That was a staged action of the Soviet military intelligence GRU (just like the fall of the Berlin wall in 1989)
In 1987, as a result of the action, Gorbachev dismissed the Minister of Defense and over 300 generals, as well as several hundred senior officers - because he feared that they would stand in the way of his perestroika.
Ehhhhh Rolo please say it aint soo.....I enjoy Strelkov to much to think he is still working with FSB in some capacity..yuck. I had such a good chuckle yesterday at the news of the FSB offices in Rostov and Voronezh evacuating. I guess FSB officers leaking to Strelkov might mean #notallFSB but still.. Strelkov is associated with so many good people that its not a comforting thought but he does seem fairly incorruptible.
It really is pretty sad about the air crews that were killed yesterday, that is a genuine black mark on the whole affair but damn Wagner are some straight swashbuckling chads. Brought the Kremlin to the table in a couple of hours and had the swamp mutants buying tickets to Tbilisi for 300,000 roubles and Strelkov despite his seething begrudgingly admitted they executed the operation with peak professionalism. Also just imagine for a minute that Wagner did what gayzov has been claiming they will do for the past 8 years against the Kiev government they are supposedly so at odds with. Chad Wagner vs virgin Azov.
Pretty curious what Wagner relocating to Belarus might entail and what it means for their funding and future prospects. I take it the Kremlin wont want any of these guys back in Russia acting in their former capacity and will they even be allowed to operate over seas any further? The Kremlin would certainly prefer to just surrender their overseas power projection because they are scared of Wagner and MoD just can't do it on their own. So whats going to happen with their funding? At least Lukashencko has a very competent group of Varangians on hand now.
Would be hilarious if in the next few months Belarus suddenly starts expanding its military footprint in Africa and the Middle East and Assad starts meeting with Lukashencko instead of Putin.
What if he is yet another lightning rod to attract disaffected patriots around himself during the thaw so that they can all be swooped down on during the subsequent crackdown.
I think the theory is that Strelkov will attract angry patriots and then he will still be there when they are all arrested, himself excluded.
A bit extreme, but, i mean, this has been done before. And the same Bolsheviks, literally, are still in power so...
I don't even want to entertain the thought but his screaming for blood yesterday was extremely off putting. If Putin was a real Tsar yesterday would have been the one legit and perfect time for genuine de-escalation and showing some magnanimity from the throne. A real Tsar could have resolved and de-escalated that and come out looking saintly without losing credibility. Strelkov has to see that. Better to come out looking like the Tsar cant bear the thought of massacring his own troops who stormed Bakhmut and through a combination of shaming them while listening to their petitions sets things right. But instead massacre them while being open to negotiations with Kiev and Washington?
I know Strelkov doesn't support those negotiations but in the real world that is exactly what normal Russians, including the Army would see and it would be disastrous wouldn't it?
Yes, there was no appeal from Putin. Strange moment wasnt it? No attempt to even appear to be the reasonable one. He could have approached it differently.
Also, Strelkov blames Wagner for this. He could have run with the narrative that he is against the rebellion, but like, the fact that it came to a rebellion is proof that shoigu must go.
But thats put Strelkov in a catch 22, the rebels demands were legit, Shoigu must go but they should all be killed anyway. So if Shoigu goes but the rebels are executed you have just created martyrs out of the guys you hate. Or if Shoigu stays his toxic authority is now reinforced and validated. Theres no outcome that fits what Strelkov wants as far as I can see.
I don`t have the impression, that Stelkov has much against the W organization as such. He jes can`t stand the management for historical reasons - not his tribe.(remember his tentative negotiations with Prigo?)
Neither is the Tuvan...😉
He doesn`t have anything against Utkin AFAIK...or da boyz.
The issue with Strelkov is that he was slighted by Wagner - with Prigozhin outright parroting Soloviev lies about Strelkov's retreat from the untenably suicidal position in Slaviansk, saving his men and Donbass.
