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<div class="gmail-header gmail-reader-header gmail-reader-show-element"><span style="background-color:rgb(255,0,0)"><b><i><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><span style=""></span><span style="color:rgb(255,0,0)">In the interest of reading something besides Western corporate media accounts</span><span style=""></span></span></i></b></span><br>
</div><div class="gmail-header gmail-reader-header gmail-reader-show-element"><br></div><div class="gmail-header gmail-reader-header gmail-reader-show-element"><a class="gmail-domain gmail-reader-domain" href="https://covertactionmagazine.com/2022/02/24/eyewitness-reports-indicate-ukrainian-army-fired-first-shots-in-war-with-russia/">covertactionmagazine.com</a>
<h1 class="gmail-reader-title">Eyewitness Reports Indicate Ukrainian Army Fired First Shots in War with Russia</h1>
<div class="gmail-credits gmail-reader-credits">Don Hank and Jeremy Kuzmarov</div>
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<div class="gmail-reader-estimated-time" dir="ltr">February 24, 2022<br></div>
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<img src="https://i0.wp.com/covertactionmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/u1-feature-1.jpg?resize=600%2C322&ssl=1" alt="" style="margin-right: 25px;" width="417" height="224">Russian
intelligence agency video of what it says is a Ukrainian tank after
being hit on Russian territory Monday. The location would indicate that
Ukraine invaded Russia first and not vice versa. [Source: <a href="https://consortiumnews.com/2022/02/21/putin-recognizes-donbass-independence-as-violence-soars/">consortiumnews.com</a>]
<h2><strong>Western Media did not report that the population in Eastern
Ukraine had been begging Vladimir Putin to send Russian troops to save
them from American-backed invaders and Neo-Nazi militias</strong></h2>
<p>Russian forces launched “special military operations” in Ukraine on
Thursday morning, including cruise and ballistic missile attacks
targeting infrastructure near major cities such as Kyiv, Kharkiv,
Mariupol and Dnipro, according to media reports.</p>
<p>Russian president Vladimir Putin said that he did not intend to occupy Ukraine but wanted to <a href="https://www.axios.com/putin-delares-war-on-ukraine-5a28dbd5-362f-4e97-91e1-84272f7390fd.html">“demilitarize and de-nazify Ukraine.”</a></p>
<img src="https://i0.wp.com/covertactionmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/word-image-5.png?resize=640%2C400&ssl=1" alt="" style="margin-right: 25px;" width="417" height="261">A still from a video purporting to show missile strikes in Dnipro, Ukraine on February 24, 2022. [Source: <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/putin-announces-special-military-operation-in-ukraine/">timesofisrael.com</a>]
<p>U.S. President Joe Biden issued a written statement saying that Russia had chosen a <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/23/politics/biden-russia-ukraine/index.html">“premeditated war that will bring catastrophic loss of life and human suffering,”</a> adding that <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/02/23/statement-by-president-biden-on-russias-unprovoked-and-unjustified-attack-on-ukraine/">“the
prayers of the entire world are with the people of Ukraine tonight as
they suffer an unprovoked and unjustified attack by Russian military
forces.”</a></p>
<p>Biden’s assessment is wrong-headed if we consider that Russia has been repeatedly provoked–over the last eight years.</p>
<p>In February 2014, the U.S. supported the overthrow of Ukraine’s pro-Russian leader Viktor Yanulovych after h<a href="https://foreignpolicy.com/2014/02/21/the-loan-that-launched-a-crisis/">e spurned an International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan that came with conditions detrimental to Ukraine</a>.</p>
<img src="https://i0.wp.com/covertactionmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/word-image-6.png?resize=696%2C393&ssl=1" alt="" style="margin-right: 25px;" width="417" height="235">Viktor Yanukovych [Source: <a href="https://www.spiegel.de/international/world/viktor-yanukovych-interview-ukraine-has-become-a-wild-country-a-1135829.html">spiegel.de</a>]
<img src="https://i0.wp.com/covertactionmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/u1d.jpeg?resize=696%2C392&ssl=1" alt="" style="margin-right: 25px;" width="417" height="235">Aerial view of Maidan square protests that resulted in Yanukovych’s ouster. [Source: <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/maidan-massacre-anniversary-ukraine-remembers-bloody-day-protests-n973156">nbcnews.com</a>]
