The Donetsk National Republic lives!

Alexander V. Zakharchenko, Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Donetsk National Republic.

"We will continue until we free all populated areas in the Donetsk National Republic. The army is ready and we have the support of the people. There will be more and more prisoners.

Now regarding the parade. I deliberately put the trophy equipment on display on Lenin Square. Everything that comes to us from Kiev, will end up in the same condition sooner or later. The more will come, the easier it'll be for us to restore our economy. ..."

Vladimir Kononov, Defense Minister of DNR

"Dear journalists, TV audience, I would like to appeal to you. The Ukrainian aggressive occupation army came on our soil. They brought a nationalist ideology that has no respect for human life. Their only interest is in our territory and resources. They launch their vile attacks on residential civilian complexes (full of) grandmothers, women, and children...."

Zakharchenko(later): "Let me correct you. We were the militia 10 days ago. Today we are the armed forces of the Donetsky National Republic. The DNR's armed forces by no means try to strike on residential neighborhoods and houses. We don't and never will practice this. This is our homeland, our soil, and our Motherland."

Reporter: "The Parade of prisoners of war we've seen this afternoon, isn't it against all humanitarian conventions and motions of dignity?'

Zakharchenko: "As a lawyer, I can say that we did nothing against international law. The prisoners were not undressed or starved. Show me a single international law which prohibits parading prisoners. We have not done anything illegal."

Reporter 2: "What was the purpose of this parade? Were you trying to send a message to Kiev? Why did you make a decision to parade the prisoners of war?"

Zakharchenko: "Kiev said that they will march in parade in Donetsk on the 24th. So they did. Poroshenko didn`t lie. They were here together with their hardware."

Reporter 3: There are historical parallels with July 1944 and the March of the Nazis. Did it happen by accident or was it done on purpose?

Zakharchenko: Honestly, we have recently seen one of the insignias of the 2nd separate brigade: the complete emblem of the Galicia SS Division, a 79 SS Galicia badge. When we saw the full symbol of this Division.... Many Russian families suffered losses in the Second World War. One of the ancestors in my family fought against the Galicia SS Division. This is not just a parallel, this is generational: my great-grandfather, and now I, and the same Division ... That's why a desire was born to repeat 1944 so they would realize that it all happened before, it has repeated itself with the same result.

Zakharchenko (... commenting on sailors from the French navy volunteering to fight alongside the soldiers of the DNR ) "The European ideals of equality, fraternity, and the French revolution, as in the Marseillaise, resonate with the patriots of France.  It means the nation is not dead, since it has such representatives who are willing to go to faraway places to fight for their ideals, which the Bastille was once taken for."

Reporter: "Are there regular Russian military units fighting on your side?"

Zakharchenko "If you think that Russia is sending its regular units here, then let me tell you something. If Russia was sending its regular troops, we wouldn't be talking about the battle of Evenovka here. We'd be talking of the battle of Kiev or a possible capture of Lvov.

Now there is a war on our soil for our territory. We have an influx of volunteers from all over the world. Of course, the Russian help would be very desirable, but from a political point of view it is impossible and unrealistic. Thanks, by the way, to European countries. You do not acknowledge this war just as you did not acknowledge the Great Patriotic War, didn't you?

What have we done? What is our guilt? The fact that we have shale gas, for which you want to erase Slavyansk from the face of the earth? Or any other financial interests?

We are all descendants of the glorious ancestors. We all have ancestors that we are proud of. Between the two of us (Zakharchenko and Kononov) there are two Heroes of the Soviet Union. We are still able to hold weapons in our hands. We swallowed with our mothers' milk a pride and desire to live in a free and happy Donbass. We'll tell anyone who comes to harm us on our soil: we will fight tooth and nail for our Motherland. Kiev and the West made a big mistake by awakening us. ...

We are hard working people. While others were jumping on the Maidan for 300 grivnas, our people were down in the mine, mining coal, melting metal and sowing crop. None of us had time to jump, we were busy working. When a person who just yesterday worked with a jackhammer or operated a harvester, today got behind a steering wheel of a tank or Grad, or picked up a machine gun, the line has been crossed and you cannot stop him. The one who left his job knows that he will fight to the end and to his last breath. You may pass it on to others; don't wake the beast. Just don't.

While there is still an opportunity, let mothers spare their sons. For some, perhaps this will be terrible news: there still lie several hundred soldiers of the armed forces of the Ukrainian army under Panovka, Saur-Mohyla who are unaccounted for. Families receive "missing in action" letters. They are actually dead. Kiev authorities do it on purpose. Hundreds and thousands dead in more than a dozen graves. I announce it officially. Let everyone know if you received a "missing in action" letter, then most likely your husband, brother or son got killed.

Kononov: I can give you an example from the battle of the 72nd and 25th batalions against us in Shakhtersk. I have all the documents of the soldiers who burned near the wrecked machinery. We returned the bodies to the Ukrainian army. Two weeks later, we received information that they were "missing in action".

Why did they bother to pick up the bodies?!!

Zakharchenko  This is a battle of annihilation. Unfortunately, the Slavs are fighting among themselves and destroying their best people.... Let me clarify. No federalization can be possible today.  There is a time for everything. We asked for the federalization 3 months ago, then we asked for permission to hold a referendum. That time has passed. Now we want to live independently.     

You know, if you talk about Israel you're talking about a state. Make reference to someone's Israeli passport, especially in the context of eastern Europe, and you are, intentionally or not, calling someone out as Jewish.

I have seen a couple of references in recent posts here to people's Israeli passports (once in connection to an article on Ihor Kolomoyski).

