Visible in the video is what looks like a 9K35 Strela-10 (SA-13) surface-to-air battery, apparently guarding several pieces of artillery and supply trucks. We do know that the separatists have recently acquired such a vehicle, though no Strelas are reported missing by the Ukrainian military.
Earlier eyewitnesses reported a very large convoy moving toward Donetsk, but so far the only confirmed videos show much smaller convoys. These weapons, however, have not been filmed on the move today previous to this claimed video, as far as we are aware.
The head of Ukraine's security services (SBU) says that there is "absolute proof" that Russia was directly involved in the shooting down of a military transport plane yesterday. VOA reports:
Valentyn Nalyvaichenko said Tuesday that the evidence Russia was involved in shooting down the AN-26 transport plane over the Luhansk region would be presented to President Petro Poroshenko and made public.
On Monday, pro-Russian separatists claimed responsibility for shooting down the plane and said four crew members had been taken prisoner.
However, the Defense Ministry said Monday the plane was flying too high to have been hit by conventional surface-to-air missiles.
As a direct result of that incident Ukraine says it has grounded its aircraft in eastern Ukraine. Because of this, Ukraine claims a Russian aircraft was able to conduct an airstrike, and we have been tracking a convoy (or convoys) of military vehicles that have moved from the direct vicinity of the Russian border all the way to Donetsk without coming under attack by Ukrainian aircraft.
What appears to be the same convoy is also visible in this video. Note the large container truck which appears to be part of the convoy as it's in both videos. This video was reportedly taken in Makeyevka, east of Donetsk, which makes a lot of sense based on how we know the convoy has been traveling.
We have not geolocated the last two videos.
As we've been reporting, there is no indication the the separatists ever captured 2S1 Gvodzikas, the camouflage on these vehicles does not match the Ukrainian military, and videos posted in June show 2S1 Gvodzikas, the same color as the ones spotted on the move in Ukraine today, moving toward the Ukrainian border after being loaded onto Russian trucks (see previous updates for details).
The OSCE has released their latest report from Ukraine. One interesting excerpt from the report concerned the treatment of wounded soldiers:
The director of Dnipropetrovsk’s Mechnikov Hospital as well as the acting chief of the Regional Health Department informed the SMM that from 9 May to 13 July, a total of 128 wounded soldiers had been treated in the hospital, including 82 who had arrived between 11 and 13 July. They explained that Ukrainian military helicopters transport the patients from the conflict areas to hospitals in Dnipropetrovsk, as well as in Kyiv, Odessa and Vinnytsia. The interlocutors expressed their concern over a possible lack of beds in the near future and overworked staff. Indeed, the hospital has 1,200 beds and 70 beds are dedicated for intensive care, which are fully occupied.
Another interesting report involved Odessa, and the infamous fire at the Trade Union Building.
In Odessa the SMM observed approximately 60 persons in Kulikove Pole square on 13 July. They were commemorating people who had died on 2 May in the fire at the Trade Union Building. The mood was generally restrained, some activists called on the people to fight ‘fascism’. Several priests of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) blessed the crowd.
Also on 13 July, approximately 120 people gathered at Kulikovo Pole, chanting "Donbass, we are with you". The mood was calm.
The last interesting detail has to do with press freedom in eastern Ukraine:
In Kyiv the SMM met with two journalists, who said that in June they had been held twice by ’LPR’ representatives against their will. The interlocutors said they had been accused by the ‘LPR’ of supplying ammunition to the Ukrainian army, although in their view they were held because they were Ukrainian journalists. According to both journalists, they were freed following pressure from influential Ukrainian politicians. Altogether the journalists estimated that there were 80-100 persons being held in Luhansk.
The Baltic Times reports that NATO has intercepted Russian aircraft near the Baltic borders up to 50 times a week:
A Russian reconnaissance aircraft flying near Latvian waters was intercepted this week by NATO fighters.
Latvian Defense Minister Raimonds Vejonis said that the increasing frequency of Russian military aircraft flying near Baltic borders shows that NATO must have a permanent presence in the region.
''The events in the recent weeks prove the alliance's solidarity amongst allies, and demonstrates that our allies will protect our security,'' he said.
While the Russian media freaks out about the discussion surrounding increasing NATO troops in eastern Europe and threats of new sanctions discussed by the United States Senate back in May, the bottom line is that Russia has given NATO every reason to increase its presence in the region, especially since NATO's thinned presence in eastern Europe is being stretched by responding to all of these near-border intercepts.