All the Wagner guys in Africa are fucked now. Putin don't play games.

Or their checks are coming with Putin's signature.

quote:

Originally posted by PASig:
https://www.zerohedge.com/geop...le-board-has-crashed

"There are emerging reports that Russia's security services are investigating whether Prigozhin's jet crashed due to a terrorist attack."


I'm sure after a thorough and exhaustive investigation, the Russian security service will conclusively determine that it was downed by a Ukraininan SAM that had been smuggled into Moscow and fired at the plane by a group of Ukrainian soldiers dressed as a Russian air defense unit, on orders of a Ukrainian Putin impersonator.

It converged with a de-orbited tank turret.

https://www.breitbart.com/euro...russian-state-media/

A Telegram channel associated with the paramilitary Wagner Group, the ‘Grey Zone’, has claimed that Yevgeny Prigozhin was indeed killed in a plane crash outside Moscow on Wednesday. Earlier in the day, the channel accused the Russian Air Force of shooting down the jet carrying the warlord, however, there has been no official confirmation on the cause of the crash at the time of this reporting.

The group said: “The assassination of Prigozhin would have catastrophic consequences. The people who gave the order do not understand the mood in the army and the morale at all.” It added: “Let this be a lesson to all. You always have to go to the end,” in a likely reference to Prighozhin’s failed coup attempt against the Kremlin.

According to a post on a Telegram channel linked to the mercenary Wagner Group, Dmitry Utkin, a former special forces officer in the GRU Russian military intelligence branch who reportedly went on to found PMC Wagner, died alongside the mercenary group’s commander, Yevgeny Prighozhin, in a plane crash inside Russia on Wednesday. The ‘Grey Zone’ channel said that Utkin “died as a result of the actions of traitors to Russia.”

Utkin, who received four Orders of Courage of Russia, is reported to have used the call-sign ‘Wagner’ during his time in the Russian military in homage to German composer Richard Wagner. The call-sign would later be the basis for the name of the mercenary group he reportedly founded.

(In my best Jeremy Clarkson voice)

Oh my...in other news.

Putin continued winning yesterday, in what was probably the day’s actual most important developing story. Not that you’d notice from reading Establishment Media. The Washington Post ran a related story this morning, with the muted, understated headline “BRICS group of nations announces expansion plan with six new members.” But it wasn’t just the announcement of an expansion plan. This is the first expansion in the coalition of non-Western nations since it was originally formed back in 2009.

Six mostly oil-rich countries — Argentina, Egypt, Iran, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates — were invited to join next year’s summit as members, and their memberships are expected to start as soon as January.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, stressing the group’s goal of “countering Western global dominance,” congratulated the new members in a video address, saying they would all be “working in a full-scale format next year.”

Congratulations, Joe Biden, for uniting our enemies.

The Washington Post couldn’t be bothered to inform its readers, but with the addition of the top Middle-Eastern oil producing countries, BRICS now controls about 80% of the world’s oil reserves. Oil talks and Bidenomics walks. Goodbye petrodollar, we hardly knew ye.

Senior U.N. advisor, professor of economics, and director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University’s Jeffrey Sachs reacted, pointing out the obvious significance of the news, which is that the BRICS expansion is perhaps the most significant political shift in our lifetimes.

https://twitter.com/GUndergrou.../1694631196255203688

Here’s the Wall Street Journal’s otherwise banal headline this morning, but which included a telling admission in its subheadline:

How about that? A victory for Russia and China. As I said yesterday, Biden’s disastrous Proxy War policies are rapidly sinking the West under Russian and Chinese world leadership. Or maybe that was the plan.

https://www.coffeeandcovid.com...ack&utm_medium=email

https://hotair.com/john-s-2/20...make-threats-n573436

Yesterday, Yevgeny Prigozhin’s plane fell out of the sky as it was flying northwest from Moscow. Reuters has an exclusive report today citing US officials who point to possible causes for the plane’s crash.

Two U.S. officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said that it was likely a surface-to-air missile originating from inside Russia likely shot down the plane

The officials stressed that the information was still preliminary and under review, and did not rule out a change to the assessment.

The Wall Street Journal on Thursday reported a different theory: that a bomb aboard the aircraft or some other sabotage caused the crash.

A brief video claiming to be from Wagner showed masked men saying “There are many discussions about what Wagner would do now. We’ll say one thing — we’re already starting off. Expect us.”

There’s a separate video in which another Wagner mercenary making threats directly aimed at Putin:

“Today we saw how the little Kremlin filth wiped out Yevgeny Viktorovich,” the masked fighter says in an altered voice, apparently referring to Russia’s leader.

He then goes on to issue a sinister “order” to all Wagner units to retrieve their “buried” assault rifles, machine guns and grenades, presumably in preparation for an unspecified retaliatory act.

