Footage of southern Aleppo fighting corrborates Russia's claims (video)

June 10th, 2016 - Fort Russ News -
- Chris Tomson AlMasdar (video) - text by J. Flores -

"Insane front-line footage shows rebel offensive in southern Aleppo"

Russian claims that its aerial bombardment of terrorist positions in southern Aleppo indeed targets these positions, and not of 'moderate FSA' units which the US claims are also actually in the same position, which in practice are either one and the same or allied with Al-Nusra, are corroborated in this video footage.

At the battle for al-Qarassi, July 9th, 2016, we can clearly see the Al Qaeda spin-off Al-Nusra Wahhabis, in full regalia, one giving the Salafi finger, another with an Al-Nusra headband, attempting yesterday's so-called 'rebel offensive' in southern Aleppo.

A standard practice of Al-Nusra is to take or hold a position under their own colors, but then for a few individuals to pose using FSA flags for western media outlets, and establish through this inference that they are 'moderate opposition' and not the Al Qaeda spin-off terrorist invasion group, backed by the US, gulf states, and Israel. This is intended to shield them from attack by Russia, in the public eye, under terms of the cease-fire, which only applies to so-called moderate groups.

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Lavrov: "Russia is not abandoning and has not forgotten about Donbass"

May 31, 2016 - 

PolitRussia - 

Translated by J. Arnoldski

Russia is not abandoning and has not forgotten about South-Eastern Ukraine, the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Sergey Lavrov, stated in an interview with Komsomolskaya Pravda. 

“We are not abandoning and have not forgotten about the South-East of Ukraine, and we are actively supporting them with humanitarian aid and the resolving of ongoing economic problems,” the Russian minister explained.

According to Lavrov, Donbass will never agree to the deployment of any kind of international force on its territory. 

“This is not provided for in the Minsk Agreements. Donbass will never opt for this. All steps for resolving [the situation] must, without exception, be agreed upon with Donbass in according with the Minsk Agreements,” Lavrov remarked.

“The subject of security has suddenly become the most important one for President Poroshenko, but not only the ceasefire, but the ensuring of the safety of some kind of international force throughout the entire territory of Donbass,” he added. 

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Lavrov explains why Russia has not recognized DPR/LPR

May 31, 2016 - 

Life - 

Translated by J. Arnoldski

Behind closed doors, the West is now putting pressure on Kiev to fulfill the Minsk Agreements. If Russia “slams the door” and decides to recognize the DPR and LPR as separate states, then the Minsk Agreements could be forgotten. This opinion was expressed by the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Sergey Lavrov, in an interview with Komsomolskaya Pravda. 

“The door could be slammed and an example could be taken from those who are behind such an ineptitude [to fulfill the Minsk Agreements] and use diplomatic and political instruments to start to threaten that we will recognize them, and that we will introduce sanctions,” Lavrov remarked.

“I am convinced that this would be counterproductive which, as a minimum, would mean losing the current, albeit “delicate” position of pressuring Kiev,” he continued.

The minister emphasized: “Now no one can oppose this document (Minsk 2) in any way, and it is impossible to doubt.”

“If we were to now say that ‘we have lost patience; we are going the other way,’ then they’ll say: ‘Wonderful,’ now the West does not have to put any pressure on the current Ukrainian government whatsoever.” 

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Donbass crisis caused by US-controlled Kiev

Sputnik Germany, April 15, 2016

Translated from German by Tom Winter

The humanitarian catastrophe in the Donbass is the work of the US-controlled Ukrainian authorities and radical national groupings, according to a declaration of the human rights division at the Russian Foreign Ministry, in response to the last annual Human Rights report of the US State Department.**

"What most arouses astonishment is the assertion about thousands of civilian casualties in the Donbass being ascribed to the fault of Russia. It is abundantly clear that the humanitarian and human rights catastrophe in Ukraine is the work of the US-controlled Ukrainian authorities and radical national groups in the aftermath of the unconstitutional coup in Kiev.## And all this happened, as a consequence of never actually influencing Ukrainian authorities to deal with the extensive crimes and violations of human rights in Ukraine, and to bring to account the real culprits in such serious crimes, as the torching of the Union Hall in Odessa" it says in the statement.

In the report on the worldwide human rights situation for 2015 published last Wednesday by the US State Department, [see footnote below] it is stated that Russia has been further supporting the Donbass people's militias, and it is in this context, that reports from international observers and activists "of thousands of deaths and injuries among civilians" are cited.

In April 2014 the authorities of Ukraine started military operations against the self-declared republics of Lugansk and Donetsk, which had proclaimed their independence after the nationalist revolution February 2014 in Ukraine. Several Western and Ukrainian politicians accuse Moscow of interference in the internal affairs of Ukraine.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov meanwhile prompted Kiev to listen to the legitimate popular demands of the inhabitants of the east of the country instead of "shoving all the fault on Russia's shoes."

Lavrov strongly countered attempts by the US and some European countries to blame Russia for what is happening in eastern Ukraine.
As Moscow stated several times, Russia is not involved in the events in the southeast of Ukraine, it does not provide military equipment or ammunition to the people's militias; it is not a party to the inner Ukrainian conflict, but has an interest that Ukraine emerge from its political and economic crisis.
_________________________________
**Country reports, human rights practices for 2015: Ukraine. 
Here is the relevant portion:
"The most significant human rights developments in the country during the year were: First, separatists, supported by Russian military and civil officials, continued to control parts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions by force of arms, as self-proclaimed “people’s republics.” The United Nations reported that, as of November 15, more than 9,000 persons had died and approximately 18,000 had been wounded as a result of Russian aggression in these regions, including civilians, members of the Ukrainian armed forces, and Russian-backed separatists, since fighting began in 2014." 

Your translator does not know if the "as a result of Russian aggression" was in the UN report, or if it is a US State Department lagniappe. I suspect the latter.

##
To read of a French diplomat saying much the same, click.

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