Ukraine vs Ukraine

Now it gets really ugly:

Ukrainian troops launched a dawn raid on this rebel stronghold Friday, taking several checkpoints around the city but meeting heavy resistance from pro-Russian separatists, who shot down two helicopters, killing two crew members.

Interior Minister Arsen Avakov said the army attacked at 4:30 a.m. local time and came under heavy fire from what he called “terrorists” and “professional mercenaries,” as it attempted to take the city.

For Russia, it’s not about winning battles or holding cities. It’s about maintaining the level of violence and lawlessness until Ukraine falls apart. And Putin can do that on the cheap, with a few “terrorists” and “professional mercenaries,” neither of which really needs quotes around them.