Two items relating to Ukrainian crisis worth noting today.
First an English version of the earlier De Spiegel article on German federal authorities concluding that it was likely that MH17 was shot down by the Eastern Ukrainian separatists using the BUK launcher they obtained from the seized Ukrainian military base: https://uk.news.yahoo.com/malaysia-airlines-mh17-rebels-shot-down-plane-seized-111727238.html#vzXgemW Note: this is still speculative, in so far as we do not have conclusive evidence as to where the BUK came from, nor in fact do we have full evidence on the rest of the event.
Second, Human Rights Watch issued a report: http://www.hrw.org/news/2014/10/20/ukraine-widespread-use-cluster-munitions that provides evidence that Ukrainian Government used cluster munitions against civilians in East Ukraine. The report also references on several occasions the potential use of such munitions by the separatists, although in all cases, HRW does qualify such references as not being confirmed. What is confirmed, however, is that Kiev forces used cluster munitions.
Note: Thanks for Conal for providing the following link disputing HRW evidence: http://www.dw.de/doubts-arise-over-hrw-cluster-bomb-report-in-ukraine/a-18013354
ReplyDeleteAlso, per my comment above, note that all (but one) experts disputing the HRW report are imbedded in the Ukrainian Government organisations or organisations with direct links to the Ukrainian Government. The exception from the above is OSCE representative, who is Canadian of Ukrainian descent.
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