Russia cuts off power supplies to Ukraine rebels: Kiev

[Little Tich]

Source: Yahoo! News / AFP

Kiev (AFP) - Kiev said Tuesday that Russia had cut off electricity to Ukraine's rebel-run regions in what appears to be another sign that Moscow is losing interest in plans to splinter its neighbour.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has gone through an extended spell without peppering his speeches with mentions of a "New Russia" (Novorossiya) made up of Ukrainian lands that were once under tsarist control.

The veteran Kremlin leader had fervently promoted the project while the separatists were gaining ground along Ukraine's eastern industrial heartland toward the end of last year.

But Ukrainian insurgents who claimed to be in charge of re-creating a part of the old Russian empire have in recent weeks complained of a sudden lack of interest from the Kremlin and a dire shortage of funds.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/russia-cuts-off-power-supplies-ukraine-rebels-kiev-155519945.html

[oldandhappy]

1. dire shortage of funds on Putin's side also!

[TwilightGardener]

2. This happened last summer, too--claims that Putin was abandoning support of the rebels.

Skepticism is in order.

[Sunlei]

9. It's because russia will be invaded by IS. IS made one of their 'claim statements'..

to part of Russia last month.

[cstanleytech]

3. Uh huh, I will believe Russia has changed its expansionist ways when they

stop their invasion of the Ukraine by pulling all their troops back to their original bases on the Crimean Peninsula as per the treaty they had with the Ukraine for leasing those bases and stop all aid and support to the so called "rebels" until then its just more BS.

[SunSeeker]

4. I hope this is true.

Maybe Putin wants to concentrate on getting ready for the World Cup--before it is taken away.

[newthinking]

5. Hard to take this "news" article seriously. Putin never "peppered his speeches with mentions of"

Novorussia.

That was a term the rebels used, not Putin.

I have heard indications that Russian (Internal) Press are softening rhetoric against the west (from Russians). Not sure what that may mean.

[Sunlei]

6. Ukraine hired Chechen Battalions, They are very experienced fighters vs russians.

Putin sent a lot of military supplies by train to that eastern area to try to build up his invasion.

With a bunch of Chechen snipers at the front line, its not easy anymore for Putins invasion.

These new troops are called, "volunteers", they're probably very effective to take out the Russian soldiers.

“We like to fight the Russians,” said the Chechen, who refused to give his real name. “We always fight the Russians.”

[Igel]

7. Link.

It strikes me as unlikely that Kadyrov would have allowed this.

More than a couple of independent sources have pointed out Chechens and Ossetians fighting on the DNR and LNR side over the last 15 months. Some documents, social media sites, videos posted by fighters and by others with phones, with materiel and weapons sourced or followed from the large military base outside Groznyi.

[Sunlei]

8. search the quote I provided and the link will come right up