Cogito Ergo Non Serviam

Ukraine Says Russia Has Invaded

"Russian forces have entered Ukraine," according to Petro Poroshenko, the President of Ukraine. He has canceled a trip to Turkey and has convened the nation's security council to determine a response. The invasion is not as overt as a traditional armed border crossing. Russia is playing a game that demands some level of deniability, and Ukraine must respond in such a way that Russia's war by stealth is exposed for the international aggression that it is by going along with he absurdity.

Ukraine has captured some Russian citizens in uniform on its territory. Tuesday, Ukrainian forces captured 10 Russian paratroopers in the eastern part of the country. The prisoners said that they were, indeed, Russians and that they had been ordered to go where they were found.

Moscow says it was all a big mistake. "The soldiers really did participate in a patrol of a section of the Russian-Ukrainian border, crossed it by accident on an unmarked section, and as far as we understand showed no resistance to the armed forces of Ukraine when they were detained," The Guardian quoted one Russian defense ministry source saying.

East Ukrainian pro-Russian separatist leader Alexander Zakharchenk admits that there are more than 10 Russians with his agitators. He maintains that they are freelancing. "Among us are fighting serving soldiers, who would rather take their vacation not on a beach but with us, among brothers, who are fighting for their freedom," said Mr. Zakharchenko in an interview posted on Vesti.ru, the Internet site of a Russian state television station.

However, various weapons platforms, e.g., a variant of the T-72 tank, that have not been exported have turned up in eastern Ukraine. America's ambassador to Ukraine Geoffrey Pyatt wrote this morning "Russian supplied tanks, armored vehicles, artillery and multiple rocket launchers have been insufficient to defeat Ukraine's armed forces. So now an increasing number of Russian troops are intervening directly in fighting on Ukrainian territory. Russia has also sent its newest air defense systems including the SA-22 into eastern Ukraine and is now directly involved in the fighting."

So, what should Kyiv do in response to this Russian invasion by stealth? Simply put, Kyiv should go along with the Russian line. Any prisoners taken can be held indefinitely (as prisoners of war they may be held until the conflict ends), and Russia really can't do anything about getting them back beyond begging. But if they are not Russian soldiers on official state business, they are then criminals and can be tried and sentenced to life in prison if the Ukrainians feel it helps. Any Russians killed in the fighting were not there are part of a Russian army, therefore, their deaths are regrettable but nothing could have been done. Kyiv regrets the loss of life, etc.

So long as the Russians are pretending they haven't invaded, their numbers will not be sufficient to overwhelm the Ukrainian forces. An outright invasion would mean a fairly bloody Russian victory that could easily spread to other parts of Eastern Europe. The Ukrainian military, however, can defeat a rebellion that just has some Russian soldiers in it.

Current estimates are that 3-4,000 Russian soldiers are on a fighting vacation in Ukraine. So long as Kyiv goes along with Russia's pretense that there is no invasion, those numbers cannot rise by enough to tip the balance in the war. And that must be Kyiv's main objective.

© Copyright 2014 by The Kensington Review, Jeff Myhre, PhD, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent. Produced using Ubuntu Linux.



Kensington Review Home