Russian armor column crosses the border according to Ukraine. Reuters.

An Ukrainian soldier at a checkpoint in Eastern Ukraine. Reuters. 

Kiev claims that a Russian armored column has crossed their border. -Reuters. The column consists of at least 32 tanks, 16 howitzers, support trucks and infantry. The Ukrainian authorities claim that the Russians are "mercenaries". The troop movement comes on reports that the Ukrainian forces could go on offensive against pro-Russian rebels in the east. Ukraine has denied these rumors. The cease fire signed on September 5th is all but dead with people dying on both sides. Tensions are especially high after the rebels held elections in the territory they control.  Both sides are blaming the other side for violating the truce.

My Comment:

This is a developing story so the details are a bit hazy, but though I doubt the numbers, I have no doubt that the report is generally true. These aren't "mercenaries" of course, but regular Russian troops. The cease-fire, such as it was, is pretty much dead after the election. This is an ominous sign that serious fighting may flare up again.

 I don't think Ukraine is preparing for an offensive, mostly because they have no military strength left. They lost most of their armor in the war and have very little left in the armory. Their economy is in shambles as well, and it is very close to being winter in Ukraine. Nobody has success fighting wars in Ukraine in the winter. However, I do think they are preparing for some minor actions, mostly defensive in nature. These actions would require troop movements and that might have been what set the Russians off. That and the rhetoric coming out of Kiev after the elections in the east. It's all speculation on my part though. 

Current events, such as Ebola, Iraq/Syria and the 2014 election, combined with the "cease fire" have shifted focus away from Russia and Ukraine. In reality though the "cease fire" was fairly useless. The fighting hasn't really stopped, only slowed down. It seems like it is picking up again, so I'm going to have to start following the situation a bit closer then I have been.