Russia Attacks Ukraine - 23 Feb 2022 #10

[cujenn81]

Anyone have any idea what was actually going on today.
None of these people are stupid, all of them lie and use AI videos etc and those "attempts" to stop them going to Moscow were just lame.
Thought I saw this had been planned for months?
I'm very confused.

I’m at a loss myself. This Prigozhin character has always been mercurial. He’s made all kinds of claims in the past only to reverse course at the last minute. I don’t know if it’s his way of calling the Russian leadership’s bluff or his way of testing the country’s weak points OR WHAT. I’m not even 100% sure that his actions are not being coordinated with Putin for some greater purpose. It seems even more improbable to me that Lukashenko is the one who suddenly convinced Prigozhin to see reason and turn around. Are we to believe that Russia would drop the arrest warrant and let him resume his role? It’s all suddenly business as usual? No harm, no foul? Yet random nobody citizens have been arrested and sentenced to years in prison for merely implying they were against the “special military operation”? It seems there would be more than a little wrong about such a scenario.

It’s impossible to know what’s real when it comes to Russia because everyone is a puppet and things are never what they seem.

 

[Herat]

So now Luvashenko becomes more of a danger to Putin than only Prigozhin?

Putin can't be happy with these giant aggressive scorpions on his doorstep.

430 miles from the Belarus border to Moscow. A full day's drive.

 

[PommyMommy]

June 24, 2023 - Wagner head says group standing down

Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin claimed Saturday that he was turning his forces around from a march toward Moscow in what Russian President Putin called an "armed uprising." Follow for live updates.

www.cnn.com

13 min ago

Case against Prigozhin will be dropped and he will be sent to Belarus, Kremlin spokesperson says​

Criminal charges against Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin will be dropped and he will be sent to neighboring Belarus, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

"You will ask me what will happen to Prigozhin personally?" Peskov said in a conference call with reporters Saturday. "The criminal case will be dropped against him. He himself will go to Belarus.

Mercenary troops withdraw from Rostov as Prigozhin calls off rebellion – as it happened

The mercenaries’ chief said he had halted his troops to avoid ‘Russian bloodshed’, and he is not facing charges

www.theguardian.com

8m ago16.11 EDT

Wagner chief Prigozhin will move to Belarus under deal​

The Wagner force chief, Yevgeny Prigozhin, will move to Belarus under the deal brokered by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko to end the armed mutiny that Prigozhin had led against Russia’s military leadership, the Kremlin said on Saturday night.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Lukashenko had offered to mediate, with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s agreement, because he had known Prigozhin personally for around 20 years.

Prigozhin and all of his fighters vacated the military headquarters in the southern city of Rostov-on-Don that they had previously taken over, the RIA news agency reported.

 

[PommyMommy]

Putin's spokesman: Reshuffles at Defense Ministry haven't been discussed with Prigozhin.

The statement was made by Russian dictator Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov. Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin has called for the dismissal of Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and General Staff chief Valery Gerasimov.

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Putin's spokesman: Part of Wagner mercenaries will sign contracts with Defense Ministry.

The Wagner mercenaries who did not participate in the rebellion will sign contracts with the Defense Ministry and will not be prosecuted, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

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[StarryStarryNight]

This is some really crazy stuff. There are some internal things spinning here that we don’t know yet. There is more to come I feel.
Is Putin still in charge even? Certainly he has to have been weakened. And what does this mean for the war in Ukraine? Does it get better or worse.
No way the Wagners just walk away from this.

 

[PommyMommy]

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[PommyMommy]

Zelensky:

We all remember how the head of Russia threatened the world in 2021. He had some ultimatums, he was trying to show a kind of strength...

The year 2022 showed that he confused – confused his illusions and the lies he was fed with strength. They in the Kremlin are capable of resorting to any terror, capable of resorting to any stupidity, but they cannot provide even one percent of the necessary control. And they are the problem.

In one day, they lost several of their million-plus cities and showed all Russian bandits, mercenaries, oligarchs and anyone else how easy it is to capture Russian cities and, probably, arsenals with weapons.

Now, it is very important that no one in the world remains silent because of being afraid of this Russian chaos. All the actions of the leaders now can be historic. Every word of journalists is worth its weight in gold. It is necessary to clearly name the source of the problem. And if someone in the world tries to ignore the situation, if someone in the world is under the illusion that the Kremlin is capable of regaining control... this only postpones the problem until the next breakthrough of chaos – even more dangerous.

We all know the solutions.

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[Chelly]

Is there a moral to this story?

 

[PommyMommy]

The Wagner rebellion has been called off but Putin has never looked weaker

Images of tanks in streets of Moscow evoked the faltering Soviet Union’s final months in 1991, raising hopes of history repeating itself

www.theguardian.com

For months Yevgeny Prigozhin has theatrically railed against Russia’s military leaders. He has lambasted the defence minister, Sergei Shoigu, and commander in chief, Valery Gerasimov, accusing them of bungling and incompetence over the war in Ukraine.

