According to different sources, from 7 to 13 civilians were killed today in Donetsk, apparently by a mortar shelling. The shells hit a trolleybus stop in Leninskyi district of Donetsk, vul. Kuprina, in Bosse area. This happened around 8.30-9.00am.
DNR “authorities” promptly blamed Ukrainian forces for the attack, stating that it was a 82-mm mortar. At the same time, the location of the tragedy is about 15 km from Ukrainian army positions, and it is outside the mortar range.
Russian terrorists announced that the rounds were fired by a ‘mobile diversionary group’ within Donetsk, and, as journalist Oliver Carroll reported, DNR representatives also said that the shells came from a 152mm howitzer, which would be hard to hide (as a part of mobile ‘cover group’).
Cleaning up after today’s tragedy. To left is factory where DNR rep claimed 152mm howitzer fell. pic.twitter.com/l5AHrTWNDX
— Oliver Carroll (@olliecarroll) January 22, 2015
At the same time Russian journalists (or rather propaganda workers) – in particular, Aleksandr Kots from Komsomolskaya Pravda started calling this “another Volnovakha in Donetsk” immediately, blaming Ukrainian forces for the tragedy.
Information that “DNR” detained a “diversionary group” was published within several hours.
There are many questions that rose almost immediately about this tragic event and how it was presented by Russian terrorists and Russian media:
- The coincidence: bus attack last week in Volnovakha charged to Russians, this time attack in Donetsk is blamed on Ukrainians.
- The neighborhood is described as “otherwise relatively safe” – not closely monitored by Ukrainian and international observers.
- Rumors of “car mounted artillery” – how did that car manage to get there?
- Why would they attack a bus?
- If it’s misguided Ukrainian fire – what would they have actually aimed at?
- Quick arrest of a “covert group” within 2 hours after the incident.
Ukraine’s defense ministry issued a statement saying that evidence proves that “terrorists shelled public transport from city’s residential areas, controlled by illegal armed formations” (i.e. Russian terrorists). Prime minister of Ukraine Arseniy Yatsenyuk said that Russian Federation is responsible for this “horrific act against humanity.”
At the same time, a video was published at about 11am which shows how the Russians bring in a captured Ukrainian Cyborg commander at the crime scene, to publicly blame him for this attack.
They kicked and beat him in front of numerous TV cameras. He is offended by the public, and after civilians start beating him is taken to the car by his captors. And we can recognize him – it is the same Lieutenant Colonel captured by Russians in Donetsk airport two days ago. There was a video with his interrogation by DNR “commander” with the callsign Givi.
Internet users noticed a Russian Federation license plate on the car the Ukrainian officer is taken to. It was determined that according to the number it belongs to the Reserve of Ministry of interior affairs of Russian Federation. Dmytro Potyekhin, Ukrainian blogger and journalist, who was held captive for 45 days by DNR in 2014, said: “The green Toyota here looks like one used by MGB. Now with plates from Russian ministry of internal affairs.”
The license plate Т310ТС 96 RUS was also registered to Eduard Koridorov, journalist and PR-man from Yekaterinbug (Russia), whose last job (since 2013) was for Rinat Akhmetov, “lord of the Donbas.” Koridorov was working as a Director for public relations and regional development at Akhmetov’s Metinvest holding.
At about 14:00 another performance was staged: a group Ukrainian POWs were being led through the streets of Donetsk, also taken to the crime scene. Christopher Miller, reporter from Mashable said they were being beaten by the mob.
The Ukraine@war blog analyzes, using geolocation and online satellite maps, the direction and possible location from where the mortar rounds could have been shot:
“It is strange how a mortar can cause so many victims, because after one shell people run for cover. But here is a video, made by the Terrorussians themselves, that shows a mobile mortar, capable of firing 4 mortars in a row:
“
So it is almost clear that Russian terrorists killed Donetsk civilians themselves. But what was the reason for that? The reaction of Ukrainians to the published humiliation of Ukrainian officers (who were captured TWO DAYS AGO), being blamed for the shelling of civilians (that happened TODAY) – may be the answer.
The Russian terrorists staged the killing of civilians in Donetsk (to drown out the media effect of the earlier Volnovakha killings), blamed Ukrainians, brought a Ukrainian officer in a car with Russian police license plates registered for a man working for pro-Russian tycoon Akhmetov, shot the video how he is beaten and humiliated by civilians.
Who will the average Ukrainians hate the most from this video? The “residents of Donetsk” beating and humiliating a national hero, the commander of the Cyborgs! What Kremlin wants here is a maximum amount of negative emotions and mutual hatred. They struggle to create a real civil conflict, without any reservations, using absolutely rude and straightforward means.
Another goal that Russian war and propaganda machine reaches here is to increase the volume of alleged “atrocities of Ukrainians,” as the state-run channels present to media consumers in Russia. This is needed to divert attention from Volnovakha shelling by Russians on 13 January. To divert attention from Russian soldier killing the whole family in Armenia, or from Russian terrorists detained in France. Blatant lies about crucified boys, old women being raped, cannibalism of Right Sector, and all other rubbish do not work anymore. They had to create their own Anti-Volnovakha.
The mortar shelling of bus stop in Donetsk will become the number one news in Russia. The wave will be serious. Like a tsunami.
