By Kyle Herda

Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

KIEV, Ukraine – Ukraine is reporting that Russia has entered back into Eastern Ukraine, specifically into the Luhansk region. Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council spokesman Andriy Lysenko reported at least 32 tanks, 16 artillery systems, and 30 trucks loaded with fighters and ammunition, along with three mobile radar units on trucks, crossed over from Russia into Eastern Ukraine on Thursday.

Earlier this week reports from Western nations claimed that Russia was amassing troops and military equipment on the Russian side of the Ukrainian border. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has shown “deep concern” about the new reports coming out of Ukraine, a concern that several nearby countries likely share. This increased aggression would be a direct violation of the ceasefire agreed to on September 5, would undermine the legitimacy of this truce and future possible truces, and would further worry many nations that border Russia and who have seen Russian aggression increase dramatically over the past month.

Prior to this alleged incursion and the gathering of troops along the Ukrainian border this week, Russia has also shown serious aggression towards other countries recently. There have been many flyovers of Russian military aircraft over the Baltics, Scandinavian countries, and even as far as Portugal, Canada, and Alaska. Russia abducted an Estonian border agent in Estonia and a Lithuanian fishing boat in international waters. Russia is also suspected of having sent a submarine into a Swedish bay, although that remains unconfirmed.

Fighting between pro-Russian rebels and Kiev militants has been steadily increasing over the past month over an airport in Donetsk, and over the past 24 hours alone five soldiers were killed. Andrei Purgin, the deputy prime minister of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic, told a Russian news service that Ukraine launched an “all-out war” on rebel militias. Elections on Sunday in Donetsk and Luhansk to put pro-Russian rebels into political positions have also been deemed by Kiev as violations of the truce agreements.

More than 4,000 lives have already been lost this year as a result of fighting in Ukraine, many of whom were lost during increased fighting the last time Russia came into Ukraine. There is no telling how bad things could get if confirmed that Russia has indeed returned to fight in Eastern Ukraine.

For more information, please see:

ABC – Ukraine Accuses Russia of Sending Dozens of Tanks – 7 November 2014

Washington Post – Ukraine accuses Russia of major cross-border incursion to aid separatists – 7 November 2014

BBC – Ukraine crisis: Tanks ‘cross border’ from Russia – 7 November 2014

Irish Times – Ukraine accuses Russia of sending in tanks to support rebels – 7 November 2014

Deutsche Welle – Kyiv: 32 tanks enter Ukraine from Russia – 7 November 2014

 

By Kyle Herda

Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

LISBON, Portugal – Russian jets, bombers, and fueling planes continue to violate the airspaces of many NATO countries, and the severity of the violations is increasing in number and intensity.

On October 21, 2014, a Russian Ilyushin-20, a spy plane, flew for about a minute in Estonian airspace before fighters from Denmark, Portugal, and Sweden intercepted. On October 28, 2014, seven Russian combat aircraft flew over the Baltic Sea and were initially intercepted by German fighters near Finland. Instead of turning back, the Russian aircraft pushed further, and were additionally intercepted by Danish, Swedish, and Finnish aircraft.

On October 29, 19 Russian aircraft in 3 separate formations were intercepted over the Baltic Sea, Black Sea, and North Sea leading a chase into the Atlantic Ocean. Portuguese fighter jets intercepted seven Russian jets over the Baltic Sea, and at the same time Turkish fighters intercepted two Russian bombers and two Russian fighter jets over the Black Sea. Later that day, eight Russian aircraft were initially intercepted by English RAF over the North Sea, at which point some of the Russian aircraft returned to Russia but two bombers pushed towards the Atlantic. The final two bombers were once again intercepted over the Atlantic by Portuguese aircraft.

Reports also came out recently about a simulated Russian attack in June 2014 of the Danish island Bornholm. This simulated attack occurred while 90,000 people were attending a political festival, and the Russian aircraft were equipped with live missiles. On March 29, 2013, a similar run was performed with two Tu-22M3 Backfire Russian heavy bombers and four SU-27 Flanker fighter jets around Sweden.