In one video Prigozhin blamed Moscow for the deaths of soldiers from his Wagner mercenary unit. Their bodies were piled up behind him. In a letter, he challenged Shoigu to visit the bloody Ukrainian frontline for himself, where Wagner troops have been fighting and dying in the eastern city of Bakhmut.

[...]

...Prigozhin is demanding nothing less than Shoigu’s condign removal and the replacement of the entire general staff. On Saturday night, Prigozhin announced he was pulling back from the Russian capital and returning to base, in order to avoid spilling blood.

[...]

...His manifesto is for Russia to fight a more vigorous campaign in Ukraine, with better top-level decision-making, more honesty, and fewer soldiers needlessly chucked into the “mincer” and sacrificed in badly-thought-out attacks.

Prigozhin accuses Shoigu of covering up the scale of Russian losses. He is also unhappy at retreats last year, when the Russian army was forced to abandon the southern city of Kherson, and most of Kherson oblast in the north-east.

[...]

Prigozhin’s privateer army of volunteers and released convicts has proven itself to be a more disciplined and able military outfit than the regular Russian army. It has vanished from the scene, at least for now, and turned its attention to Russia itself.

[...]

Putin’s dream of capturing the whole of Ukraine and “reuniting” it with Russia has not come to pass. It has turned out to be a dictator’s fantasy: the product of poor intelligence, messianic thinking and Putin’s extreme isolation during the Covid pandemic. Now Russia stands on the brink of civil strife, victory over Kyiv seems further away than ever.

[...]

 

[PommyMommy]

Is there a moral to this story?

LOL. I keep hoping I'll come across something that ties it all together but, nope. Not yet. They just went from the verge of a civil war to happily ever after... MOO

 

[PommyMommy]

Russian mercenary group revolt against Moscow fizzles but exposes vulnerabilities

The greatest challenge to Russian President Vladimir Putin in his more than two decades in power has fizzled out after the rebellious mercenary commander who ordered his troops to march on Moscow agreed to go into exile and sounded the retreat.

apnews.com

In allowing Prigozhin and his forces to go free, Peskov said Putin’s “highest goal” was “to avoid bloodshed and internal confrontation with unpredictable results.”

Live Updates | Armed rebellion by Russian mercenary chief

The Kremlin says the head of the private Russian military company Wagner will move to neighboring Belarus as part of deal to defuse rebellion tensions and the criminal case against him will be closed. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Yevgeny Prigozhin’s troops who joined him in the...

apnews.com

Russian media reported late Saturday that several helicopters and a military communications plane were downed by Wagner troops during the short-lived uprising. Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin previously said his forces had taken control of the military headquarters in Rostov-on-Don, as well as other military facilities in the city without any deaths or even “a single gunshot.”

The Kremlin referred the question about the losses to the Defense Ministry, which has kept mum.

 

[PommyMommy]

U.S. to Delay New Sanctions on Wagner for Fear of Siding With Putin

The U.S. is set to delay new sanctions on Russian paramilitary group Wagner after its founder and leader launched an uprising against the Kremlin, people familiar with the matter said Saturday, fearing a delay could inadvertently help President Vladimir Putin. “Washington does not want to appear to

www.wsj.com

The U.S. is set to delay new sanctions on Russian paramilitary group Wagner after its founder and leader launched an uprising against the Kremlin, people familiar with the matter said Saturday, fearing a delay could inadvertently help President Vladimir Putin.

“Washington does not want to appear to be taking sides in this,” a person familiar with the postponement said.

The State Department had planned to announce new designations on Wagner’s gold business in Africa on Tuesday, including on a mining operation set up by the group in the Central African Republic, these people said.

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[JennieM]

Ukrainians dared to dream that Wagner action could be the fatal blow in war​

Kyiv’s long-awaited counter-offensive has been slow, but a mutiny in the Russian lines looked like changing it all

When news of a potential civil war in Russia circulated across the country, Ukrainians struggled to believe it was real. But by Saturday morning, as footage was shared online showing the Wagner mercenary troops with their tanks and armoured vehicles advancing towards Moscow, millions were glued to their mobile phones.

The Wagner chief, Yevgeny Prigozhin, has since called off the advance, but for 24 hours, Ukrainians dared to dream that the warlord’s action could be the fatal blow in the war.

Ukrainians dared to dream that Wagner action could be the fatal blow in war

Kyiv’s long-awaited counter-offensive has been slow, but a mutiny in the Russian lines looked like changing it all

www.theguardian.com

 

[Niner]

Putin's spokesman: Reshuffles at Defense Ministry haven't been discussed with Prigozhin.

The statement was made by Russian dictator Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov. Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin has called for the dismissal of Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and General Staff chief Valery Gerasimov.

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Putin's spokesman: Part of Wagner mercenaries will sign contracts with Defense Ministry.

The Wagner mercenaries who did not participate in the rebellion will sign contracts with the Defense Ministry and will not be prosecuted, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

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re red bold - I have no doubt that ALL these guys WILL be sent to Siberia!! And as for Pirgozhin living in Belarus.... well - He will probably "disappear".... and not on his own account!

