They weren't even killing the ringleaders. Just look how they pacified Kharkiv city (and with it the entire "Kharkov Peoples Republic") overnight with no loss of life.
I meant separatist ringleaders. Night 1 - they take over Kharkiv admin building and declare a People's Republic. Night 2 - SBU commandos raid the building, arrest some 70 (later exchanged), no one killed (some have died earlier in the clashes between protesters and counter-protesters and the attacks on police stations), the largest of the 3 people's republics is over.
It was in early 2014, the first phase of the "Anti-Terror Operation".
It didn't work out in Donetsk because a column of the SBU was ambushed by "Strelkov" and his Russians-from-Russia, killing 3 Alfa and turning them back. He later bragged about how he alone started the war.
"If our unit hadn't crossed the border, everything would have fizzled out — like in [the Ukrainian city of] Kharkiv, like in Odessa," Strelkov, who uses that nom-de-guerre meaning "Shooter" to replace his last name Girkin, was quoted as saying.
They weren't even killing the ringleaders. Just look how they pacified Kharkiv city (and with it the entire "Kharkov Peoples Republic") overnight with no loss of life.
the whole thing around Cymi and Kharkov was weird. They had the city surrounded by morning yesterday Ukraine time, and then just drove around.
looks like they are avoiding getting caught in population centres and threatening to let the chechens of the leash to pacify those
I meant separatist ringleaders. Night 1 - they take over Kharkiv admin building and declare a People's Republic. Night 2 - SBU commandos raid the building, arrest some 70 (later exchanged), no one killed (some have died earlier in the clashes between protesters and counter-protesters and the attacks on police stations), the largest of the 3 people's republics is over.
This is recent? What's your source? Not doubting just would like to read for myself, haven't heard these kind of details at all.
Everything I come across is just mainstream propoganda with fog of war
It was in early 2014, the first phase of the "Anti-Terror Operation".
It didn't work out in Donetsk because a column of the SBU was ambushed by "Strelkov" and his Russians-from-Russia, killing 3 Alfa and turning them back. He later bragged about how he alone started the war.
"Strelkov" bragging but he's right, it was him who did it: https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2014/11/21/russias-igor-strelkov-i-am-responsible-for-war-in-eastern-ukraine-a41598