Ukrainian troops to hold exercises in central Kiev: government

[Bosonic]

Source: Reuters

KIEV (Reuters) - Ukraine's armed forces will conduct military exercises in central Kiev on Wednesday night, the government said, following a new warning by acting President Oleksander Turchinov about the threat of a Russian invasion.

A statement on the government website warned residents that "columns of military hardware will move through the city" and conduct exercises. Turchinov reiterated on Wednesday that Ukraine's armed forces were on full military alert, citing the "real danger" of a Russian land war against Ukraine.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/ukrainian-troops-hold-exercises-central-kiev-government-121925034.html

[Bosonic]

1. or maybe not?

Defense Ministry, General Staff are not behind military exercises in Kyiv planned for May 1

The Ukrainian Defense Ministry is not planning to conduct military exercises in Kyiv in the early hours of May 1, the ministry's press service has reported.

http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/defense-ministry-general-staff-not-planning-to-conduct-military-exercises-in-kyiv-on-may-1-345744.html

Either this is a major miscommunication or something weird is afoot...

(update 2)

After all the over-excitement about "military exercises" in Kiev. The govt now says it is actually the state bodyguards having an exercise

https://twitter.com/BBCDanielS/status/461506690601725952

[dipsydoodle]

2. I think they might have had a problem getting the band together in time.

[Xithras]

3. The "state bodyguards" have columns of military hardware?

Is Ukraine re-forming the Berkut? Last I checked, they were the only non-military agency in Ukraine that possessed "columns of military hardware".

I'm leaning toward your "something weird is afoot" conclusion.

[Fred Sanders]

4. Open question if the military would respond to the illegitimate regime. The police in the East

sure do not. Looks like the military also will not.

[happyslug]

5. Ukriane ended its draft in October 2013,

Draftee Armies tend to be armies less likely to do a coup then are "professional armies". Draftee Armies tend to break up along the lines of how the people themselves are dividing in a civil war situation, while professional armies tend to stay together loyal to their paymasters (or just dissolving if not paid).

The Ukrainian Army became a Professional Army in October 2013, but with low pay (Women enlist extensively for they are willing to work at the low pay being offered while the men have the option of higher pay positions elsewhere). The issue is will it dissolve, serve its paymasters or go on its own to secure its pay? All three options are opened to it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armed_Forces_of_Ukraine

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/Special/2013/10/03/Ukraine-to-end-military-conscription-after-autumn-call-ups/UPI-95521380772920/

Its Army is made up of 144,000 personal:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ukrainian_Ground_Forces#Strength_and_Military_Equipment

http://www.globalfirepower.com/country-military-strength-detail.asp?country_id=ukraine

My question is WHY operations INSIDE Kiev? Would be good practice if training to retake the Cities in the Eastern Ukraine, but that is about all. Terrible training if the fear is a Russian Invasion.

Remember just before the Revolution, the then President of the Ukraine replaced the head of the Military (at the time the Head of the Army) with the head of the Navy. Such replacements generally implies no faith in the Army, with faith in the Navy (Navies tend to be less involved in internal coups). I suspect the Army broke up along language lines when the Revolution took place. The Former President could not use the Army to suppress the protesters and did not have his own protesters from the East to counter them (thus he had no choice but to vacate when things turned violent). I suspect the Army is still divided, but someone on the Army may see this as the time to do something, the real issue is what.

My take, something is up, what it is I do not know. It seems to be ARMY driven