And I noticed a post following the saker's article that made reference to the "Jewish dictator". And of course, at least one openly anti-semitic (Uncle Shmuel) reference in his own articles.

Is there some Israeli plot going on here that people are alluding to, but not providing any actual evidence for? If not, why the repeated reference to people's Israeli citizenship?  I know there are some right wing commentators who have taken it a step further and revived the old lie about the international Jewish conspiracy taking over Ukraine, planning to nationalize all private business.

Not to be a jerk about it, but I'm going to refer this one to the mods. Perhaps it's not any different than some of the other veiled allusions in this discussion, but it made me pretty uncomfortable the first time I read it. And it sure doesn't feel any better now.

Are the passports not issued under the authority of the State of Israel?  If we revile Israel for its actions in Gaza, isn't it incidental that the people involved are likely Jewish.  Some of the people reviling Israel are Israeli citizens, who also happen to be Jews.  But here a reference is being made regarding individuals who bear documents issued by the Israeli government, just as any tourist to that region would - whatever the reason given for travelling - be in possession of official travel documents from their country of origin.  I believe that in the speech as translated in the video, reference was made to French citizens who came to volunteer, volunteers from other places were mentioned as well.  They too would likely have in their possession official travel documents.  What is also known is that Israel is America's firm ally, and many citizens would have dual relationships with Ukraine and Russia, along with many contacts and places to go throughout the region.  Nations at war or at peace anywhere else universally exercise the right to know where visitors are coming from and what their business might be, and particularly in times of crisis.  With its close relationship to the US, Israel would likely be suspected as a source of espionage against the interests of the self declared republics.

Sounds like they're already on familiar ground.

I'm not a lawyer, but we went through this a number of times as I recall in the context of Guantanamo Bay, and the provisions of Article 3(c) of the 4th Geneva Convention.  If he played a role in organizing and ordering that procession, I believe he has admitted on video to committing a war crime.  Its no different than when the Americans are doing it.

Was  planning to post this important press conference myself - so glad to see it already here and with the prominence it deserves. Also, Ukrainian oligarchs ARE important, powerful and very involved actors in all of this. Some of these are Jews. An examination of their contributions, allegiances and agendas is of course an important part of this story. Unfortunately, IMHO any attempts to discuss this here will simply result in an inflammatory, distracting and diversionary shit-storm, which is very likely the reason Smith has raised it.

Oh nonsense, NDPP. You have already posted material about several of them.

Yatsenyuk is Jewish, and downplayed it for much of his career. Never heard anything about either of them having passports.

Poroshenko visited Israel back in the spring trying to get recognition of Ukraine's territorial integrity. One wonders why he would have to if his government was part of some rumoured  Zionist/U.S. plot to begin with.

Other than that all I have heard about is the mayor of Kharkiv (who does have an Israeli passport) going there for surgery after he was shot in the back by a mystery sniper.

Theres not much to that video. Its grandstanding as the pockets of resistance are being reduced and russian leadership bails back to Moscow. Sooner the better to be freed of theocratic authoritarians thugs who kidnap and torture anyone who dares oppose them. The nazi meme that russian state propaganda has unleashed is slowly fading but as long as insurgent thugs, half of whom are russian, use violence instead of democratic processes there wont be peace until they are defeated.

Back to the DNR. The Saker has reviewed the video and made some interesting notes.

"his is no ordinary run of the mill press conference, this is a formation of a framework of a resistance army. Not a resistance militia. There is a big difference. One belongs to a territory and the other to a state.... They no longer represent a rag tag militia. This is a well oiled fighting machine with International volunteers joining the cause."

And a prediction of what is to come ...

I don't see this myself. Yes, the leadership is leaving the sinking ship, for Xxx and Yyy for example, or preparing to do so, but this would be an astounding change of fortune. As the Saker has pointed out himself, defending your territory from state terrorists who have great equipment but lousy morale is one thing, switching over to a territorial offensive requires an enormous change. Still, an interesting prediction. Remember that it took some years before the tie-chewing Georgian war criminal (Saakashvili) was driven from Tbilisi and forced to seek refuge in the USA where he resides to this day. A united Ukraine, IMHO, is a thing of the past, under any leadership. The brutal regime in Kiev has seen to that.

If readers don't know what's being noted here, take a deep thought. In July of 1944 captured Nazi troops were marched through the city of Moscow to the contemptuous derision of the citizenry. Poroshenko made a big mistake to be boasting about "marching through Donetsk on the 24th of August" and this is what he got in return. Tough shit, (friend of) Nazis. Eat your words.

They made a clear reference to what was their position BEFORE the ethnic cleansing by the Kiev regime. Those days are gone.

Very impressive. The junta must be crapping little chunks of chocolate by now. As they should.

And who would those be. Please provide sufficient evidentiary basis for your response.

I guess calling all Russian speakers in the Easten Ukraine that support the new govermet Nazis is okay. Its not like tarring all Jewish people as potential Israeli citizens. 

So if I have it right it is not all right to talk about the US in relation to the Ukraine because you believe it is not relevant but you want to talk about Daily Stormer and David Duke. Don't you see the disconnect?

Well, we know their Russian military advisors are all ready familiar with navigating in parts of the Ukraine. 

Lavrov: talks the only way to find out if eastern regions want to be part of Ukraine

Forgive me for not getting a hard-on for all things military, the glory of righteous battle, etc., but how will this change anything? Scores more people will die, infrastructure will be destroyed, and in the end the status quo will more or less be maintained under one form of government or another. Little or nothing positive will be gained for the Ukraine people. There are no Che Gueveras or Hugo Chavezs in this war as far as I can see.