<p>The U.S. has since provided extensive military aid and training to
Ukrainian armed forces as they brutalized the people of Eastern Ukraine
who voted to secede after the 2014 coup.</p>
<p>The U.S. has also applied extensive sanctions on Russia–tantamount to an act of war–while <a href="https://consortiumnews.com/2022/02/24/what-putin-says-are-the-causes-aims-of-russias-military-action/">relentlessly
expanding NATO towards Russia’s borders, supporting color revolutions
against Russian allies and placing missiles in Poland and Romania</a>.</p>
<p>Biden’s claim that the Russian invasion was unprovoked is further
undercut by the fact that Ukraine precipitated the war by attacking the
breakaway eastern provinces in violation of the Minsk peace agreements.</p>
<p>Russia <a href="https://consortiumnews.com/2022/02/21/putin-recognizes-donbass-independence-as-violence-soars/">reported
on Monday that it had captured a Ukrainian soldier and killed five
others after they crossed into Russian territory in Rostov</a>, just
over the border with Ukraine. Several hundred American mercenaries were
also reported to have arrived in Ukraine in the last week.</p>
<img src="https://i0.wp.com/covertactionmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/word-image-7.png?resize=696%2C408&ssl=1" alt="" style="margin-right: 25px;" width="417" height="244">American mercenary in Donbass [Source: <a href="https://www.wprost.pl/swiat/454385/amerykanscy-najemnicy-oskarzeni-o-naduzycia-sledczemu-grozili.html">wprost.pl</a>]
<p>Photojournalist Patrick Lancaster <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-IC-u-yl70">provided photographic evidence of Ukrainian army shelling of a school in the Donbass</a> earlier this week.</p>
<p>Lancaster’s report is corroborated by Organization For Security and
Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) maps, which show that shelings that violate
ceasefire arrangements have indeed been c<a href="https://consortiumnews.com/2022/02/21/putin-recognizes-donbass-independence-as-violence-soars/">arried out mostly by the Ukrainian government</a>.</p>
<img src="https://i0.wp.com/covertactionmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/1Feb-18-osce-map.png.webp?resize=495%2C704&ssl=1" alt="" style="margin-right: 0px;" width="293" height="417">[Source: <a href="https://consortiumnews.com/2022/02/21/putin-recognizes-donbass-independence-as-violence-soars/">consortiumnews.com</a>]
<p>A resident of the Kyivsky district of the city of Donetsk whom
Lancaster interviewed, Zoya Tumanova, said that the Ukrainians had
shelled her village often since 2015 and burned half of it down. She
asked Lancaster: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-IC-u-yl70">“when will it end, when will Putin come? When will he come to save us?”</a></p>
<p>Tumanova’s viewpoint is completely absent from the U.S. media. It
contradicts the official narrative of Vladimir Putin as a maniacal
aggressor, leaving the impression that the people of Eastern Ukraine <em>want</em> Putin to send Russian troops to save them from the real aggressors.</p>
<img src="https://i0.wp.com/covertactionmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/a-view-of-a-kindergarten-building-after-alleged-sh.jpeg?resize=696%2C464&ssl=1" alt="a view of a kindergarten building after alleged shelling by separatists forces in Stanytsia Luhanska, eastern Ukraine" style="margin-right: 25px;" width="417" height="278">Kindergarden building that was shelled earlier this week in Stanitsia, Luhasnka, Eastern Ukraine. [Source: <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/02/17/ukraine-separatists-trade-blame-after-kindergarten-shelling/">nypost.com</a>]
<p>A second-grade teacher at the school in Donetsk that was shelled,
Marusina Ludmila, told Lancaster that she knew it was the Ukrainian army
behind it because “they don’t let us live for eight years already; they
have been shelling us constantly.”</p>
<p>Asked if Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky was telling the truth
when he said that Ukraine did not shoot at civilians, she said: “they
always lie. We know it is them shelling because no one can but
them—though I don’t know how they can do that to their own Ukrainian
people, we used to live together and communicate.”</p>