 

[Charlot123]

Everyone coming from the post-Soviet space seems to be in the same shape today. I listened to the interviews with Russians, Ukrainians, progressive journalists. First of all - everyone seems to analyze today’s situation reasonably, but no one can offer coherent predictions for even one day.

Some bullet points from combined sources (Gulagu-net, Dmytro Gordon, Alexander Nevzorov, Yevgenia Albatz).

- Prigozhin was not the founder of Wagner. Warlords are others, he, a businessman. He was the frontman who, given his past (ex-con, from Leningrad, cynical, smart) and some odd charisma, was able to appeal to both convicts and the Kremlin, used to be trusted personally and hence was allowed to manage the money allocated for Wagner. However, no one is spared from grandiosity. Something flipped, he became very critical of the ministry of defense, as many other politicians were at that time, but his problem was, he could not shut up when everyone else did. He became more visible and less trusted. This started the chain of events meant to transfer the power over Wagner from him to other hands, and this provoked the outbreak.

- Prigozhin accused the powers of corruption, but he is from the same group, equally corrupt, and like everyone there, personally far from invincible. This, as well as the money, probably became the focal points in the negotiations between him and Lukashenko who used to have good relationships with him.

- the fact how rapidly the Wagner forces took over the military headquarters of Rostov-on-Don indicates that they are organized. So chances are, most of them will be regrouped but not imprisoned.

- the fate of the officers of Rosguard that joined the mutiny and trusted Prigozhin is far worse. The amnesty promised during the negotiations did not include these people. They would probably be jailed.

- the war continues.

What is surprising is how shaky all future political predictions are.

 

[Charlot123]

Is there a moral to this story?

No moral, but some trivia about Sergey Shoigu, Russian minister of defense. Having spent 32 years in Moscow corridors of power, Shoigu must be unsinkable. Starting in April of 1991 as the chairman of the newly founded Russian Rescue Corps, he steadily ascended under Yeltsin, outlived all his PMs, was inherited by Putin and promoted by him, too. How many titans and oligarchs have risen and fallen? Shoigu stays.

 

[dotr]

Russian mercenaries' short-lived revolt could have long-term consequences for Putin

A short-lived revolt by a rebellious Russian mercenary commander has ended with his troops beating a retreat. But the extraordinary challenge to President Vladimir Putin’s two-decade hold on power could have long-term consequences for his rule and his war in Ukraine. Putin’s image as a tough...

apnews.com

''A short-lived revolt by a rebellious Russian mercenary commander ended with his troops beating a retreat, but the extraordinary challenge to President Vladimir Putin’s two-decade hold on power could have long-term consequences for his rule and his war in Ukraine.

Putin’s image as a tough leader had already been badly bruised by the Ukraine war, which has dragged on for 16 months and claimed huge numbers of Russian troops. Saturday’s march toward Moscow by forces under the command of his onetime protege, Yevgeny Prigozhin, exposed further weaknesses, analysts said.

It also meant some of the best forces fighting for Russia in Ukraine were pulled from that battlefield: Prigozhin’s own Wagner troops and Chechen ones sent to stop them.''


“For a dictatorship built on the idea of unchallenged power, this was an extreme humiliation, and it’s hard to see the genie of doubt ever being forced back into the bottle,” said Phillips O’Brien, a professor of strategic studies at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. “So, if Prigozhin might have lost in the short term, Putin is likely to be the long-term loser.”

 

[Niner]

So - all quiet on the Eastern front.....?

 

[Chelly]

So - all quiet on the Eastern front.....?

Well...it seems to be a WTF moment.

 

[dotr]

Access Restricted

ByJosh White ; Patrick Lawnham and Genevieve Holl-Allen
Live

Russia coup latest: Cracks in Putin's power revealed by Wagner mutiny, US says​

Updated 4 minutes ago

Russia summons airborne forces to protect Moscow​

Russia has sent two airborne units from occupied territories in Ukraine to protect Moscow during the Wagner group’s rebellion.
Russian command “plans to keep them [airborne troops] for at least a week (in Moscow)”, the Ukrainian military’s National Resistance Center said on Sunday.
Up to two companies of Russia’s 76th Airborne Assault Division got to Moscow by Il-76 transport aircraft, according to the report.
4:56PM

Convict fighters accuse Prigozhin of 'walking off'​

Russian convict fighters who had expressed support for Yevgeny Prigozhin and his armed coup on Saturday have accused him of “walking off” after he struck a deal with President Vladimir Putin.
Recruits of a Storm Z unit, a Russian military unit made up of convicts, stood in combat uniform holding assault rifles as one addressed Prigozhin and said he was “not a man” after he called off the mutiny.
“Rumours say you walked off, lied to all the lads. The whole of Storm Z was ready to stand behind you, and not only Storm Z, your guys also. But you walked off,” he added.
In the terms of the deal, Prigozhin has said he will relocate to Belarus.
Another soldier said: “You spoke beautifully, we supported you. And now what?”
4:45PM

Beef-up NATO to protect nations from Wagner, says Lithuania's president​

Lithuania’s president has warned that if Belarus is to host Wagner mercenary group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin then NATO will need to strengthen its eastern flank.