I do wonder where Prigozhin is going to go now, however. My mom said to Africa lol - could become a warlord god among the savages.
The heart-broken Supersharij thinks that Lukashenko has gotten nukes, now he's gotten Wagner and Prigozhin in his private dungeon, and soon he's going to humble Putin.
...Wait, I know where he will always be welcome! In Israel! Poor Assad.
"...real Tsar could have resolved and de-escalated that and come out looking saintly without losing credibility ...." very interesting - and just what the "real Tsar" in January 1905 failed to do, no?
Interesting but little known fact is that Belarus has one of the highest avg IQ's in the world. #1 in Europe and just below the top countries Japan and Singapore . I don't know the reason for the high avg IQ but it's a fact.
Belarus seems like one of the best places for the remnants of the Aryan race. It's effectively Slovakia, but large, and without NATO. It's the closest we have to White Juche, an enchanted forest of the elves (a very far cry, but beggars can't be choosers).
What disappointed me deeply about Belarus, however, is the 2020 revolution. It honestly disgusted me. And Lukashenko still has no heir apparent. Stinks of Gaddafi. Compare that to Bashar, son of Hafez.
Another deeply disturbing thing happened in the autumn of 2021 when Lukashenko flooded Poland with Asiatic migrants. Really sick and perverted. (So much so that gay Western Jewish media had to suck it up and depict the Polish border fence as heroic, absolutely lmao.)
Yet indeed, in this case, Lukashenko publicly struck the Jew Prigozhin with his glorious uncircumcised Belarusian log, and Putin was so detached, he didn't even deserve to lay his eyes on it, only getting reports of the ordeal after the fait accompli.
Have you visited the Fifth Dimension recently? On a certain L Johnson’s blog it is revealed that Prigozhin’s entire comedy show had one purpose only - to deceptively move troops into an arc NW to SE of Voronezh the better to launch a 5 Dimensional offensive into poor little 3 Dimensional Ukraine! What was the food like in 50s America that it grew so many 5 Slimensional Wizards? Oops. Sly-mention or Slim-mention? No. Slime-mention!
I agree with you on all counts (a first) and yes, I do know who Strelkov is. Or was. I sort of agree with Strelkov that Shoigu is toast, Shoigu just may not have checked his roof or opened his mail yet. But this certainly didn't make Putin look great, either.
Incredibly, Ukraine was totally flummoxed by this as well, mesmerized, caught flat-footed, they didn't move an inch! But the RF units in the line never wavered either, they stayed focused on the immediate threat to their front - no rebellion - even though I suspect many may have similar gripes with MoD as Wagner does. And finally (not) , there is NO WAY Prighozhin is going to retire and take up baking in Belarus. We all know this is FAR from over.
WagnerPMC was the designated Rapid Reaction Force in reserve as they retrofitted and recuperated in the rear following Bakhmut -- that force has been fragmented now -- the MoD has obliterated it's most effective fighting force in the midst of an offensive, it's a consequence far worse than anything Ukraine might have done.
Obliterated may be too strong, but without Prighozhin and his cadre, how effective a fighting force is WagnerPMC? Under the new MoD contract, how many remain for how long? Where does Wagner fit into the Order of Battle now? You tell me.
If so, that would be a really dumb, short-sighted move. They would end up fighting not only Ukraine, but their own most effective assault group. Hardly a recipe for victory.
WSJ reporting today; "The announcement Monday that Prigozhin was still facing a criminal investigation for mutiny appeared to contradict Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who told reporters over the weekend that a criminal case against Prigozhin would be dropped. Prigozhin’s ultimate fate was unclear on Monday as were his whereabouts or the future of Wagner’s 25,000 heavily armed troops."
"May you live in interesting times." as the Chinese curse goes. So be it.
Strelkov led a separatist faction in Donbass, didn't he? Beyond that, that's all I've got. (I'm fully prepared to be schooled by those more knowledgeable than me.)