<img src="https://i0.wp.com/covertactionmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/president-zelensky-pays-first-working-visit-to-don.jpeg?resize=696%2C464&ssl=1" alt="President Zelensky pays first working visit to Donbas (Photos) | UNIAN" style="margin-right: 25px;" width="417" height="278">Ukrainian president Volodymr Zelensky at the front. [Source: <a href="https://www.unian.info/war/10565103-president-zelensky-pays-first-working-visit-to-donbas-photos.html">unian.info</a>]
<p>Below is a commentary by Don Hank, a professional translator and
Russian speaker who studied Russian language and literature at Kutztown
University of Pennsylvania and studied at Leningrad University in the
early 1970s.</p>
<h2><strong>Ukraine shells schools in Donbass </strong></h2>
<p>As I have shown before, based on numerous reports and videos on the
seemingly senseless attacks on Donbass civilians and civilian
infrastructure, there is more than one explanation for this phenomenon. </p>
<p>1—For one thing, since the U.S.-led West and U.S.-puppet regime in
Kyiv have de facto very effectively censored most news reports about the
atrocities of the Kyiv army and Neo-Nazi militias, there was never any
chance that the average news consumer in the U.S.-controlled West could
possibly have any knowledge about these atrocities. (Let me point out,
however, that Putin, in his speech relating to the recognition of the
Donbass republics, does point out that Kyiv has been constantly
attacking innocent civilians in that region since 2014.) </p>
<img src="https://i0.wp.com/covertactionmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/azov-demonstration-with-flag.jpeg?resize=696%2C502&ssl=1" alt="Azov demonstration with flag" style="margin-right: 25px;" width="417" height="301">Members of the Azov battalion in Kiev. [Source: <a href="https://www.vox.com/2015/2/26/8114367/ukraine-war-warlords">vox.com</a>]
<p>This censorship served the insidious purpose of making the Western
public think Russia is the source of all ills in Ukraine (and elsewhere)
and that the U.S. was “supporting” Ukraine.</p>
<p>This despite the fact that the year after the U.S. invasion of the
Maidan Square in Kyiv in 2014, Kyiv fell to the very last rank in
GDP—becoming the poorest country in Europe! Only a skilled—though
diabolical—news manipulation on a 24/7 basis could have portrayed good
as evil and evil as good to such a complete degree. </p>
<img src="https://i0.wp.com/covertactionmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/ukraine-is-europes-poorest-nation-with-dollar220-avera.jpeg?resize=696%2C391&ssl=1" alt="Ukraine is Europe’s poorest nation with $220 average monthly wage" style="margin-right: 25px;" width="417" height="234">Scene from Post-Maidan Kiev. [Source: <a href="https://www.rt.com/business/412692-ukraine-poorest-country-europe/">rt.com</a>]
<p>The U.S. pressured the successive Kyiv regimes to cut all of the old
lucrative business contracts with Russia and gradually shut down the
Soviet-built factories, making Ukraine a debt slave of the IMF—now a
permanent status.</p>
<p>See the link below to details on the Ukraine since 2014 that you are
being denied by a U.S.-controlled Western press that systematically
pushes an anti-Russia narrative with the ultimate aim of weakening
Russia economically and politically in hopes of seeing it disintegrate
to the level of the 1990s. </p>
<p>Censored details of Ukraine history since Feb 2014: </p>
<p><span></span>
</p>
<p>Now, should you be surprised that the U.S. Establishment would deceive you to this degree? </p>
<p>Yes and no. </p>
<p>A person with the skill and ambition to fight their way out of the
government-imposed ignorance to which the West is subjected could, with a
herculean effort of will, dig up all the information necessary to gain
an objective overview of the numerous ways the U.S. Establishment has
deceived its citizens time and time again since the 1800s for the
purpose of wresting illicit gain from foreign countries and even from
citizens of the U.S., and for the purpose of excusing inexcusable wars
and sanctions on people who are absolutely not the enemies of the
American people. </p>
<p>But if you don’t feel up to a Herculean effort of will, <a href="https://21stcenturywire.com/2017/02/14/fake-news-week-a-guide-to-mainstream-media-fake-news-war-propaganda/">here is a rather complete catalog of deceptions in the msm that led to war or other disasters.</a></p>
<p>2—I have a sneaking suspicion that the Kyiv puppet regime has
literally no control over the radical nationalists and Neo-Nazi militias
that Kyiv has now foolishly integrated into its military. </p>
