A Handy Illustrated Guide:
Using civilian vehicles, how Russia sends military supplies into Ukraine.
Because of its heavy industrial heritage, eastern Ukraine is unsurprisingly full of old industrial buildings. Both the cities of Luhansk and Donetsk have large numbers of empty commercial buildings, many of them enclosed by walls and fencing. Enclosed compounds & large buildings make for ideal usage by the military. Walls keep the prying eyes of OSCE monitors & camera’s away.
For this post, we take a look at the industrial complex seen above.
Located in the Russia-led city of Luhansk in Ukraine’s Luhansk Oblast (province), it looks innocuous enough. Before the conflict the larger building in the bottom right was used as some form of warehouse and civilian cars and trucks can seen parked around the other buildings. Satellite coordinates: 48°31’8.61″N 39°18’50.00″E
August 2014: Civilian cars & vans are in the compound & no sign of a military presence.
October 2014: Large numbers of civilian trucks on site. This suggests the commercial enterprise has ended here and the buildings are being cleared.
Feb 2015: Military transport & fuel trucks (left) have arrived.
March 2015: A tented military camp has been set up. Area around tents has been cleared.
April 2015: Large numbers of civilian trucks have arrived. With some backed up the loading bay, this suggests their cargo is being unloaded into the large building.
Sept 2015: Numerous military transport trucks can be seen at the large building, with several backed up to the loading bay. During 2015, May, July and August satellite images show both white civilian and military trucks at this building.
Dec 2015: Around 70 military transport trucks have arrived.
Close-up of the military trucks.
Throughout 2016, 2017 & 2018, satellite images show WHITE civilian trucks and military transport trucks routinely loading/unloading from the large building.
Pic from Aug 2017.
April 2018: White civilian trucks using the large building and parked up.
Sept 2018: Military transport trucks at the large building.
A prominent feature of the conflict in eastern Ukraine is Russia’s sending of large numbers of what they claim to be “humanitarian aid convoys” into the region. Since 2014, not one single truck has had its contents independently checked to verify they’re genuinely carrying “humanitarian aid.” Even more suspicious, once inside what most people believe to be the Russia-led republics of Donetsk & Luhansk, OSCE monitors have always been denied permission to observe the unloading of “aid” trucks.
Strange that Russia continually trumpets their sending of vast amounts of aid for children and families into eastern Ukraine, yet categorically refuses to allow anyone to see it. Little wonder these Russian convoys have been labelled – Ammo Aid Convoys.
WHY do I mention Russia’s “aid” convoys?
Because as seen below, all the Russian “humanitarian” trucks are WHITE, the same colour as the trucks seen at our large building in Luhansk.