Beyond that, yes, this weird coup thing has made the Kremlin look stupidly horribly weak.
there was a samizdat written by a 14/88er that fought on Russia's side. he ended up being zacharchenko's bodyguard by the end i believe. also a great read, in english too, cant remember the name though.
when i got arrested by the FSB, i was sweating bullets that it was still on my harddrive because he was super anti-putin.
Rolo do you think you might one day write about your experiences while under arrest by the FSB? I was surprised to read that Russia also has a massive secret surveillance apparatus. I thought America was pretty much alone in the world when it came to all encompassing surveillance
From Amazon, where the book sells for $15.. "85 Days in Slavyansk" is the only book written by an organizer of the 2014 rebellion that has been translated into English. It features extensive interviews with participants on both the Russian and Ukrainian sides of the war. The book discusses the centuries old roots of the rebellion, the formation of the Donbass People's Militia, the Donbass independence referendums, the ideological motivations of the fighters, the organization of the militia, and the degree of the Russian government's support for the rebellion. The bulk of the text discusses the siege of Slavyansk from April to July 2014. The siege involved the greatest concentration of fighting in the early months of the rebellion."
Jun 25, 2023·edited Jun 25, 2023Liked by Rurik Skywalker
Who knows, Shoigu may yet go. But, it can't happen immediately, that would be too humiliating even for a Kremlin that released all the 'Nazi' leaders of Azov, who they swore to hang, to get back one incompetent politician, and who just dropped all charges against an armed mutiny.
Sadly it's obvious u are correct that Prigozhin and Strelkov represent different factions. Strelkov's analysis has been brilliant military analysis and geopolitical insights in many respects, but when he talks about Wagner he turns into a retard.
Ideologically they should be roughly in alignment, with sporadic disagreements. But Strelkov is always talking about Prigozhin with vicious insults, so it's self-evident they are competing for the same rhetorical and political territory as the "representative of the common man".
This makes sense Strelkov represents a faction such as the FSB, because otherwise 1.) how would he remain alive when 2.) he publicly reveals secrets and irritates powerful men.
All the other Donbass heroes "died mysteriously", so for Strelkov to survive the Donbass war indicates he had powerful patrons to protect him and warn him, as far back as then.
Overall I like Strelkov. I have no idea what to think about Prigozhin other than that his speeches and ranting videos make it look like he's having a mental breakdown. But it's sad how war makes enemies of 2 patriots.
Another thing I don't understand is how the Chechens relate to Russia overall.
So, it turns out that Putin's Russia is an incompetently run gangster state, after all. Just like the MSM has told us for years. I am in complete shock realizing now that not EVERYTHING they've spewed has been lies.
You see this as an ascendent Kremlin filled to the brim with noble largesse willing to turn the other cheek because they truly are a moral superpower as they claim?
No Rolo, if Prigo had stayed in Russia he would have been prosecuted. There was no way out. So Luka told him to cancel the insurrection and move into exile in Belarus. That was all. It was best for all sides, the only way to end this within 24h.
"Let me make my point now: Wagner is clearly in a better position now than they were going into the 24 hour SMO." No Rolo, Wagner is in a weaker position and may in fact be dissolved as an independent entity.
For those who don't follow Patrick Lancaster, he's just posted on YT with footage of Russians cheering off the PMC soldiers, including a short interview with Prigozhin who spoke to the crowd from inside his departing vehicle https://youtu.be/7qvFQJEyjwA
It's curious to note that the YouTube channel stranaua (with the hot fake old blonde Alesya) depicts a picture of Russian civilians being indifferent to Wagner, and many Russians professing support for Putin. Are they on specifically Shoigu's payroll?
"You have to imagine just how bad the situation was for them to agree to these humiliating talks at all, mediated by Lukashenko no less, who is hated intensely in the Kremlin. Yes indeed, the Kremlin publicly shit its pants and the stink is starting to waft across the country and abroad."
