Perspectief 2019-44

Perspectief 104 MH17 – the Ukrainian Context Hypocrisy. We are apparently fighting with Ukraine, and everyone knows that. There are training camps for fighters operating in Russian territory, convoys with tanks move toward the Ukrainian borders, the leaders of the separatists get ap- proval for their actions in the Kremlin. But supposedly we’re not fighting. Putin confidently shakes his head in reply to direct questions, and Amb. Churkin at the UN Security Council angrily denies all accusation of the Kremlin. Lying. Were Russian paratroopers caught in Ukrainian territory? Well, they just lost their way. Is it proven that the separatists are using Russian weaponry? They prob- ably bought it at the army depot. Ukrainians are fired on from Russian territory? But they’re bombing themselves. They are naming the last names of Russian sol- diers who were killed in eastern Ukraine? Oh, that’s it. Cowardice. Neither Putin nor his generals have had the courage to admit the fact of military aggression against Ukraine. Craven lying and hypocrisy are served up as great political wisdom.7 7. Military operations and casualties Both interpretations of hybrid war agree that military troops involved in it do not reveal their identity or act through proxies. Nevertheless, Putin secured for himself a possibility to use Russian military troops openly. He requested the upper chamber of the Russian Parliament, the Council of Federation, to grant him such permission. The permission was granted on March 1, 2014. Putin kept this permission as an open card, but did not use it. He preferred to send Russian troops without insignia. They were registered as if on vacation—even though the Russian law prohibits military personnel to take part in any military activity while on vacation. Putin also sent to Ukraine retired military and paramilitary groups, such as Cossacks, as merce- naries. These groups played a key role in the occupation of Sloviansk, a city in the northern part of Donetsk oblast’ . They came from Crimea, being led by a former FSB officer Igor Girkin