Russia Confronted, Ukraine Invaded

"Columns of heavy artillery, huge loads of arms and regular Russian servicemen came to the territory of Ukraine from Russia through the uncontrolled border."
"The situation is certainly extremely difficult and nobody is going to simplify it. Still, it is controlled enough for us to refrain from panic."
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko

"There was a regrouping of our troops to better protect Mariupol."
Col. Andriy Lysenko, spokesman, national security council, Ukraine

"There are active soldiers fighting among us who preferred to spend their vacation not on the beach, but with us, among their brothers, who are fighting for their freedom."
Alexander Zakharchenko, prime minister, 'Donetsk People's Republic'

Oleksandr Ratushniak / AFP / Getty Images   Armed Ukrainian servicemen comb the area after being shot at by 

pro-Russian militants at their check-point near the small city of Dzerzhynsk, in the Donetsk region, on Thursday.

Panic, goes the thinking, is useful to the enemy, if it can be instilled in the public of Ukraine. It is a utilitarian weapon, similar to tanks, armoured personnel carriers and rifles, according to the president. This is the other side of the terror coin; when terrorists succeed in instilling terror in a population through committing horrendous atrocities, its usefulness can be seen in costly steps taken by governments in hopes of preventing further such events.

Even as Mr. Poroshenko addressed his national security council to order mandatory conscription for the armed forces, NATO released satellite images corroborating accusations that Russian forces were actively engaged in the fighting in Ukraine. Over one thousand Russian soldiers had joined the separatists fighting the Ukrainian military, NATO emphasized.

According to Col. Andriy Lysenko, speaking for the national security council, the Ukrainian military was preparing for a counteroffensive against "more and more Russians" appearing within Ukraine. Russia, he said, was sending new anti-aircraft defence systems to eastern Ukraine where separatists, with Russia's help, were holding the town of Novoazovsk, when Ukrainian forces were forced to retreat a day before.

Although Russia repeatedly protests the accusations that it has sent soldiers or weapons to Ukraine, the rebels themselves are not media-shy about boasting of their invaluable assistance. The leader of the major separatist group in southeastern Ukraine stated on Russian television that up to four thousand Russians, active-duty soldiers on leave included, were fighting against Ukrainian government forces.               

Anders Fogh Rasmussen, speaking in advance of next week's NATO summit to be held in Wales, stated that the alliance is prepared to open new bases in eastern Europe where troops from member countries will rotate for stays of months at a time As well, NATO was creating a spearhead unit within an existing rapid reaction force to deal with emergencies in the east as they arise.

DigitalGlobe via NATO    What NATO claims are Russian military units moving in a convoy formation with self-propelled artillery in the area of Krasnodon, Ukraine.

Since the conflict began in the spring, between 3,000 and 4,000 Russians had fought with the separatists. Tensions between the United States and the European Union have arisen where the British and French are among those warning the deployment of Russian troops in Ukraine was unacceptable, and additional measures to punish Russia must be contemplated.

Russia's ambassador to the United Nations, Vitaly Churkin, didn't bother to deny that Russians were actively fighting in eastern Ukraine, claiming they were volunteers. On the other hand, he asserted, the Ukrainian government was "waging war against its own people". Describing the soldiers as volunteers evades the issue of direct Russian involvement when in fact Russia is determined to go even further than simply annexing Crimea.

The latest incursion from Russia involving armoured personnel carriers, troops and weapons and the confrontation in the south has raised the potential of a direct clash between Ukrainian forces and Russian military. Ukraine's intelligence fears the armoured columns that captured Novoazovsk outgunning Ukrainian forces now threatening Mariupol, far from the fighting in Luhansk and Donetsk, has aided the separatists by diverting Ukrainian forces.

Added to that is the fact that the Russian advance could very well be the initiation of a ground offensive with plans to seize Ukrainian territory to establish for Russia a land route connecting it to Crimea. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, raised in East Germany, speaks Russian, the only Western leader who speaks regularly with Vladimir Putin, though her patience with him appears to be waning.

That Russian troops were taken by Ukrainian forces well within Ukrainian territory, and recent military funerals held in Pskov, northern Russia for troops killed in Ukraine, and the questions that Russians themselves are finally asking of their government, gives rise to other questions. Why the continued provocations, what will be the end of them, and how to adequately respond?

Poland is agitating for NATO to base several army brigades in Poland on a permanent basis. As members of NATO, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, all concerned that they have ethnic Russian citizens and Moscow has rumbled about its concerns over the well-being of its nationals living in the near abroad, raises other concerns for NATO which by law, must come to the aid of any of its members. Good enough reason why Ukraine is now resurrecting its wish to be a NATO member.

Since Russia's annexation of Crimea, NATO has operated back-to-back military exercises in eastern Europe, sent warships to the Mediterranean and the Black sea, and has quadrupled the number of fighter jets on call to defend alliance airspace. None of which has stirred the back hairs on Vladimir's Putin's neck one iota.