The Russian invasion of Ukraine (3 Viewers)

[pete]

Nine days since anyone posted here, hmm.

There's a pretty horrific doc on BBC Radio 4 right now about the Wagner pricks, specifically the prison recruits, who returned home, acting with total impunity.

Apparently even if they murder someone, the police can't arrest them, as that would make the police guilty of disrespecting a hero of the Special Military Operation, which is a crime.

Was reading about that earlier. Super depressing.

Russian convicts released to fight with Wagner accused of new crimes

Victims' families are distraught that Russian prisoners released to fight in Ukraine are reoffending.

www.bbc.com

 

[Anthony]

Hellworld

 

[flashback]

I didn't realise Wagner are way more than mercenaries fighting in Ukraine, they're all over the place. Seemingly they're acting as a police force / regime enforcement in various parts of Africa, Madagascar, and in South America for example.

Wagner Group - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Deadmanposting]

Everything you read about Wagner is depressing.
But Russia is a crime cartel more than it is a country. Has been for a long time.

It is a broken country, probably beyond repair.

 

[hydromancer]

When you think of all the Russian composers they could have named themselves after and then they go ahead and chose Wagner that in itself is messed up.

 

[Cormcolash]

When you think of all the Russian composers they could have named themselves after and then they go ahead and chose Wagner that in itself is messed up.

The co-founder of Wagner gave the group the name - he's a Russian nazi that admires Hitler, so he chose Wagner as his own call-sign.

 

[taubstumm]

interesting watching the EU (mainly france) having a proper freakout about the coup in Niger, which seems quite possibly like the Russian revenge for France supplying SCALP missiles to Ukraine. Niger is a core supplier of uranium to France. can imagine Putin on the phone to Macron right now saying, hey, fuck around and find out, Emmanuel

I was thinking a couple of days ago that if the west is truly invested in reversing the coup, they would need to figure out some kind of human-interest emotional angle on it all, alongside the legal and military jostling... and then, today, right on schedule:

Nigerâs captive leader losing weight in inhumane conditions, daughter says

Exclusive: Zazia Bazoum says Mohamed Bazoum and other family members denied electricity after coup and have little to eat

www.theguardian.com

 

[taubstumm]

historical context for this kind of carry-on

Nayirah testimony - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[seanc]

Planes to Ukraine?

Could be interesting. Could be a disaster.

 

[JohnnyRaz]

Prigozhin on board crashed plane, says aviation agency

The founder of the Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, was on board the plane that crashed near Moscow, Russia's aviation agency Rosaviatsia said.

www.rte.ie

Was only a matter of time.*

*allegedly

 

[Deadmanposting]

Lolcano

Hahahaha x infinity


We can only hope that it was the Ukrainians but at this point that is very unlikely

 

[Cornu Ammonis]

How weird!

 

[flashback]

I guess Putin rides around on a special unmarked train for a reason.
Seems like a bit of a gratuitous way to kill someone though. What's wrong with the old falling out a window trick? A flair for the dramatic? Stagecraft?

Maybe the rest of the lads on the plane were all a bit annoying.

 

[Deadmanposting]

I guess Putin rides around on a special unmarked train for a reason.
Seems like a bit of a gratuitous way to kill someone though. What's wrong with the old falling out a window trick? A flair for the dramatic? Stagecraft?

Maybe the rest of the lads on the plane were all a bit annoying.

He might have been hard to get at physically
Likely had a decent bodyguard team, no true certainty of success

This way you have him where you want him and it's the press of a button


Amazing to me that this vile piece of crap thought he could walk around after what he pulled.
No exit strategy. No plan. Just hope for the best.

 

[hydromancer]

Prigozhin was listed as a being on board a plane that crashed in the Congo in 2019 and he showed up a couple of months later. This plane was hit by Russian air defence apparently but we don't even know that for certain.​

 

[JohnnyRaz]

I guess Putin rides around on a special unmarked train for a reason.
Seems like a bit of a gratuitous way to kill someone though. What's wrong with the old falling out a window trick? A flair for the dramatic? Stagecraft?

Maybe the rest of the lads on the plane were all a bit annoying.

They’ve run out of polonium?

 

[flashback]

Prigozhin was listed as a being on board a plane that crashed in the Congo in 2019 and he showed up a couple of months later. This plane was hit by Russian air defence apparently but we don't even know that for certain.​

Killing him only makes him stronger. A Rasputin for our era.

I assumed he was being left alive because Wagner is handy to have around. Maybe they just needed to sort out the new management before doing anything drastic. Or maybe he's not dead at all, and he's consigned to running operations in Africa.
Must be mad just calling in assassinations. All in the game I guess.

 

[flashback]

They’ve run out of polonium?

Blowing up planes is not very environmentally friendly.
All those green points he racked up with the train got pissed away with a bang.

 

[JohnnyRaz]

This also happened today apparently

Russia removes Sergei Surovikin as head of aerospace forces

Commander seen as an ally of Wagner has not been seen in public since Yevgeny Prighozin’s mutiny in June

www.theguardian.com

 

[ann post]

he was in Africa yesterday talking about what great stuff he was doing for Russia, which for someone who was supposed to fuck off out of Russia might have angered certain heads of state with insane lusts for power. No point killing him till you've got all the relevant jigsaw bits ready to steal all his power though.