The Battle for Novorussiya

[Lauren Johnson]

UPDATE: The Ukrainian gov is doing what was expected: not complying to the terms of Minsk II. Today was the last day for the Rada to give the LPR and the DNR a special status giving both regions semi-autonomy. That means Minsk II is now history. War could sell begin in earnest anytime. However, the fields still are not dry enough. I would expect the NAF to start moving their large weapons back to the front. Zackarchenko has hinted that Mariupol will be turned into the next cauldron. Most likely, things won't get going for another two or three weeks.

The Ukrainian gov has been promised $15+ billion from the IMF, which is like saying go to war. One question is the response of the Kremlin. With Putin being out of sight now for over a week, one has to wonder what that has to do with the Ukraine war. Col Cassad speculates that he is involved with establishing a new policy. Putin is supposed to re-surface on Monday.

In other news, Col Cassad has commented on the spate of suicides going on in Ukraine.

The wave of "suicides" among former "Regionals" in Ukraine is continuing.Former chairman of Zaporozhye Regional State Administration Alexander Peklushenko committed suicideThe Chief Inspector of the Public Relations Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in the Zaporozhye region, Alexander Soloshenko, informedthe correspondent of RBC-Ukraine."Yes. Aleksandr Peklushenko committed suicide at his home in the village of Solnechnoe . At the moment, an investigative team is working at the scene," said Alexander Soloshenko.Aleksandr Peklushenko was a suspect in the case of the dispersal of Zaporozhye Maidan on January 26, 2014.On the night of February 28, a former deputy chairman of the Party of Regions, Mikhail Chechetov, committed suicide.On the evening of March 9, Party of Regions People's Deputy of the Fifth and Sixth Radas, Stanislav Melnik, committed suicide.PS: Judging by the pace, new "suicides" are not far off. Belonging to the Party of Regions during Yanukovych's reign is apparently now a factor in raising the risk of a sudden "suicide". Nonetheless, the "Regionals" are in fact paying the price for last years cowardice with their positions, money and sometimes even lives, because unlike them, the coup ringleaders who replaced them are not so delicate and, in contrast to Yanukovych, they are not so embarrassed by blood.

Finally, Putin's latest poll results just keep going up: 88% positive.