<img src="https://i0.wp.com/covertactionmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/word-image-8.png?resize=696%2C233&ssl=1" alt="" style="margin-right: 25px;" width="417" height="140">Nazi symbol on Ukrainian soldier’s helmet [Source: <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/ukraine-crisis/german-tv-shows-nazi-symbols-helmets-ukraine-soldiers-n198961">nbcnews.com</a>]
<p>While it is clear that Biden wants war in Ukraine so bad he can taste
it, though it is not in the interests of Kyiv to escalate the Ukrainian
attacks on civilians. </p>
<img src="https://i0.wp.com/covertactionmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/u6a.jpeg?resize=696%2C464&ssl=1" alt="" style="margin-right: 25px;" width="417" height="278">[Source: <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/02/19/biden-calling-out-russias-plans-for-war-with-ukraine/">nypost.com</a>]
<p>Yet there is no let up. The attacks are escalating, even in the face of a potential major retaliatory offensive by Russia. </p>
<p>I had read at one time that the Ukrainian central government, if it
can be called that, has no control over the radical elements and that
the war has a mind of its own. </p>
<p>If that is the case, then of course we are going to witness this kind
of insanity and at some point, Putin will give the order and put an end
to it. </p>
<img src="https://i0.wp.com/covertactionmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/word-image-9.png?resize=696%2C391&ssl=1" alt="" style="margin-right: 25px;" width="417" height="234">Putin signing decree recognizing Luhansk and Donetsk on Monday [Source: <a href="https://consortiumnews.com/2022/02/21/putin-recognizes-donbass-independence-as-violence-soars/">consortiumnews.com]</a>
<p>Of course, at the same time, this escalation is to the Biden regime’s benefit, so we have two possibilities: </p>
<p>1—The puppeteers in Washington are behind this escalation, which
provides a distraction from the abysmal performance of this White House
and all the irremediable problems with the economy and the rampant fuel
prices, and </p>
<p>2—the crazy Neo-Nazis are acting on their own. </p>
<p>Or both. </p>
<p>** </p>
<p>So what will be the consequences of the sanctions that the U.S. is imposing? </p>
<p>Well, we can safely predict that gas prices will go through the roof
now that brain dead Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced he was suspending
the certification of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. </p>
<img src="https://i0.wp.com/covertactionmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/a-person-in-a-suit-speaking-into-a-microphone-des.jpeg?resize=696%2C392&ssl=1" alt="A person in a suit speaking into a microphone
Description automatically generated with low confidence" style="margin-right: 25px;" width="417" height="235">German Chancellor Olaf Scholz ordering cancellation of Nord Stream 2 pipeline. [Source: <a href="https://www.euractiv.com/section/europe-s-east/news/germany-halts-nord-stream-2/">euractiv.com</a>]
<p>Dmitry Mdvedev, Deputy Chair of the Russian Security Council, <a href="https://tass.com/economy/1408445">tweeted</a>: </p>
<p>“German Chancellor Olaf Scholz ordered to halt the certification of
the Nord Stream 2. Well, welcome to the new world where Europeans will
soon pay 2,000 euros per thousand cubic meters of gas.” </p>
<p>And for those who are awaiting the glorious day when “green” and
“clean” energy makes Russian gas superfluous, here is a little cold
water for you: </p>
<p>It turns out that green energy without nuclear (which Germany
renounced years ago) simply cannot replace fossil fuel. It’s too
expensive. And so what do the incompetents in Europe do about that? </p>
<p>They set themselves up for economic Armageddon. <br></p><hr>
<h2>About the Author</h2>
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<p><strong>Don Hank</strong> is a professional translator and Russian
speaker living now in Panama who studied Russian language and literature
at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania and studied at Leningrad
University in the early 1970s.</p>
<p>Don can be reached at <a href="mailto:zollandon@msn.com">zollandon@msn.com</a>.</p>
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<p><strong>Jeremy Kuzmarov</strong> is Managing Editor of <em>CovertAction Magazine.</em></p>
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<p>He is the author of four books on U.S. foreign policy, including <em>Obama’s Unending Wars </em>(Clarity Press, 2019) and <em>The Russians Are Coming, Again</em>, with John Marciano (Monthly Review Press, 2018).</p>
<p>Jeremy can be reached at <a href="mailto:jkuzmarov2@gmail.com">jkuzmarov2@gmail.com</a>.</p>
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