Report “Putin. War” was published in the Internet on May 12th. Idea of this report belongs to the dead Russian oppositionist Boris Nemtsov.
This politician had written many reports during his life. Those reports were about realities of Putin’s regime in modern Russia (“Putin. Results”, “Putin. Corruption”, etc.). In each of them the author made very bold attacks against contemporary Russian authorities.
At the same time it is obvious, that this report, which proves direct connection of Russian government to the situation in Ukraine, caused a sensation in information space. To understand why it had happened we have to look through the content.
All reports made by Boris Nemtsov were compiled from information resources with open access. It gives them right to claim to maximum reliability.
The last report, which was prepared after the tragic death of Boris Nemtsov, presents information about such actions of Russian authorities as Crimea’s occupation, military aggression in the East of Ukraine and its consequences – deaths in Donbass, including Russian citizens; bad humanitarian situation in Luhansk and Donetsk regions; passenger aircraft, which was shot down by fighters.
First two sections are devoted to prerequisites of the military conflict in Donbass. Authors believe that the main reason of the RF’s aggression towards Ukraine was a decrease of the President Putin’s electoral rating after elections of 2012. Russian leader needed addition legitimization of his power. That is why he got involved into “Crimean adventure” and then in a “hybrid war”. Also attention was paid to the phenomenon of Russian propaganda, which was destined to become a full-fledged weapon of the coming conflict.
How they took away Crimea
In the third section of the report, which was dedicated to the seizure of Crimea, Ukrainian reader will not probably find anything new.
Authors points at official position of the Kremlin about events’ evaluation and also show words of Russian soldiers, who took direct part in Crimean seizure operation.
In opinion of the report’s authors, Putin’s replicas witness for intentional violation of at least three international treaties by Russian authorities: “Budapest Memorandum”, “Treaty about friendship, cooperation and partnership between the Russian Federation and Ukraine” and “Agreement between the Russian Federation and Ukraine about Russian-Ukrainian state border”.
Actions of Russian soldiers on the peninsula are also described in the chapter.
Russian soldiers in Eastern Ukraine
Next chapter is dedicated to the presence of Russian soldiers in Eastern Ukraine. Authors catch Russian government lying, showing their false statements and disproving them by documented facts. After quoting Putin’s and Peskov’s announcements about the absence of Russian army in Eastern Ukraine, authors present materials disproving their words. It is also said in the report about technologies used by Russian military government to hide obvious things – participation of Russian carreer soldiers (who were on vacation) in combats; “volunteers”, who were recruited via Russian military registration and enlistment office.
Authors underline that participation of carrer soldiers of the RF in combats on the territory of foreign states during their vacation is a violation of the Ministry of Defense’s order.
“It is worth saying, that contract soldiers of the RF armed forces are prohibited to participate in combats during their vacation. A soldier keeps his status during a vacation. To receive a vacation a soldier has to note in a report on the commander’s name the accurate place, where he is going to spend his holidays. If he is going to spend his vacation abroad, he has to get allowance from the Ministry of Defense, his commander and the RF FSC’s approval (according to the order of the RF Ministry of Defense from 31st of July, 2006 №250 DSP)”.
Separate attention is paid to stories about “lost” paratroopers from Ivanovo and Kostroma on the territory of Ukraine. Those stories were reported by the Ukrainian side according to evidence of the private soldier Hohlov, paratrooper Kozlov, who was invalided in the East of Ukraine; and burnt tanker from Buryatiya.
Questions about mercenaries are raised in the next chapter too. It tells how soldiers had to sign report about discharging before go to Eastern Ukraine in the end of 2014. As a result, in case of injury or death relatives of soldiers couldn’t ask for any compensation. To avoid such cases as had happened with abovementioned paratroopers, soldiers were sent to Ukraine in groups of 3 people at a time.
This chapter also tells about the role of different Russian public organizations and separate state institutions in recruiting, provision and delivering of Russian mercenaries to the conflict zone. All information was taken from open sources.