“All of us who have fought all these years are seeing that this devil has played long enough,” the mercenary adds, again seemingly referencing Putin. “Await future orders, and victory will be ours. Glory to Russia!”

and,

The Belarusian authorities have cut off the internet in the area of the main Wagner Group camp in the Tale Village in Belarus.

Looks like Putin and Lukashenko are trying to stop the Wagner Group from communicating with each other and coordinating a quick response

They are going to get Order 66'ed.

Now the word is 'I can see the Russian navy from my house'.

quote:

Originally posted by chellim1:

quote:

Meanwhile here in Alaska...

U.S. Navy destroyers dispatched to Aleutians after Chinese, Russian vessels spotted nearby

Four U.S. Navy warships were recently dispatched to the Aleutian Islands following an incursion of 11 foreign military vessels in American waters

What is the purpose of the Department of Defense?
In my mind, it ought to be to Defend the United States of America. We are failing to do so as we are invaded on our southern border.
Now, apparently, we are being probed and disrespected in our Northern most State as well.

Zelenskyy says he wants elections in 2024: Billions of dollars and observers in trenches needed

https://news.yahoo.com/zelensk...36.html?guccounter=1

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said he would like to hold presidential and parliamentary elections in Ukraine in 2024, but this requires legislative changes, funds from partners and international observers even on the front lines.

Zelenskyy in an interview with Nataliia Moseichuk as broadcast on the national joint 24/7 newscast

Details: Commenting on US Republican Senator Lindsey Graham’s position that elections in Ukraine should be held in 2024 despite the war, Zelenskyy said that he spoke with Graham personally.

The president admitted that the issue of elections in Ukraine could "split the support of the United States of America", and the argument put forward is that the US held elections even during the war.

However, he gave a reminder that holding elections during wartime is prohibited by law in Ukraine.

Quote: "The logic is that if you are protecting democracy, then you have to think about this protection even during times of war. Elections are one of the protections. But there is a reason why elections are prohibited by law during wartime – it is very difficult to hold them.

My answer is very simple and Lindsey and I came up with (it) very quickly – he was very satisfied.

Assuming our parliamentarians are ready, then we need changes to the legislation, to the Electoral Code, to do it quickly – this is step number one.

Let’s assume, I told him, you are ready to give me 5 billion, because I can't just take 5 billion from the budget, as it seems to me that this is the amount needed to hold elections in normal times, and in wartime, I don't know what the amount would be – if the United States of America together with Europe gives us financial support [then Ukraine will hold elections – ed.].

I'm sorry, I'm not asking for anything. I will not hold elections on credit. I will not take money from [what we’re spending on - ed.] weapons and allocate it to elections, either. This is provided for by law. But if you give me this financial support and if the parliamentarians understand that we need to do this , then let's change the legislation quickly...

And most importantly, let's take risks together. But how? Observers must be in the trenches. I told him: you and I must send observers to the front line so that we have legitimate elections for ourselves and the whole world. And that's absolutely fair."

Details: Zelenskyy reported that Graham said all the president’s remarks were "very reasonable, very fair."

More at link

Lindsey Graham said 'very reasonable, very fair'...That right there, even if I knew nothing else, tells me it's a bad idea!

Things must not be going well in Ukraine, new leadership and expanded conscription authority:


Ukraine war latest: Zelensky announces dismissal of Defense Minister Reznikov, names replacement

https://kyivindependent.com/uk...v-names-replacement/


New recruits trained to NATO standards were not really trained for the war against Russia:


New brigade bears heavy brunt of Russia’s onslaught in Kharkiv Oblast

https://kyivindependent.com/ne...t-in-kharkiv-oblast/


Douglas MacKinnon, a political and communications consultant, was a writer in the White House for Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, and former special assistant for policy and communications at the Pentagon during the last three years of the Bush administration:


Are 500,000 dead and wounded in Ukraine enough? Apparently not.

https://thehill.com/opinion/in...ough-apparently-not/

NATO Article 5? Romania Firmly Rejects Ukraine Claim That Russian Drone Hit Its Territory

https://www.zerohedge.com/geop...ne-hit-its-territory

In November of 2022 the Ukrainian government tried to encourage its NATO backers to invoke an Article 5 situation which would require the Western alliance to go to war against Russia (Article 5: "an attack against one Ally is considered as an attack against all Allies."). This is because a missile had hit a Polish border village and killed two people, which Kiev insisted was fired by Russia. But it was later proven that it was actually an errant Ukrainian air defense missile which fell on the residential area, and the crisis of potential major escalation with Russia was avoided.

On Monday, a very similar situation happened, but once again Ukraine's attempt to drag the West into direct shooting war with Russia has failed. Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko claimed in a public written statement that a Russian suicide drone struck Romanian territory.

He cited Ukraine’s state border service to claim that a Russian drone "fell and detonated on the territory of Romania" amid broader strikes on the port of Izmail. And that's when he suggested it marked an attack on a NATO country and thus presented a threat to the entire alliance...

