Ukraine Says Tanks Crossing Border as New Front Opens, Braces for More 'Aid'

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The Ukrainian government today claims that Russia has "violated the state border of Ukraine" by sending tanks across the border this morning.

"At least 10 tanks, two armored vehicles and two trucks from russia crossed into Ukrainian territory at 5:20 a.m. Monday, potentially bound for the key port city of Mariupol on the Sea of Azov. The highway leading to Mariupol is currently under control of the Ukrainian military," The Washington Post reports, based on information from Ukraine's military spokesman.

Reuters notes, "Earlier, a separate military statement said border guards had halted the armored column outside Novoazovsk, Ukraine's most south-easterly point on the Azov Sea, and local residents, reached by phone, spoke of seeing tanks and other armored vehicles moving near the town."

"The new military thrust by the rebels… appeared to open up a new southern front in the five-month-old conflict that has claimed at least 2,000 lives and force tens of thousands to flee their homes," explains Al Jazeera.

Tensions flared on Friday when 200 or so half-empty "humanitarian aid" trucks from Russia entered Ukraine without approval or inspection by Kiev or the Red Cross. The convoy allegedly stole Ukrainian military equipment on the way out. The Obama administration, NATO, and the E.U. condemned Russia's border violation, but the Kremlin's foreign minister today announced that he plans on sending in another aid convoy "in the next few days"

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NATO claims that it has "seen transfers of large quantities of advanced weapons, including tanks, armoured personnel carriers, and artillery to separatist groups in eastern Ukraine. Moreover, NATO is observing an alarming build-up of Russian ground and air forces in the vicinity of Ukraine."

The Associated Press reported yesterday that Russian-backed insurgents were parading captive Ukrainian soldiers in "tattered" uniforms through the streets of Donetsk, one of the cities still held by the insurgents.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel was in Ukraine yesterday to celebrate the twenty-third anniversary of its independence. She committeed 500 million euros to rebuilding the wartorn east and condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine as a "violation to the territorial integrity of Europe."

Tomorrow, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and Russia's Vladimir Putin will meet in Minsk, Belarus to discuss the war. A member of the Moscow-based Center for Political Technologies suggests that "the Kremlin's moves to boost the rebels' position … while seeming to contradict Russia's stated desire to reach a deal, are aimed at entering the talks from a position of strength."

Read more Reason coverage of Ukraine here. 

Comments

[Idle Hands]

Braces for More 'Aid'

The ruskies are using biological agents now?

[Idle Hands]

Braces for More 'Aid'

The ruskies are using biological agents now?

[tarran]

If the invading forces contain people who have the knowledge of how to generate alt-text and the iron will to make it happen, perhaps the invasion is a good thing.

[Dweebston]

The alt-text is weak. It's feeble. I think it's time to put the hurt on the alt-text.

[Free Society]

You not say alt-text is not weak! Alt-text is game to you?

[Dweebston]

Even in the parlance of realpolitik, is "condemning" something substantially different from "vocally grousing" about it?

[Zenon Evans]

no

[Homple]

Relax, it's quarrel in a far away country between people of whom we know nothing.

[Dweebston]

I want to choke out concern trolls who belittle Americans for being uninformed about the goings-on in some middle-east or Baltic or Asian country, as if awareness by itself will manifest some heretofore unforeseen avenue to peace or prosperity.

[Dweebston]

I should say "belittle the mythical homo americanus ignoramus" in whom they want to insinuate responsibility for all the faults and failings of an imperfect world.

[Homple]

Especially in need of instruction, not belittlement, is the homo americanus ignoramus who seems to think Ukraine is some middle-east or Baltic or Asian country.

[Dweebston]

I was speaking more or less generally, but it's a fair cop.

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

The scariest sentence in the world is now:

"I'm from Russia, and I'm here to help."

[Swiss Servator, Bern baby Bern]

I am from the Russian Government and I am here to help would be worse.

[Aloysious]

Can I send the CPD an the NYPD over there to keep the peace? They will then know what fear is. All the donuts will disappear.

[Dances-with-Trolls]

She committeed 500 million euros to rebuilding the wartorn east

I had no idea Merkel had that kind of personal fortune.

[Swiss Servator, Bern baby Bern]

I am sure the Bundestag has its members out at street intersections with collection buckets, taking donations, ja?

[Rhywun]

Money well spent.

[Rhywun]

WTF? That is not SF'ed.

[Swiss Servator, Bern baby Bern]

SugarFree looms large.

[Don Mynack]

Bottom Line: The Ukrainian military still sucks.

[Swiss Servator, Bern baby Bern]

Looks like they would have had this "insurgency" wrapped up if Russia wasn't pumping in fresh gear and bodies all the time.

[VangelV]

Is this the same government that claimed that it destroyed a column of Russian vehicles that dies not exist. Is this the same government that used snipers to kill its own supporters just so that it could stage a coup? Or the same government that showed supposedly rebel run Buk vehicles moving towards the Russian border only to have the story exposed by video that showed that the system was owned by the Ukrainian military and was in government held territory? If you want to believe go right ahead. But some of us are somewhat reluctant to accept the word of proven liars who have trouble producing evidence.