U.S. Air Force General Philip Breedlove, the supreme allied commander in Europe, has called the more recent Russian incursions “a larger, more complex formation of aircraft carrying out a little deeper, … more provocative flight path.” Breedlove believes that these incursions have been a message from Russia to NATO that Russia is “a great power”.

As long as these incursions continue, and especially the more intense flight patterns and flight paths, relations with NATO and countries around the world will remain low with Russia and becoming increasingly pressed.

For more information, please see:

Business Insider – Here Are The ‘Complex’ Russian Air Incursions That NATO Is So Concerned About – 3 November 2014

Reuters – NATO commander: Russia’s incursions in European airspace ‘more provocative’ – 3 November 2014

The Examiner – World War 3 trial run: Russia simulates attack on Denmark, stimulates war fears – 2 November 2014

The Inquisitr – World War 3: Russia Simulated Attack On Denmark, Could Be Preparing European Invasion – 31 October 2014

 

By Kyle Herda

Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

PARIS, France – An incident outside of a bar in Lille, France this week turned ugly fairly quickly and resulted in riot police firing tear gas into the crowd. The dispute between police and fans of Lille and Everton, in anticipation of a Europa league match resulted in at least two fans being hospitalized.

While the cause of the altercations is still unclear, reports seem to suggest that a misunderstanding is to blame. Claims are that an officer in plain clothing was attempting to arrest an Everton supporter for “misbehaving” at a bar in Lille. Other Everton fans inside the bar did not realize it was an officer and mistook the arrest to be a Lille fan harassing the Everton fan. The Everton fans confronted the officer, things quickly escalated, and soon riot police showed up, aggressively pushed the crowd that gathered, used tear gas bombs, pepper spray, and shot rubber bullets.

There are also reports that a crowd of “hooligans” provoked Everton fans, and that this was the cause of the riot. These claims further that the Lille fans were to blame, and that riot police who responded attacked the Everton fans who were injured and in need of help. One witness claims to have seen riot police “spray one Everton fan for no reason.” Another witness claims “[t]he hooligans picked up chairs we had stacked up outside and attacked them, while others used them to smash windows and try to get inside.’

The Everton club released a statement that they will be working “closely with the French and Merseyside police … to better understand the two isolated but serious incidents that occurred in Lille”. While events died down relatively quickly, everybody was urged to avoid the square where the riots occurred due to the lingering gas used by the riot police

For more information, please see:

Daily Mail – Everton to work with French police after trouble in square and ‘unprovoked’ attacks on fans before Europa League tie at Lille – 24 October 2014

Fox – Police use tear gas against Everton fans ahead of match in Lille – 23 October 2014

Sky Sports – Europa League: Trouble flares in Lille ahead of Everton’s Group H game – 23 October 2014

SB Nation – Scary scene in Lille as police clash with Everton fans – 23 October 2014

 

By Kyle Herda

Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

STOCKHOLM, Sweden – For the second time in two days, NATO jets were scrambled to intercept Russian military aircraft over the Baltic Sea. The Russian aircraft did not violate the airspace of any foreign nations, and after identifying the aircraft, NATO jets let it go.

 

While the Russian Ilyushin-20 surveillance aircraft did not violate the airspace of any nation this time, Russian jets have already done so numerous times. These two incidents mimic incidents that occurred on October 7 and September 11 where Russian jets again went through the Baltic Sea but did not violate any country’s airspace. Finland, however, says that Russian military aircraft have violated Finnish airspace five times already this year, and twice Russian military ships intercepted Finnish research vessels in international water.

Also in the center of the spotlight near the Baltic Sea is an incident in Swedish waters involving what some allege to be a Russian submarine. Reports were that some people had seen what appeared to be a submarine near Stockholm, and Sweden is taking this very seriously. Multiple reports and photographs seem to suggest that there may indeed be something in the Swedish waters that does not belong there.