Humilating at best for the Kremlin, but what will actually happen to the billionaire hot dog salesman exiled in Belarus.
Aren't the Wagner group also a thing in Africa carving out territories ripe for mineral extraction so China can continue its BRI plunder. Oh sorry, I might've been confusing Prigozhin with Erik Prince's private Chinese military company.
Nonetheless, any decent negotiations would've provided that Prigozhin be given a large luxurious penthouse apartment in Miami with a spectacular ocean view, or perhaps a seaside Italian Villa along with a suitcase stuffed with cash. Another error, that's Zelensky's deal.😁
But I digress, as it’s important to stress why things will never change:
"Shoigu has so much dirt on top people, so much blood on his hands, and so many debts to others (and others in his debt) that, clearly, to surgically extract him from that spider web of intrigue and conspiracy would cause the whole net to unravel."
If you've explained the why's and wherefores of all this I missed it.
Why do 'they' hate Prigozhin so much?
If Prigozhin's 'Kremlin contacts' had failed so much:
. what would have happened, they wish, if they hadn't failed? Regime change? Civil war?
. are 'they' all in jail now and why did Prigozhin continue as far as he did?
. what power then did Prigozhin have to cause the Kremlin to listen to Lukoshenko?
Are you suggesting the deal was simply 'please go back and we'll give all this' ?
Why do 'they' hate Lukoshenko so much? Details?
And biggest:
What is this web of corruption, deceit, blackmail etc. etc. that is so thick and interwoven that all the other parts necessarily sustain any one part in peril when it needs it?
Just what corruption? Just what things substance of blackmail? Considering this is 2023 and we are all totally inured to such depravity sunk to the lowest depths from decades of watching America?
I mean what could be potent? I can't see they'd give a damn about us - I mean you, the Russian people - because no leader in the world anymore believes it necessary to care about the people surely?
And I'm not being hyperbolic or clever in any way. I mean it has become obvious that whether you seek to do good or to do evil you don't need to consider the people. Not in the west anyway. Different in Russia?
I don't know why you don't think that kompromat and corruption networks aren't effective. Evidence seems to prove that they are.
They hate Luka because Luka is an economic nationalist who doesn't allow Russia's oligarchs to move in on his turf. Luka has kept many elements of the USSR's Socialist-Nationalism. Also, Luka often allows himself to speak the truth about who runs Russia and how.
Hello from Berlin,
thank you for this very wise article.
Do you remember the flight of Mathias Rust with a Cessna to the Kremlin in 1987?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mathias_Rust
That was a staged action of the Soviet military intelligence GRU (just like the fall of the Berlin wall in 1989)
In 1987, as a result of the action, Gorbachev dismissed the Minister of Defense and over 300 generals, as well as several hundred senior officers - because he feared that they would stand in the way of his perestroika.
More on this can be found in the reading.
http://www.ljutsch.de/band-2.html written by an agent of the East German military intelligence.
The book on the fall of the Berlin Wall by the Soviets:
https://www.1989mauerfall.berlin translator on the website
Michael Wolski
Thank you for that interesting information. I remember the sensation caused by that flight, but had no idea that it had been staged by the GRU.
There's some similarities beteeen Putain and Gorby.
Yes, you're right about GRU, I think. Same here now.
Ehhhhh Rolo please say it aint soo.....I enjoy Strelkov to much to think he is still working with FSB in some capacity..yuck. I had such a good chuckle yesterday at the news of the FSB offices in Rostov and Voronezh evacuating. I guess FSB officers leaking to Strelkov might mean #notallFSB but still.. Strelkov is associated with so many good people that its not a comforting thought but he does seem fairly incorruptible.
