by Stephen Lendman

Kiev fascists are murdering their own Southeastern citizens in cold blood. They're doing it with full support and complicity from Washington.

Russia's RIA Novosti news service quoted Deputy Chairman of the Duma Committee on Defense, Franz Klintsevich, saying:

Use of ballistic missiles against Lugansk civilians "suggests that the Ukrainian security forces have been granted carte blance from the Americans.""They do not care what Russia says, what the international community or even Europe says today."

"They got their carte blanche, and while it remains active they want to deal with the situation in Donetsk as quickly as possible."

Using ballistic missiles against civilian neighborhoods shows how far Kiev and Washington will go to solidify hardline neo-Nazi-infested fascist rule.

Rule of law principles don't matter. War without mercy ignores them. Ballistic missiles are powerful weapons.

On impact, "huge explosion(s)" follow. Maximum damage is inflicted. Rossiya-24 television said Kiev forces attacked Lugansk with Tochka-U ballistic missile systems.

They can carry nuclear and chemical weapons, as well as high explosives. Moscow's protests about using this weapon against civilian neighborhoods are ignored.

Kiev has Washington's support. It's taking full advantage. Both countries are guilty of high crimes against peace.

It's longstanding US practice. Its Ukrainian allies include a rogue's gallery of societal misfits.

They're militant fascist thugs. They're illegitimate putschists. They're xenophobic, hate-mongering, ultranationalist anti-Semites.

They mock democratic values. They rule by intimidation. They threaten the entire region. They risk direct confrontation with Russia.

Attacks continue on Lugansk, Donetsk, Horlivka, Pervomaisk, Ilovaisk and Krasni Luch. Russia's call for the international community to stop hostilities falls on deaf ears.

Washington and rogue EU partners support war without mercy. Civilian deaths, injuries and human misery are ignored.

Crushing freedom fighting democrats and solidifying hardline rule alone matter.

After blocking vitally needed aid for besieged Southeastern Ukrainian for days, Kiev's Minister of Social Policy, Lyudmila Denisova, officially recognized Russia's convoy as carrying legitimate humanitarian cargo.

She signed an order stating:

"In accordance with Articles 4 and 5 of the Law of Ukraine 'On Humanitarian Aid' considering the initiative of the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko on receiving humanitarian aid within the framework of international humanitarian missions under the auspices of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to recognize the cargo as humanitarian aid."

On Sunday, Russian and Ukrainian officials agreed to begin inspecting 16 trucks, according to the ICRC.

Its representatives will supervise aid distribution once delivery is OK'd. Expect days more delay before achieved.

Kiev wants more time to continue its war without mercy. It wants maximum punishment inflicted on beleaguered Southeastern Ukrainians.

It wants them deprived of essentials needed for survival as long as possible.

An ICRC letter said "(t)he recipient of humanitarian aid is the mission of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Ukraine."

"The cargo will be moved into Ukraine by the ICRC through the 'Donetsk' checkpoint."

According to ICRC official Pascal Cuttat, one major challenge remains. "(W)e absolutely need security guarantees from all parties concerned before we can start moving."

It's unclear when aid distribution will begin. Customs clearing procedures haven't been completed. Nor are security guarantees assured.

On Friday, Russia's Foreign Ministry said Kiev forces might block the agreed route to disrupt delivering aid to Lugansk.

Kiev forces may attack the convoy to prevent aid arriving. Its war without mercy gives no quarter. Fascists operate this way. So does Washington.

Ukrainian soldiers are notoriously underpaid, poorly fed and clothed, as well as deplorably treated.

Many young men seek refuge in Russia. They do so to avoid serving in a conflict they want no part of. Others are forced to fight against their will.

On Saturday, 17 Ukrainian soldiers fled the fighting, crossed into Russian territory, and laid down their arms, according to Moscow's Federal Security Service (FSB).

FSB regional representative Nikolay Sinitsyn said "(t)hey were provided with food, and they're safe here."

"We're carrying out a probe. Whoever wants to stay can do so, after the probe," he explained.

One Ukrainian soldier said they "came under mortar shelling. We were in the forest, out of weapons, out of everything."

"The chief told us to get out of the place." Leaving was a joint decision.

"The commander said there was such an option (to cross into Russia). Of course, he would bear responsibility for the consequences. But we decided together that it was better to leave."

Ukrainian forces did so earlier. In early August, 438 soldiers got permission to enter Russia after freedom fighters surrounded them in Ukrainian territory.

They lacked equipment and clear operational orders. Ukrainian prosecutors took action against 480 defectors.

According to Southern Region prosecutor in charge of military cases, Pavel Bogutsky:

"The investigation into 145 criminal offenses has been completed, and the indictments have been sent to court."

"Over half of these indictments concern people who deserted, refused to carry out their military duties and disobeyed orders." Over 30 received sentences.

Clearly, many Ukrainian soldiers aren't pleased with waging war on their own citizens. A good many do so reluctantly.

In contrast, Ukraine's National Guard is controlled by neo-Nazi thugs. Western media ignore their involvement and appalling atrocities.

Upside down reality persists. Fascists are portrayed as democrats. Freedom fighters are called terrorists.

Truth is systematically buried. Most Americans are mindless about facts on the ground. Official reports lie.

Media scoundrels repeat them ad nauseam. They include spurious claims about Russia directly aiding Southeastern Ukrainian freedom fighters.

Moscow categorically denies them. It accused Kiev of causing a humanitarian crisis and blocking efforts to alleviate it.

On August 17, reports said Lugansk area freedom fighters downed a Ukrainian fighter jet attacking area residents.

Ukrainian military spokesman Oleksiy Dmytrashkivsky accused Russia of supplying rocket launchers in the last 24 hours.

Ukraine's national security and defense council spokesman Abdriy Lysenko accused Moscow of supplying Grad missile systems, as well as using drones in Ukrainian air space 10 times.

On Sunday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met his Ukrainian counterpart in Berlin. Discussion focused on ending crisis conditions diplomatically.

Washington and Kiev want a military solution. They're going all-out to achieve one by mass murder, destruction and blocking humanitarian aid as long as possible.

At the same time, Southeastern Ukrainian freedom fighters show remarkable resilience. In Donetsk they launched a counteroffensive.

Fierce fighting continues. Ukraine's Donbass battalion commander said the combat spirit of his forces is low.

Army units so far have been unable to defeat self-defense fighters committed to press on.

Ukraine's prime minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk claims about 50,000 Ukrainian forces in conflict areas. Kiev's National Security and Defense Council earlier reported 568 servicemen killed and another 2,120 wounded as of August 11.

The battle for Ukraine's soul continues. It's been ongoing for months. How much longer remains to be seen.

Civilian casualties are high. Hundreds of thousands are internally and externally displaced.

Wars affect ordinary people most. In harm's way, there's no place to hide.

Without electricity, enough food, clean water, shelter for many, and other essentials, survival is a day-to-day struggle.

The future of Southeastern Ukraine remains up for grabs. For now, things look grim for hundreds of thousands of civilians in the wrong places at the wrong time.

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Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

His new book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks World War III".

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.

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