"This is yet another confirmation that Russia’s missile terror poses a huge threat not only to Ukraine’s security, but also to the security of neighboring countries, including NATO member states," Nikolenko said.

"We urge partners to accelerate the provision of Ukraine with additional modern anti-missile and anti-air defense systems, as well as combat aviation, which will strengthen the protection of Ukraine's infrastructure and neighboring countries," he added, in an obvious attempt to at least get more military 'toys' from the West.

But NATO-member Romania quickly rejected this narrative, with its defense ministry directly refuting the claim, saying:

"The Ministry of National Defense categorically denies information from the public space regarding a so-called situation that occurred during the night of September 3 to 4 in which Russian drones allegedly fell on the national territory of Romania."

The statement added that "at no time did the means of attack used by the Russian Federation generate direct military threats to the national territory or the territorial waters of Romania."

Given the firmness and promptness of Bucharest's denial of Ukraine's version of events, it seems that NATO decision-makers are very much aware of the dangers of Ukraine's own wartime propaganda, despite supporting the country's fight in every other way possible.

There is general awareness of the unspoken truth that Ukrainian officials have a deep incentive to get NATO more directly involved in the war, given also how badly the counteroffensive is going. The West has been dragged along to a large degree, at first resisting demands for major advanced weapons systems like long-rage rockets, tanks, and F-16s, but later acquiescing.

Good God

https://twitter.com/alx/status/1700934922871947737

"So, fuck you, Jake." Not real, but funny



https://twitter.com/simonateba.../1701002436650172735

That right there was perfection..

Former President Bush: Putin once insulted my dog

https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/376814

Former US President George W. Bush spoke at the Yalta European Strategy forum which was held in Kyiv on the weekend, and told a story about Russian President Vladimir Putin insulting his dog when he was in office.

"He saw my terrier and said: 'Is that even a dog?'. Then, in Moscow, he offered that I see his dog. I agreed, and he pointed to a huge dog, saying it could easily cope with mine. I was surprised and said it offended me. To which Putin only asked: 'Why?", Bush said.

The former US President said he believes this story is highly indicative of Putin's nature.

"He is always looking to prove his strength. But he saw Russia as a weakened state, and so he felt resentful of the whole world," said Bush.

Commenting on the war in Ukraine, Bush admitted that support for Ukraine might decline after the US presidential election.

"There are isolationist tendencies in both parties. Therefore, someone must explain to Americans why Ukraine is so important. Should Ukraine fall, what will be the fate of its neighbours, particularly Poland or Romania?" he said.

Bush also said he believes that Washington has no right to impose peace terms with Russia on Kyiv. "The US may advise, but not impose its idea of peace," he stated.

quote:

Originally posted by wcb6092:
NATO Article 5? Romania Firmly Rejects Ukraine Claim That Russian Drone Hit Its Territory

https://www.zerohedge.com/geop...ne-hit-its-territory

In November of 2022 the Ukrainian government tried to encourage its NATO backers to invoke an Article 5 situation which would require the Western alliance to go to war against Russia (Article 5: "an attack against one Ally is considered as an attack against all Allies."). This is because a missile had hit a Polish border village and killed two people, which Kiev insisted was fired by Russia. But it was later proven that it was actually an errant Ukrainian air defense missile which fell on the residential area, and the crisis of potential major escalation with Russia was avoided.

On Monday, a very similar situation happened, but once again Ukraine's attempt to drag the West into direct shooting war with Russia has failed. Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko claimed in a public written statement that a Russian suicide drone struck Romanian territory.

He cited Ukraine’s state border service to claim that a Russian drone "fell and detonated on the territory of Romania" amid broader strikes on the port of Izmail. And that's when he suggested it marked an attack on a NATO country and thus presented a threat to the entire alliance...

"This is yet another confirmation that Russia’s missile terror poses a huge threat not only to Ukraine’s security, but also to the security of neighboring countries, including NATO member states," Nikolenko said.

"We urge partners to accelerate the provision of Ukraine with additional modern anti-missile and anti-air defense systems, as well as combat aviation, which will strengthen the protection of Ukraine's infrastructure and neighboring countries," he added, in an obvious attempt to at least get more military 'toys' from the West.

But NATO-member Romania quickly rejected this narrative, with its defense ministry directly refuting the claim, saying:

"The Ministry of National Defense categorically denies information from the public space regarding a so-called situation that occurred during the night of September 3 to 4 in which Russian drones allegedly fell on the national territory of Romania."

The statement added that "at no time did the means of attack used by the Russian Federation generate direct military threats to the national territory or the territorial waters of Romania."

Given the firmness and promptness of Bucharest's denial of Ukraine's version of events...

This didn't age well: the firm and prompt denials have been firmly (albeit not so promptly) reversed now.

quote:

Bush also said he believes that Washington has no right to impose peace terms with Russia on Kyiv. "The US may advise, but not impose its idea of peace," he stated.

But imposing its idea of perpetual war is ok?