Russian troops in Ukraine.
Today Washington’s version of the dynamic duo (U.S. Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham ) issued a press statement concerning the so called “Russian invasion” of Ukraine:
“Russia’s ongoing aggression in Ukraine can only be called one thing: a cross-border military invasion. To claim it is anything other than that is to inhabit President Putin’s Orwellian universe.
“For months, the critics of providing arms and additional assistance to Ukraine have warned that doing so could provoke a Russian invasion. Everything the critics said would happen if we did more to help Ukraine has now happened anyway. Believing that the answer now is to do more of the same, or to do even less, is folly. Such a minimalist policy has been a large part of the current problem. It is most certainly not the answer now. Instead, the United States and our European allies should immediately begin providing intelligence and defensive weapons to Ukraine, including anti-armor systems. We should also impose real sectoral sanctions on Russia – not the half-measures taken to date, but full sanctions on Russia’s defense, financial, energy, and other sectors.
“This is a moment to speak and act with clarity. A sovereign nation in the heart of Europe is being invaded by its larger neighbor. This runs completely contrary to the civilized world that America and our partners have sought to build since World War II. If we will not or cannot defend our own values now, as well as friends who share them, the future will be dark and dangerous indeed, not just for Ukraine but for us too.”
Source: http://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=2152acb2-8ef0-4253-882b-61a4f3670005
Meanwhile the US State Department has issued satellite photos depicting multiple missile and artillery strikes (impact craters) proving Russia has been firing both artillery shells and missiles in Ukraine.
We contacted the Russian Embassy press office in Washington by phone today for comment on the satellite photos provided by the US State Department and officials refused that request. Russian embassy officials also did not return our telephone calls in this matter of the military situation in Ukraine.
We have also been monitoring the Pentagon website for any official statements by the U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel regarding the Ukrainian situation – and no statement on this military invasion has been issued in the last 72 hours.
The President of the United States did issue a statement in the form of a statement indicating that “Russia has deliberately and repeatedly violated the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.” Obama continued to blame the Russian “separatists” and claim they “are backed, trained, armed, financed by Russia.”
We also sent an email to the Kremlin asking for “clarification” on reports of a so called “Russian military invasion.” We received just minutes ago the following statement by President Putin:
“It is clear the militia has achieved a major success in intercepting Kiev’s military operation, which represents a grave danger to the population of Donbass and which has already led to the loss of many lives among peaceful residents.
As a result of the militia’s actions, a large number of Ukrainian service members who did not participate in the military operation of their own volition but while following orders have been surrounded.
I call on the militia groups to open a humanitarian corridor for Ukrainian service members who have been surrounded, so as to avoid any needless loss of life, giving them the opportunity to leave the combat area unimpeded and reunite with their families, to return them to their mothers, wives and children, and to quickly provide medical assistance to those who were injured in the course of the military operation.
For its part, the Russian side is ready and willing to provide humanitarian aid to the people of Donbass, who have been affected by this humanitarian catastrophe.
I once again call on the Ukrainian authorities to immediately stop military actions, cease fire, sit down at the negotiating table with Donbass representatives and resolve all the accumulated problems exclusively via peaceful means.”
Source: Kremlin (August 29, 2014, 01:10).
The Following are the satellite images released by the US State Department on August 27, 2014.
Document released by the U.S. State Department in Washington, July 27, 2014 shows a satellite image that purports to shows self propelled artillery only found in Russian military units, on the Russian side of the border, oriented in the direction of a Ukrainian military unit within Ukraine. The United States says the images show that rockets have been fired from Russia into eastern Ukraine and heavy artillery for separatists has also crossed the border. (U.S. State Department).
Document released by the U.S. State Department in Washington, July 27, 2014, shows a satellite image that purports to shows a before and after close-up of the artillery strike depicted in the lower portion of the inset in the previous graphic. The United States says the images back up its claims that rockets have been fired from Russia into eastern Ukraine and heavy artillery for separatists has also crossed the border. (U.S. State Department).
Document released by the U.S. State Department in Washington, July 27, 2014 shows a satellite image that purports to shows ground scarring at two multiple rocket launch sites oriented in the direction of Ukraine military units. The wide area of impacts near the Ukrainian military units indicates fire from multiple rocket launchers. The bottom impact crater shows impact within a local village. The United States says the images back up its claims that rockets have been fired from Russia into eastern Ukraine and heavy artillery for separatists has also crossed the border. (U.S. State Department.