A Sputnik International news parody account shared a tweet showing a Russian “tourist” headed to Ukraine with some missiles loaded on his trailer, calling it “humanitarian aid.”
Despite being a parody account, the tweet perfectly summarizes Russia’s intervention in Ukraine.
Russia originally invaded Ukraine by dispatching troops in 2014 in un-flagged uniforms. The Russian government portrays these troops, known as “little green men,” as “volunteers” or “tourists.” Russia’s invasion came after it illegally annexed Crimea in 2014, which it is under international sanction for by the U.S. and EU.
Russia actively supports, arms, and man’s separatist movements in Eastern Ukraine to undermine the Ukrainian government. The tweet also demonstrates that Russia is sending separatist’s heavy weapons that are banned under its obligations in the 2015 Minsk II agreements. Russia’s heavy weapon’s have caused record casualties in Ukraine, with the Ukrainian military suffering record casualties in August 2016.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said Aug. 19 he is afraid of a “full-scale Russian invasion” in the face of a massive troop mobilization on the Ukrainian-Russian quasi-border. Throughout August, Russia has positioned nearly 40,000 troops along the quasi Crimean-Ukrainian border, along with armored personnel carriers.
The move comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Ukraine August 10 of sponsoring two separate terrorist attacks in Russian-occupied Crimea. Ukraine denies any such incidents took place, and note the accusations mirror past false charges used to justify military action.
The missiles, which look to be dummies, may be an attempt to spark a conflagration between Ukraine and Russia. Russia insists its military build up on the Ukrainian border is simply a routine military exercise. U.S. officials told The Wall Street Journal they believe Russia may be trying to bait the Ukrainian government into a military confrontation. If Ukraine initiated a military confrontation, it would counter the Western narrative of Russian aggression and justify another Russian military incursion into Ukraine.
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