All Eyes On Russia As Ukraine Begins Offensive In East

Russian President Vladimir Putin.(RIA Novosti / Aleksey Nikolskyi)

'We Will Shoot Back': All Eyes on Russia as Ukraine Begins Offensive in East -- Spiegel Online

Many in the West believe that Russia is behind the separatist movement in eastern Ukraine. Kiev on Tuesday launched an offensive to retake control of the region, but the biggest question still looms: Will Russia invade?

The last village on Russian territory, located just off the M3 highway where it enters Ukraine on the way from Moscow, is called Amon. Previously, motorists hardly took notice of the settlement and the border behind it was largely symbolic. But times have changed. Lena Mayorova, a nurse, is standing in front of her house and pointing out the positions taken up by Russian soldiers, where troops have dug trenches and hidden machine guns behind mounds of sandbags. A military helicopter is roaring overhead. Mayorova has never before seen such a thing, at least not here.

But the military presence, seven kilometers (4.3 miles) from the border, meets with her approval. She and others in the area believe that "over there, they are facing a civil war and fascist mercenaries are marching in from Kiev." That, at least, is what Mayorova learned from Russian state television.

Read more ....

Update #1: Putin: Ukraine’s radical escalation puts it on edge of civil war -- RT
Update #2: U.S. Prepares Responses to Possible Russian Moves in Ukraine -- WSJ

My Comment: In all of my years I have never seen Russian - Ukrainian relations this toxic. There is also a great deal of fear throughout the region .... everyone is worried about their future, the safety of their families and friends, their jobs, pensions, their homes, their savings, and .... right now .... on the security situation and the real possibility of a civil war breaking out in Ukraine coupled with a war against Russia. And this is the tragedy of the situation .... the average person on the street in Ukraine does not want this to happen .... but the leaders appear to be hell bent on starting a confrontation regardless of the consequences.

I still do not expect a Russian intervention .... the military resources necessary for a successful operation are not there .... and it will take weeks for all of it to be mobilized. My fear is what happens in Ukraine itself. Too many people on both sides have become too radicalize .... and even though they are still the minority .... they are the ones who are in positions of power and who have the weapons and the will to use them. And this is now my biggest fear .... even if the U.S., the EU, and Russia do come together in the next few days to work and cooperate together in defusing the situation in Ukraine .... many Ukrainians are now too invested in this crisis to have it stopped.

On a personal note .... this crisis is making me personally sick. I have been running this blog for years .... covering numerous wars and conflicts, military and intelligence developments, international trends, some politics and economics .... and the odd human interest story. But this story is hitting me home .... it is personal in every way. A part of me wants to be there .... another part of me is glad that I am in Canada. It is also times like this that I do realize that my father was right when I left home to work abroad .... eventually settling in Canada .... so many years ago. You can take the person out of the country .... but you can never take the country out of the person.