTE=Venrez;44701834]Im actually very confused as to who the "bad" and "good" guys are here. I dont mean to cast a black-and-white comparison but my point is that it all seems very confusing and I dont know who is fighting who, for what, and why. The Ukranians want to defend their country from the Russians. But some want to join the Russians. But there are rebel Ukranians both for-and-against the Russians. Where does that leave the military? How is the Russian Military able to support Pro-Russian Ukranians in an armed revolution when that effectively counts as invasion via third party? I dont mean to belittle the issue. I know its quite serious. But even after reading through multiple reports of X faction attacking Y I still cant really make any sense of it.[/QUOTE] Actually the pro russian forces arent even that large in size, the issue is that Russia is assisting them in both organisation and threatening war if the Ukraine does anything to "overreact". Meaning Russia has people in the Ukraine helping to organize these thugs so they can make Ukraine have to resort to military operations like this, and then they will invade on the grounds of "keeping the peace on a border country to ensure the safety of the motherlands citizens."

So Russia is deliberately inciting civil war on the grounds that it aims to invade and take the country for its own. The Government supports Russia but the majority of the populace do not, leading to an awkward power-play between People and State? These Pro-Russian Forces are considered the Rebels? What of the other Rebels that are opposed to the Russians? The Military seems to be stuck inbetween. I am confuse. But then again a lot of people probably are, resulting in this crisis.

I hope Ukraine fight back, war is terrible and all but this has gone too far

Activists don't shoot down helicopters.

[QUOTE=Venrez;44701946]So Russia is deliberately inciting civil war on the grounds that it aims to invade and take the country for its own. The Government supports Russia but the majority of the populace do not, leading to an awkward power-play between People and State? These Pro-Russian Forces are considered the Rebels? What of the other Rebels that are opposed to the Russians? The Military seems to be stuck inbetween. I am confuse. But then again a lot of people probably are, resulting in this crisis.[/QUOTE] The Pro-Russian government is the one which was exiled recently, the current gov is Pro-EU, the insurgents are supported by Russians against the "illegitimate and fascist" interim government.

[QUOTE=Venrez;44701946]So Russia is deliberately inciting civil war on the grounds that it aims to invade and take the country for its own. The Government supports Russia but the majority of the populace do not, leading to an awkward power-play between People and State? These Pro-Russian Forces are considered the Rebels? What of the other Rebels that are opposed to the Russians? The Military seems to be stuck inbetween. I am confuse. But then again a lot of people probably are, resulting in this crisis.[/QUOTE] Originally Ukraine had a strongly pro-Russian president, Viktor Yanukovych. He was supposed to sign on for closer economic ties with the EU, but at the last second he cancelled it and signed up with Putin instead. Pro-EU Ukrainians started protesting, and it was peaceful for awhile, but then Yanukovych and his Parliament passed a bill that effectively banned all forms of protest and public assembly. Then they sent riot police in to arrest everyone, but it backfired and the Government was thrown out. After Yanukovych fled the country, a pro-EU Government led by temporary officials was set up until elections could be held. Yanukovych evaded arrest by Ukrainian border guards and fled to Russia where he cried to Putin, and Putin was angry that he lost his influence over Ukraine. Russia quickly denounced the Kiev Government as illegitimate, the result of a coup, calling them "Nazis" and basically throwing a fit. With a push from Za Rodina, pro-Russian protests started popping up in Crimea, and Russia began arming and coordinating select groups of separatists in Crimea, then invaded and annexed it after a fake vote. Then pro-Russian protests started to spring up in the East and Russia began arming and coordinating groups there as well. Not all of the pro-Russia protesters are even Ukrainian, some are from Russia or former Soviet Bloc states. Separatists coordinated by Russia began storming Government Buildings and Police Stations to neutralise any possible resistance, then declare themselves the new Government. There's also rumours that the Spetsnaz were operating within the Separatist movement. And Russia has a huge troop buildup on the borders, and is threatening to invade if Ukraine tries to remove the separatists. And that's where we are now, and why things are so tense.

Alittle off topic but there is a clash between pro-kiev and anti-gov in the ukraine port city of odessa. It's live on ustream, [url]http://www.ustream.tv/channel/o1odessa[/url] if anyone is interested in watching. From what i've seen it's a battle of metal shields, throwing rocks and alot of people, maybe some firetrucks in the mix too.

Gun fire in Odessa! At least one shot fired randomly heard while they're taking over the fire engine. And then I couldn't stop laughing because I saw this. [IMG]http://i.imgur.com/aiLLSwc.jpg[/IMG]

[QUOTE=Snapster;44703384]Alittle off topic but there is a clash between pro-kiev and anti-gov in the ukraine port city of odessa. It's live on ustream, [url]http://www.ustream.tv/channel/o1odessa[/url] if anyone is interested in watching. From what i've seen it's a battle of metal shields, throwing rocks and alot of people, maybe some firetrucks in the mix too.[/QUOTE] Who's who? Seems like camera man is with Ukrainian loyalists, given the blue/yellow colours worn by some people. That, or Swedish soccer fans. [editline]2nd May 2014[/editline] Yeah, camera man is with Ukranians, Russians behind barricades. [editline]2nd May 2014[/editline] And molotovs are now flying. Good thing they're completely safe and non-lethal, ain't that right, Yawmwen?

[QUOTE=Riller;44703481]Who's who? Seems like camera man is with Ukrainian loyalists, given the blue/yellow colours worn by some people. That, or Swedish soccer fans.[/QUOTE] That's what I think, alot of them are wearing yellow/blue. The people they are always clashing with have russian flags behind them. I think this is a stream from the other side. [url]http://www.ustream.tv/channel/t1merodessavideo[/url]

Upd8 [url]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-27259614[/url] [quote]Many pro-Russia rebels have been killed, injured and arrested in the Ukrainian government offensive in the eastern city of Sloviansk, interim president Oleksandr Turchynov has said. But, in a statement, he said the operation in the rebel-held city was not going as quickly as hoped.[/quote]

Magic Noodles shop just caught fire, oh no!

I just get a message from my friend in Odessa "in centre people star[t] to kill people its war" and now "My friend stay in centre and near her man shot in head and he died [in front of] her eyes"

Pretty scary actually. Gonna wait for an official response from both Kiev and Moscow on the situation, beyond what we already know, of course.