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The two centers, using various digital analytical methods, independently determined it was "highly probable" that the man on the recordings and Tkachyov were one and the same.Russia was already found guilty of MH17 by the media in the immediate aftermath of the attack. As far as the average person remembers, Putin personally ordered his proxies in the Donbass to down the jet. After that, nothing else matters. The JIT may determine it was an accident. They'll probably blame the separatists and perhaps implicate some Russian military men. The verdict will probably be used as justification for more sanctions. But the damage has been done - the story has already been milked for most of its propaganda value - facts be damned.
According to the report, Delfin was a Russian general who was based in the Ukrainian town of Krasnodon in the summer of 2014 with the task of coordinating disparate separatist militia units in parts of Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
The Dutch-led Joint Investigative Team (JIT) has identified Delfin as a person of interest in the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 in July 2014.
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Tkachyov, 68, is a decorated veteran of both Russian campaigns in Chechnya. He was released from military service in 2010.
After his retirement, however, he served in 2011-12 as a military adviser to the government of Syria. After his return, he was assigned to the Central Military District and based in Yekaterinburg.
KAMANDAG, which will run until October 11, is an acronym for the Filipino phrase "Kaagapay Ng Mga Mandirigma Ng Dagat," or "Cooperation of Warriors of the Sea," emphasizing the close partnership between the Philippine and United States militaries. KAMANDAG will increase overall U.S. and Philippine readiness, improve bilateral responsiveness to crises in the region, and further reinforce our illustrious decades-long alliance. Leading up to the commencement of KAMANDAG, AFP and U.S. forces completed bilateral humanitarian and civic assistance projects at schools earlier this month in Casiguran, Aurora.The embassy also made particular note that the exercise would "increase counterterrorism capabilities," which is particularly convenient considering the current crisis Manila faces on its southern island of Mindanao, where parts of the city of Marawi are still being held by militants linked to the Islamic State.
Comment: The development of NATO, or rather the blinding focus of US efforts to contain Russia and China is no doubt pushing the US to the brink of collapse. It appears the US is already on the decline with its decaying influence in the Middle East, its media imploding in on itself, and with the Democrats beginning to eat their own. If we're to expect a rapid collapse, then it's probably time to buckle our seat belts!