On Good Friday last year, several Russian military planes conducted a simulated missile attack on Stockholm and southern Sweden. This drill caught Sweden so off-guard that their response jets never even left the ground. However, real or not, Sweden is taking this new incident very seriously and responding with haste.

In 1981, a Soviet submarine with nuclear weapons found itself stranded off Sweden’s southeast coast, an incident now known as the “whiskey on the rocks” incident. After 11 days, the sub was let go, free to return to the Soviet Union. Colonel Jan Mörtberg of the Swedish Defence College says this incident is different, however: “[I]n those days [Russia] didn’t have to restore its superpower-status. That status was clear.” A high-ranking Latvian official made similar claims: “Russia is trying to position itself a dominant centre of power on the global stage.”

Today, Sweden is still searching the waters for any possible submarines, and is not afraid to use weapons to make it surface if needed. Whether there is currently a submarine in Ingaro Bay remains unknown, but Sweden wants to be sure before calling off the search.

For more information, please see:

BBC – Sweden could use force against suspected foreign sub – 22 October 2014

Newsweek – NATO, Swedish Fighters Scrambled to intercept Russian Plane – 22 October 2014

ABC – Estonia: Russian Military Plane Violated Air Space – 22 October 2014

Yahoo – NATO intercepts Russian jets over Baltic Sea – 21 October 2014

Newsweek – The ‘Russian Submarine’ in Swedish Waters Isn’t the Only Unwelcome Visitor in the Baltic Sea – 21 October 2014

Mercury News – Sweden’s hunt for mystery submarine revives Cold War tensions – 20 October 2014

 

By Kyle Herda

Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

BELGRADE, Serbia – A Euro 2016 qualifying match between Albania and Serbia ended abruptly due to a drone carrying a controversial flag that interrupted the game and sparked a riot.

Around 41 minutes into the match, a drone flew over the stadium while carrying a flag depicting the “Greater Albania”, which was shown to include Kosovo. When Serbian player Stefan Mitrovic took down the flag, a brawl quickly erupted. Martin Atkinson, an English referee on the field, tried to take players off the field, but it was too late. A brawl erupted between the two teams, with referees and fans soon finding themselves in the middle of it as well.

Two political figures were also on the flag. The first, Isa Boljetini, was an Albanian nationalist who led uprisings against the Serbs and Ottomans in 1912 and 1913. The second figure was Ismail Qemali, the founder of the modern Albanian state, which gained independence back in 1912.

While some countries recognize Kosovo’s independence, such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and France, other countries do not. Even after Kosovo’s 2008 declaration of independence, Serbia is among those countries that do not recognize Kosovo as an independent state.

Olsi Rama, brother of Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, was detained by police on suspicion of being the one responsible for the drone. Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic, however, insisted Rama be released and allowed back home.

This was the first match Albania has played in Belgrade since 1967, and given the ethnic war in 1999 and Kosovo’s independence in 2008 that have happened since, tensions were already high going into the match. Away fans were not present, and so once the fighting began, the Albanian team was outnumbered. Serbian captain, Branislav Ivanovic, claims that his team “shielded the Albanian players every step of the way to the tunnel.” Albanian captain, Lorik Cana, reports that his players were “being attacked and hit even inside the tunnel, and even by the stewards.” Furthermore, Albania’s coach, Giovanni de Biazzi, reports that four of his players were injured from the incident.

For more information, please see:

CNN – Serbia and Albania game abandoned after drone invasion sparks brawl – 15 October 2014

Reuters – Serbia-Albania match abandoned following drone stunt, brawl – 15 October 2014

The Guardian – Albania and Serbia face heavy Uefa sanctions after abandoned game – 15 October 2014

The Telegraph – Serbia accuses Albania of ‘terrorist action’ with drone carrying flag as both countries charge by Uefa for violence – 15 October 2014

The Washington Post – UPDATED: Drone toting pro-Albanian flag causes riots that end Albania vs. Serbia Euro 2016 qualifier early – 14 October 2014