Victorious Week for Ukrainian Armed Forces

Last week turned out to be an inspiring, victorious week for the Ukrainian nation and its armed forces.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko called the moment when Ukrainian troops hoisted the Ukrainian flag over the Russian terrorists’ seat of power in Slavyansk “a turning point” in a war that has killed nearly 500 people and exposed for the world to see Russia’s historic never-ending aggressive behavior.

As Poroshenko pledged, Ukrainian soldiers went on the offensive and began pushing back the Russian terrorists from their strongholds. The victories restored Ukrainian control over several key cities in eastern Ukraine and were hailed by the local population, which, after weeks of sporadic access to stores and food, was immediately fed by the Ukrainian military.

In the wake of a Ukrainian-declared truce that was persistently violated by Russian mercenaries, Poroshenko appropriately annulled it and declared: “We will attack and we will liberate our land.”

For Ukrainians, it was the first time they heard their president sound presidential. With one sentence he inspired Ukrainian soldiers and the nation and they stood up to liberate Ukraine. He demonstrated leadership and vision and they followed him.

Despite violating the truce, when the military tables turned against him and Ukrainian armed forces began to score victory after victory, Putin cynically yelled foul and insisted on a ceasefire. Apparently his mercenaries were demanding it so they could regroup. They needed to regroup in Ukraine because, reportedly, they are not being allowed to return to Russia. Three hundred Russian terrorists were executed by Russian border guards for crossing the Ukraine-Russia frontier.

In addition to Poroshenko’s inspirational, patriotic oratory, his two newly appointed military chiefs also contributed to a new esprit de corps among Ukrainian servicemen and women.

Ukrainian troops raised a Ukrainian blue-and-gold national flag over the rebel stronghold of Slavyansk in Ukraine’s biggest tactical victory since the start of the conflict in the east of the country. Ukrainian National Guard entered the city on Saturday after ousting Russian terrorists overnight.

In Slavyansk, Ukrainian guardsmen uncovered a huge arsenal of Russian-made weapons including ammunition, automatic rifles, mines, mortars and recoilless rocket launchers.

In quick succession, Ukrainian flags were raised over city halls of Kramatorsk, Druzhkivka, Kostiantynivka and several other municipalities while the Russians escaped to Donetsk and Luhansk.

Dmytro Tymchuk, a respected defense analyst with close ties to the Ukrainian military, noted: “It will be many times more difficult to fight in regional centers where there is a huge number of peaceful residents,” he said, adding that the Russian border remains under mercenaries’ control in several places.

He also warned: “There is crazy pressure on the Ukrainian government from ‘friendly’ Europe to force it to end active operations in Donbas and announce another ceasefire,” he said, noting that Germany in particular was leading the “pacifist choir.”

Indeed, European fairweather friends were shocked by Ukraine’s victories and expressed support for a ceasefire. Germany, France and others would rather Ukraine and Russia reach a stalemate rather than Ukraine defeat Russia.

Indeed, NATO, faced with a newly aggressive Russia and the prospects of a Ukrainian victory, has ruled out rapid expansion for the alliance that was created to harness Moscow’s aggression, reported the AP.

Four would-be members, including Georgia, have been informed that admission to NATO isn’t in the cards anytime soon. For some, that means dashed hopes. Macedonia’s foreign minister told the AP in a statement it was a “step backward.”

The bottom line: NATO, celebrating important anniversaries this year, will welcome no new members when President Barack Obama and other leaders convene for a summit in Wales in early September. Analysts have said NATO members are worried about granting, or being perceived as granting, security guarantees that could quickly be tested by Russia. That’s particularly true of Georgia, which has been waiting since 2008 for the U.S.-led military alliance to make good on its promise of admission.

NATO is opening itself and its members to further Russian assaults if it doesn’t restrain its belligerent nature.

On Sunday, bolstered Ukrainian forces pursued retreating Russian terrorists after seizing their symbolic bastion in a morale-boosting win that appeared to dim hopes for a ceasefire in the bloody separatist insurgency.

Poroshenko noted the Russian terrorists were regrouping around the million-strong eastern industrial hub of Donetsk and vowed to flush out “terrorists who are entrenching themselves in large cities.” Despite Russian propaganda, Ukrainian armed forces are paying close attention to how they target their artillery bombardment, avoiding all civilian locations.

The Russian terrorists admitted suffering heavy losses while fleeing the strategic city nearly three months after its capture that marked the second phase of Moscow’s blatant invasion of peaceful Ukraine.

The withdrawal from Slavyansk was led by senior militia commander Igor Strelkov, a colonel in Russia’s GRU military intelligence unit. His presence proves that Moscow is behind the invasion.

He told Moscow-backed television that he was busy plotting a counter-offensive that he himself would lead. “I intend to issue an order (on Monday) creating a central military council that will include all the major field commanders,” Strelkov told the LifeNews channel. “This agency will help coordinate how we intend to defend the Donetsk People’s Republic and, possibly, a part of the Luhansk People’s Republic,” he said in reference to the other separatist region of eastern Ukraine.

Regardless of the significant military accomplishments, Poroshenko cautioned that “This is not a full victory and no time for fireworks.”

Indeed, Mr. President, the terrorists have not yet been repelled back to Russia, but the Ukrainian nation deserves at least a brief respite to cheer their new leaders and armed forces and pay respect to their new generation of martyrs and heroes.