It really is pretty sad about the air crews that were killed yesterday, that is a genuine black mark on the whole affair but damn Wagner are some straight swashbuckling chads. Brought the Kremlin to the table in a couple of hours and had the swamp mutants buying tickets to Tbilisi for 300,000 roubles and Strelkov despite his seething begrudgingly admitted they executed the operation with peak professionalism. Also just imagine for a minute that Wagner did what gayzov has been claiming they will do for the past 8 years against the Kiev government they are supposedly so at odds with. Chad Wagner vs virgin Azov.
Pretty curious what Wagner relocating to Belarus might entail and what it means for their funding and future prospects. I take it the Kremlin wont want any of these guys back in Russia acting in their former capacity and will they even be allowed to operate over seas any further? The Kremlin would certainly prefer to just surrender their overseas power projection because they are scared of Wagner and MoD just can't do it on their own. So whats going to happen with their funding? At least Lukashencko has a very competent group of Varangians on hand now.
Would be hilarious if in the next few months Belarus suddenly starts expanding its military footprint in Africa and the Middle East and Assad starts meeting with Lukashencko instead of Putin.
What if he is yet another lightning rod to attract disaffected patriots around himself during the thaw so that they can all be swooped down on during the subsequent crackdown.
I think the theory is that Strelkov will attract angry patriots and then he will still be there when they are all arrested, himself excluded.
A bit extreme, but, i mean, this has been done before. And the same Bolsheviks, literally, are still in power so...
I don't even want to entertain the thought but his screaming for blood yesterday was extremely off putting. If Putin was a real Tsar yesterday would have been the one legit and perfect time for genuine de-escalation and showing some magnanimity from the throne. A real Tsar could have resolved and de-escalated that and come out looking saintly without losing credibility. Strelkov has to see that. Better to come out looking like the Tsar cant bear the thought of massacring his own troops who stormed Bakhmut and through a combination of shaming them while listening to their petitions sets things right. But instead massacre them while being open to negotiations with Kiev and Washington?
I know Strelkov doesn't support those negotiations but in the real world that is exactly what normal Russians, including the Army would see and it would be disastrous wouldn't it?
Yes, there was no appeal from Putin. Strange moment wasnt it? No attempt to even appear to be the reasonable one. He could have approached it differently.
Also, Strelkov blames Wagner for this. He could have run with the narrative that he is against the rebellion, but like, the fact that it came to a rebellion is proof that shoigu must go.
But thats put Strelkov in a catch 22, the rebels demands were legit, Shoigu must go but they should all be killed anyway. So if Shoigu goes but the rebels are executed you have just created martyrs out of the guys you hate. Or if Shoigu stays his toxic authority is now reinforced and validated. Theres no outcome that fits what Strelkov wants as far as I can see.
Indeed. Which makes it suspicious. Usually contradictions like this arise when someone is being paid or forced to state nonsense.
I don`t have the impression, that Stelkov has much against the W organization as such. He jes can`t stand the management for historical reasons - not his tribe.(remember his tentative negotiations with Prigo?)
Neither is the Tuvan...😉
He doesn`t have anything against Utkin AFAIK...or da boyz.
The issue with Strelkov is that he was slighted by Wagner - with Prigozhin outright parroting Soloviev lies about Strelkov's retreat from the untenably suicidal position in Slaviansk, saving his men and Donbass.
I do wonder where Prigozhin is going to go now, however. My mom said to Africa lol - could become a warlord god among the savages.
The heart-broken Supersharij thinks that Lukashenko has gotten nukes, now he's gotten Wagner and Prigozhin in his private dungeon, and soon he's going to humble Putin.
...Wait, I know where he will always be welcome! In Israel! Poor Assad.
"...real Tsar could have resolved and de-escalated that and come out looking saintly without losing credibility ...." very interesting - and just what the "real Tsar" in January 1905 failed to do, no?
BELARUS demonstrates it's superiority over r*ssia once again
Interesting but little known fact is that Belarus has one of the highest avg IQ's in the world. #1 in Europe and just below the top countries Japan and Singapore . I don't know the reason for the high avg IQ but it's a fact.
