FEMEN: ‘We Are the Watch Bitches of Democracy!’

Join the party!

(The FEMEN political party, that is.)

We are Ukrainian women. We are the FEMEN movement. We are the watch bitches of democracy! Our god: woman. Our weapon: bare breasts. Our goal: government. European Union, accept us! Kremlin, leave us alone! Ukraine, let’s be together! Ukrainian women, come join us, get topless and win!

If some of that sounds naïve, join this Ukrainian Army beauty contest.



Sources:
http://femen.livejournal.com/126232.html
http://censor.net.ua/ru/video_news/view/147869/femen_quotmy_chasovye_suki_demokratii_nasha_tsel_vlastquot_video
http://censor.net.ua/ru/video_news/view/147884/pervyyi_v_istorii_ukrainskoyi_armii_konkurs_krasoty_zampolit_skazal_poshli_i_ya_poshla_video
http://kanalukraina.tv

Women in the Ukrainian Military

Antique hardware. Miserable pay. They can do it!



Sources:
http://censor.net.ua/go/offer/ResourceID/130545.html
http://tsn.ua

U.S. sMILES on Ukraine

As you already know, the Obama administration appears to be backpedaling from Obama’s commitment to support a NATO track for Ukraine.

Actually, Ukraine got a consolation prize: 119 aging Multiple Integrated Laser Engagement Systems (MILES).



They resemble paintball, except that they use laser. The cash-strapped Ukrainian military is expecting another shipment in April.

So here’s the military math:

Ukraine gives up 176+14 ICBMs (a total of 1,240 warheads) + 600 cruise missiles + up to 3,000 tactical nukes = and all Ukraine gets is MILES + an exchange program at West Point.

Wait a minute, last October they talked about selling us some decomissioned USN battleships. That’s right, they just talked.

Video uploaded from: http://censor.net.ua/go/offer/ResourceID/113985.html
Original source: http://inter.ua

Ukrainian Air Forces Lack Fuel

It’s hard to be a top gun when you’re grounded.

Lack of funding makes the Ukrainian air forces practice what looks like “handjobs,” that is, handmade combat simulations.



On average, pilots get 9 flying hours per year, compared to NATO’s standard of 180-200.

No wonder the Obama administration appears to be backtracking from Obama’s October assessment of Ukraine as being ready for a Membership Action Plan.

Are we witnessing the rebirth of a Russia-first foreign policy, as articulated by Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY)?

As a person who grew up in a country that traded the world’s third-largest nuclear arsenal for chicken feed — and for a “Chicken Kiev” foreign policy — I guess I’m now behind the Ironic Curtain.




Video uploaded from: http://censor.net.ua/go/offer/ResourceID/113491.html
Original source: http://tsn.ua

Ukraine Celebrates Independence Day, Kyiv Holds Military Parade

Today, Ukraine celebrates its 17th anniversary of renewed statehood.

On August 24, 1991, a few days after the failed coup in Moscow, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine declared our independence from the Soviet Union. The rest is history, a bittersweet history of lost of opportunities.

Anyway, I couldn't miss today's parade.




The day started warm and sunny (and ended cloudy and rainy)



As I suspected, Maidan was for VIPs only


So I hurried back to the upper Khreshchatyk Station on Instytutska St....


...to take a dive and reemerge at Khreshchatyk







Sweltering in that uniform, aren't you?






From Ukraine with love and peace!


Some people sure know how to climb



Lieutenant General Ivan Svyda, commander of the Ground Forces, commences the parade




Defense Minister Yuriy Yekhanurov drives from Maidan, salutes troops; troops salute back



Driving back to Maidan





Troops on standby to march forward












They're marching! The audience is responding.


They're coming...


Hurray!
BTR-80, BMP-1 "Shkval"


In order of appearance: T-64 BM "Bulat," 2S1 "Gvozdika," 2S3 "Akatsiya," 2S19 "Msta-S"








BMP-2






Heading for NATO! The Humvee is replacing the UAZ-469.


MT-12 "Rapira"




9K51 "Grad"


In order of appearance:
BM-27 "Uragan," BM-30 "Smerch," 9К79 "Tochka-U" (SS-21 "Scarab B"), 9K33 "Osa" (SA-8 "Gecko"), 2S6M "Tunguska," Buk-M1, S-200 (SA-5 "Gammon"), S-300 (SA-10 "Grumble")

Now let's do a little flying!


In order of appearance:
Mi-8, Mi-24


The remaining birds are a bit trickier for me to identify...
An-30 escorted by two Mig-29s, right?


Il-76 escorted by two Su-27s?


I'm not sure what some of these birds are...but the first four look like Mig-29s, followed by three Su-24Ms, one Su-24MR, four Su-25s and four Su-27s.

In 2001, they closed the parade with the An-124 "Ruslan" flying in formation with the An-225 "Mriya," the world's biggest aircraft (no kidding)...produced in Kyiv, Ukraine! (Click here for a video chronicle of parades held in Kyiv since 1917.)

Airshows in Ukraine don't always go as planned. In July 2002, we had the Sknyliv tragedy, which killed 85 people and injured over 100.

Thankfully, everything was fine this time.





Z Dnem Nezalezhnosti tebe, Ukrayino! Happy Independence Day, Ukraine!