220 for 200 each, or successes of a defense ministry retail shop
This chapter became the most well-known. It provides proved facts of Russian soldiers’ deaths on the territory of Ukraine. According to Boris Nemtsov’s resources, at least 220 Russian soldiers had died during the military conflict in Donbass — about 150 people near Illovaysk and about 70 near Debaltsevo at the beginning of the year.
The request, sent by Boris Nemtsov shortly before his death to the Attorney General’s Office of the RF was also mentioned in the chapter. The politician demanded to check information about Russian soldiers, who had been killed on the territory of Ukraine. A month after that Nemtsov was killed and his request was left without answer.
The seventh chapter of the report is titled “Defense ministry retail shop of Vladimir Putin”.Authors prove there an obvious fact, that separatists would not be able to pursue active military actions in Donbass without Russian weapons, equipment and ammunition.
Initialing the Minsk agreements, Russian authorities in fact admitted that fighters had Russian weapons. Because weapons, which were developed in the RF and were not exported anywhere (“Tornado-G” – 40 km, RSZO “Tornado-U” – 70 km, RSZO “Tornado-S”), were mentioned in the agreement about withdrawal of artillery.
Who had shot down the Boeing?
Tragedy of the shot down Malaysian Boeing was investigated in detail by the authors of the report. Data of official and journalists’ investigations, photo materials and testimonial evidence were presented in the report along with versions of pro-Kremlin media, official position of the Russian General Staff.
According to analysis of materials authors concluded that the Boeing was shot down by guided-missile system “Buk”, which came to Donbass from the RF and was controlled by separatists. The same conclusion was made by International commission of inquiry.
Who rules Donbass?
This chapter tells about Moscow curators and financiers of the Donbass separatism, and also about the RF citizens, who were involved into military and political structure of LNR/DNR: Marat Bashirov, Aleksandr Boroday, Igor Girkin. Authors prove that republics have puppet governments, and serious decisions are made in Moscow. It was mentioned in the chapter, that “Denis Pushilin tendered resignation on May 18th, 2014, from the post of the head of the presidium of the DNR’s Supreme Council. Vice-speaker of the “republican parliament” Vladimir Makovitch commented resignation of his colleague and proved that the application was written from Moscow”.
Authors of the report concluded that “Kremlin’s policy towards DNR and LNR is closed and not transparent. But it is impossible to hide facts of the direct administration of those so-called “independent republics”. In fact, we are talking here about creation of pseudo-states in the East of Ukraine, which are managed from Moscow and work as mechanisms of pressure upon the official Kiev”.
How much does the war with Ukraine costs?
Authors of the report published sensational figures. So, according to authors’ estimates, for 10 months of the military conflict in Donbass direct expenditures of the RF for the campaigns’ financing were 53 billions of roubles.
This number includes not all expenses, which rested upon shoulders of Russian taxpayers. Moreover, about 80 billion roubles have been spent on keeping Ukrainian refugees since July 2014. Furthermore, there is a “price of Crimea” and a direct losses of Russian economy from Western sanctions, which lead to unfavorable consequences.
What should Ukrainians wait for from publication of the report?
Based on information from opened sources, the report was published in Russia and it is very important, first of all, for Russian society itself and for future Russian-Ukrainian relations.
Simple and important idea, realized by its authors is that there are people in Russia, who can adequately estimate Putin’s regime. Publication of the report creates prerequisites for juridical appraisal of the current government inside the state and in international judicial institutions.
Most information in the report is known to average Ukrainian. But we also cannot overestimate this report. It barely possible, that Russians or pro-Russian Ukrainians will begin to see clearly right after reading the report.
Historical significance of the report “Putin. War” is in its potential influence at international society and public opinion beyond Russia and Ukraine. Boris Nemtsov had unprecedented for Russian oppositionist level of authority on international arena. Authors of the report mentioned his name in it to attract attention of all civilized world to their findings.
At the end of the report authors made a conclusion: “This war – is a shame of our country. But the problem will not vanish itself. Putin has to be stopped. And it can be done only by Russian people”. We want to add that Ukrainians will be happy to help you to do this, dear Russians.
Aleksey Chernov for Informator.lg.ua