Belarus seems like one of the best places for the remnants of the Aryan race. It's effectively Slovakia, but large, and without NATO. It's the closest we have to White Juche, an enchanted forest of the elves (a very far cry, but beggars can't be choosers).
What disappointed me deeply about Belarus, however, is the 2020 revolution. It honestly disgusted me. And Lukashenko still has no heir apparent. Stinks of Gaddafi. Compare that to Bashar, son of Hafez.
Another deeply disturbing thing happened in the autumn of 2021 when Lukashenko flooded Poland with Asiatic migrants. Really sick and perverted. (So much so that gay Western Jewish media had to suck it up and depict the Polish border fence as heroic, absolutely lmao.)
Yet indeed, in this case, Lukashenko publicly struck the Jew Prigozhin with his glorious uncircumcised Belarusian log, and Putin was so detached, he didn't even deserve to lay his eyes on it, only getting reports of the ordeal after the fait accompli.
''when Lukashenko flooded Poland with Asiatic migrants. ''
It's what the EU craves! Vibrant diversity is their greatest strength
What do you mean by the following 2 sayings:
1. It's effectively Slovakia, but large
2.What disappointed me deeply about Belarus, however, is the 2020 revolution. It honestly disgusted me. And Lukashenko still has no heir apparent
Maybe they dont have the medical poison maffia we have in the west. Vaccines are know to lower IQ,cause autism and all that.
> "Vaccines are know to lower IQ,cause autism and all that."
You seem vaxxed.
Never fear Gintsburg has russia covered
The Putin. Much wow such pithy so amaze. Very stuff, many cool! 🤩
Rolo,
Have you visited the Fifth Dimension recently? On a certain L Johnson’s blog it is revealed that Prigozhin’s entire comedy show had one purpose only - to deceptively move troops into an arc NW to SE of Voronezh the better to launch a 5 Dimensional offensive into poor little 3 Dimensional Ukraine! What was the food like in 50s America that it grew so many 5 Slimensional Wizards? Oops. Sly-mention or Slim-mention? No. Slime-mention!
I agree with you on all counts (a first) and yes, I do know who Strelkov is. Or was. I sort of agree with Strelkov that Shoigu is toast, Shoigu just may not have checked his roof or opened his mail yet. But this certainly didn't make Putin look great, either.
Incredibly, Ukraine was totally flummoxed by this as well, mesmerized, caught flat-footed, they didn't move an inch! But the RF units in the line never wavered either, they stayed focused on the immediate threat to their front - no rebellion - even though I suspect many may have similar gripes with MoD as Wagner does. And finally (not) , there is NO WAY Prighozhin is going to retire and take up baking in Belarus. We all know this is FAR from over.
WagnerPMC was the designated Rapid Reaction Force in reserve as they retrofitted and recuperated in the rear following Bakhmut -- that force has been fragmented now -- the MoD has obliterated it's most effective fighting force in the midst of an offensive, it's a consequence far worse than anything Ukraine might have done.
Obliterated? When.
Obliterated may be too strong, but without Prighozhin and his cadre, how effective a fighting force is WagnerPMC? Under the new MoD contract, how many remain for how long? Where does Wagner fit into the Order of Battle now? You tell me.
It is too soon to say.
I think they will move to kill and arrest as many Wagnerites as possible as soon as they are strong enough to do so.
If so, that would be a really dumb, short-sighted move. They would end up fighting not only Ukraine, but their own most effective assault group. Hardly a recipe for victory.
WSJ reporting today; "The announcement Monday that Prigozhin was still facing a criminal investigation for mutiny appeared to contradict Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who told reporters over the weekend that a criminal case against Prigozhin would be dropped. Prigozhin’s ultimate fate was unclear on Monday as were his whereabouts or the future of Wagner’s 25,000 heavily armed troops."
"May you live in interesting times." as the Chinese curse goes. So be it.
Wagner should borrow a nuke while they're stationed in b*larus
Strelkov led a separatist faction in Donbass, didn't he? Beyond that, that's all I've got. (I'm fully prepared to be schooled by those more knowledgeable than me.)
Beyond that, yes, this weird coup thing has made the Kremlin look stupidly horribly weak.
If you get the chance read 85 Days in Slavyansk for some background.
there was a samizdat written by a 14/88er that fought on Russia's side. he ended up being zacharchenko's bodyguard by the end i believe. also a great read, in english too, cant remember the name though.
when i got arrested by the FSB, i was sweating bullets that it was still on my harddrive because he was super anti-putin.
Rolo do you think you might one day write about your experiences while under arrest by the FSB? I was surprised to read that Russia also has a massive secret surveillance apparatus. I thought America was pretty much alone in the world when it came to all encompassing surveillance
You talking about this one?
https://www.amazon.com/Freedom-Fighter-Donbass-Militia-Ukraine-ebook/dp/B01HZPULXS/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?crid=3IG8FAICGD9FV&keywords=donbass&qid=1687727916&s=digital-text&sprefix=donbass%2Caps%2C518&sr=1-2
From Amazon, where the book sells for $15.. "85 Days in Slavyansk" is the only book written by an organizer of the 2014 rebellion that has been translated into English. It features extensive interviews with participants on both the Russian and Ukrainian sides of the war. The book discusses the centuries old roots of the rebellion, the formation of the Donbass People's Militia, the Donbass independence referendums, the ideological motivations of the fighters, the organization of the militia, and the degree of the Russian government's support for the rebellion. The bulk of the text discusses the siege of Slavyansk from April to July 2014. The siege involved the greatest concentration of fighting in the early months of the rebellion."
Thanks for the rec.
Who knows, Shoigu may yet go. But, it can't happen immediately, that would be too humiliating even for a Kremlin that released all the 'Nazi' leaders of Azov, who they swore to hang, to get back one incompetent politician, and who just dropped all charges against an armed mutiny.
so the kremlin are a bunch of cucks?
Have been since 1950.
Sadly it's obvious u are correct that Prigozhin and Strelkov represent different factions. Strelkov's analysis has been brilliant military analysis and geopolitical insights in many respects, but when he talks about Wagner he turns into a retard.
Ideologically they should be roughly in alignment, with sporadic disagreements. But Strelkov is always talking about Prigozhin with vicious insults, so it's self-evident they are competing for the same rhetorical and political territory as the "representative of the common man".
This makes sense Strelkov represents a faction such as the FSB, because otherwise 1.) how would he remain alive when 2.) he publicly reveals secrets and irritates powerful men.
All the other Donbass heroes "died mysteriously", so for Strelkov to survive the Donbass war indicates he had powerful patrons to protect him and warn him, as far back as then.
Overall I like Strelkov. I have no idea what to think about Prigozhin other than that his speeches and ranting videos make it look like he's having a mental breakdown. But it's sad how war makes enemies of 2 patriots.
Another thing I don't understand is how the Chechens relate to Russia overall.
One more thing: Thanks Rolo - I just added 50% to my subscription.
Otherwise, for now, I will be reading more and commenting much less. See ya!
So, it turns out that Putin's Russia is an incompetently run gangster state, after all. Just like the MSM has told us for years. I am in complete shock realizing now that not EVERYTHING they've spewed has been lies.
the MSM makes him out to be a tyrannical mastermind who wants to recreate the soviet union
HE'LL BE IN POLAND NEXT
Lol
No Rolo, this was a lose-lose. Prigo lost his power and is in exile, Putin lost his face, Russia lost as a country.
" Well, they have just amicably negotiated terms with the Kremlin through the mediation of President Lukashenko. "
No Rolo, they have not negotiated "terms", Prigo simply was allowed to go into exile.
You see this as an ascendent Kremlin filled to the brim with noble largesse willing to turn the other cheek because they truly are a moral superpower as they claim?
Ok.
No Rolo, if Prigo had stayed in Russia he would have been prosecuted. There was no way out. So Luka told him to cancel the insurrection and move into exile in Belarus. That was all. It was best for all sides, the only way to end this within 24h.
"Let me make my point now: Wagner is clearly in a better position now than they were going into the 24 hour SMO." No Rolo, Wagner is in a weaker position and may in fact be dissolved as an independent entity.
Wagner was literally ordered to be dissolved and absorbed into Shoigu's khaganate a month ago. It finally came to a head 24 hours ago.
I respect your pessimism and your nickname though.
For those who don't follow Patrick Lancaster, he's just posted on YT with footage of Russians cheering off the PMC soldiers, including a short interview with Prigozhin who spoke to the crowd from inside his departing vehicle https://youtu.be/7qvFQJEyjwA
It's curious to note that the YouTube channel stranaua (with the hot fake old blonde Alesya) depicts a picture of Russian civilians being indifferent to Wagner, and many Russians professing support for Putin. Are they on specifically Shoigu's payroll?
"You have to imagine just how bad the situation was for them to agree to these humiliating talks at all, mediated by Lukashenko no less, who is hated intensely in the Kremlin. Yes indeed, the Kremlin publicly shit its pants and the stink is starting to waft across the country and abroad."
Humilating at best for the Kremlin, but what will actually happen to the billionaire hot dog salesman exiled in Belarus.
Aren't the Wagner group also a thing in Africa carving out territories ripe for mineral extraction so China can continue its BRI plunder. Oh sorry, I might've been confusing Prigozhin with Erik Prince's private Chinese military company.
Nonetheless, any decent negotiations would've provided that Prigozhin be given a large luxurious penthouse apartment in Miami with a spectacular ocean view, or perhaps a seaside Italian Villa along with a suitcase stuffed with cash. Another error, that's Zelensky's deal.😁
But I digress, as it’s important to stress why things will never change:
"Shoigu has so much dirt on top people, so much blood on his hands, and so many debts to others (and others in his debt) that, clearly, to surgically extract him from that spider web of intrigue and conspiracy would cause the whole net to unravel."
Hmm, sounds like the Clinton's...🤑
If you've explained the why's and wherefores of all this I missed it.
Why do 'they' hate Prigozhin so much?
If Prigozhin's 'Kremlin contacts' had failed so much:
. what would have happened, they wish, if they hadn't failed? Regime change? Civil war?
. are 'they' all in jail now and why did Prigozhin continue as far as he did?
. what power then did Prigozhin have to cause the Kremlin to listen to Lukoshenko?
Are you suggesting the deal was simply 'please go back and we'll give all this' ?
Why do 'they' hate Lukoshenko so much? Details?
And biggest:
What is this web of corruption, deceit, blackmail etc. etc. that is so thick and interwoven that all the other parts necessarily sustain any one part in peril when it needs it?
Just what corruption? Just what things substance of blackmail? Considering this is 2023 and we are all totally inured to such depravity sunk to the lowest depths from decades of watching America?
I mean what could be potent? I can't see they'd give a damn about us - I mean you, the Russian people - because no leader in the world anymore believes it necessary to care about the people surely?
And I'm not being hyperbolic or clever in any way. I mean it has become obvious that whether you seek to do good or to do evil you don't need to consider the people. Not in the west anyway. Different in Russia?
I don't know why you don't think that kompromat and corruption networks aren't effective. Evidence seems to prove that they are.
They hate Luka because Luka is an economic nationalist who doesn't allow Russia's oligarchs to move in on his turf. Luka has kept many elements of the USSR's Socialist-Nationalism. Also, Luka often allows himself to speak the truth about who runs Russia and how.
does he print that truth? he's published books maybe?
i dont know actually. Belarussian media is more honest than Russian media generally.