Russia

[Dave from down under]

Oh look..
A letter with the signatures of more scientists confessing their thought crimes.

[Suranis]

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/5/2 ... clear-site

Ukraine claims Russia planning ‘massive’ incident at nuclear site
Ukraine’s defence intelligence directorate warns Russia will simulate an attack at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.

[RTH10260]

Someone needs to hint that Moscow could become the site of a major incident ...

[RTH10260]

I wonder why

Western firms snub ‘Russian Davos’ as its prestige evaporates
Annual event headlined by Vladimir Putin described as ‘totally toxic’ since full-scale invasion of Ukraine

Andrew Roth and Pjotr Sauer
Thu 15 Jun 2023 18.24 BST

Western companies have almost universally shunned a self-styled “Russian Davos” event annually headlined by Vladimir Putin, in a stark symbol of Russia’s international isolation more than 15 months into its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

One former attendee of the St Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) described an invitation to the forum as “totally toxic” and compared it to being asked to join the annual reunion of Spectre, the criminal organisation run by James Bond’s archenemy Ernst Blofeld.

When Putin gives his plenary speech on Friday, the person said, the “most popular seats will be the ones in the back of the room”.

Stands at the event now promote opportunities to invest in territories of east Ukraine that have been occupied by the Russian army. Far-right activists including the philosopher Alexander Dugin have been given time on stage. And foreign visitors who do attend have been urged to bring dollars and euros in cash because of banking prohibitions on foreign credit cards.

Some Russian companies and prominent businessmen are also snubbing the event, as its prestige and networking opportunities have evaporated. They include Yandex, Russia’s largest tech company, as well as a number of well-connected businessmen.

“They think that it’s useless and expensive,” said Alexandra Prokopenko, a former central bank official who had written about this year’s forum as a “Potemkin village”. “There are lots of things to do on top of SPIEF, so it’s not worth it to travel to St Petersburg and meet all the people there if it is not profitable for their business.”



https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/ ... evaporates

[MN-Skeptic]

So does the Russian Civil War go in this thread or the Russia invading Ukraine thread?

[MN-Skeptic]

[Luke]

Cross posting from Russia Invades Ukraine.


Malcolm Nance and others are doing a Twitter Space right now (38K listening):

LIVE: COUP IN RUSSIA (others are saying ARMED MUTINY)

Pyotr Kurzin @PKurzin 9m

To everyone asking:

I don’t know. As I don’t know what to think.

Can’t quite believe what we’re witnessing.

Mario Nawfal, Pyotr, Kim Dotcom (?), Malcolm Nance, many more.

https://twitter.com/i/spaces/1vAGRAwNvzXKl?s=20

Most times, Spaces are recorded and you can go back and listen later.

So far, Leo Donofrio has not given Putin advice on how to absolutely, positively, win. Maybe he's sleeping in.

[Dave from down under]

So does the Russian Civil War go in this thread or the Russia invading Ukraine thread?

It should go here, even if the cause was there

[Suranis]

https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_ ... hone-call/

Kremlin Says Turkeys Erdogen expressed full support for Putin in Phone call.

[Kendra]

[Slim Cognito]

[Kendra]

It will be interesting to see how the Rs spin this.

[Volkonski]

Latest from CNN-

https://www.cnn.com/europe/live-news/ru ... index.html

The Russian investigative outlet Fontanka on Saturday reported that a van stacked with boxes with cash was found parked near what is alleged to be an office of Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin at the Hotel Trezzini in St. Petersburg.

According to Fontanka, the amount of cash uncovered in an apparent search by authorities totaled 4 billion rubles, or approximately $47 million.

Fontanka posted a photo on its Telegram channel of boxes on the ground next to a van watched over by a police officer.

Equipment of the Wagner private military company is moving across territory in the southern Russian region of Lipetsk, according to the region's governor, Igor Artamonov.

He said authorities are "taking all necessary measures to ensure the safety of the population," adding that "the situation is under control" and that "there are no failures in the operation of critical infrastructure."



An unidentified military column consisting of five vehicles was spotted about 400 kilometers (approximately 249 miles) away from Moscow, in the village of Krasnoye in the region, according to social media video shared by local blogs.

CNN was able to verify the location of the video. It shows vehicles driving along a local road next to the railway tracks.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin confirmed that a "counter-terrorist regime" has been declared in the city, according to a statement.

"The situation is difficult. In order to minimize risks, I, within the framework of the operational headquarters, decided to declare Monday a non-working day - with the exception of authorities and enterprises of a continuous cycle, the military-industrial complex, and city services," Sobyanin said on Telegram. "I ask you to refrain from traveling around the city as much as possible. It is possible that traffic will be blocked in certain areas and on certain roads."
According to Sobyanin, Moscow city services are on high alert.

Russian state media RIA Novosti reported Saturday that security measures are being strengthened at a number of places on the Moscow Ring Road. A checkpoint with a grenade launcher and an armored personnel carrier was installed at the exit from the Moscow Ring Road in the Yasenevo area and vehicles are being checked, according to RIA.

Earlier Saturday, the Russian National Anti-Terrorism Committee announced the introduction of a "counter-terrorist operation regime" in Moscow, as well as the Moscow region and Voronezh region.

The counter-terrorist regime includes, but is not limited to:

document checks

strengthened protection of public order

monitoring telephone conversations

restricting communications

restricting the movement of vehicles and pedestrians on the streets.

Movement in Voronezh: Following claims of Wagner control over military facilities in the city, Gov. Alexander Gusev has disputed rumors that military equipment is moving through the region, urging people to follow information from official sources, and asking the media to be "responsible" in posting information. Also on Saturday, a burning fuel tank at an oil refinery close to the city was extinguished. While the cause was not confirmed by Gusev, videos on social media have shown an explosion and fireball as a military helicopter flies towards it. Additionally, a munition that landed in the city during what appears to have been a clash between Wagner units and Russian forces damaged a number of cars, according to state media.

The Russian Foreign Ministry warned Western countries against using Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin's rebellion to achieve what it called "Russophobic goals."

"Such attempts are futile and will not find a response either in Russia or among sensible political forces abroad,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan held a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday, according to the Turkish President’s office.

During the meeting, the latest developments in Russia were discussed, Erdogan’s office said.

Erdoğan underscored the importance of acting with common sense and said Turkey is ready to do its part to resolve the situation in a peaceful and calm way, as soon as possible.

The Kremlin also confirmed the call, saying that Erdoğan pledged his “full support” with Putin.

Russian security forces were seen taking positions in southern Moscow, according to photos published by Russian business newspaper Vedomosti.

The images published by the paper showed Russian security forces in body armor and equipped with automatic weapons taking up a position near a highway linking Moscow with southern Russia.

Photographs posted on the Vedomosti Telegram channel show armed and uniformed men on Lipetskaya Street, near the entrance to the M4 highway linking the capital with the cities of Voronezh and Rostov-on-Don.

[Suranis]

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ch ... 023-06-24/

Chechen leader offers to help put down Wagner mutiny

Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov said on Saturday his forces were ready to help put down a mutiny by Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin and to use harsh methods if necessary.

Apparently there are Chechen forces heading towards Wagner forces but they are all bunched up nose to tail, ready for an artillery strike to blow them to heck.

Anyway, map time.

Map.jpg (47.88 KiB) Viewed 18119 times

[Volkonski]

Don't know how reliable the Kyiv Independent is but here is some of what it is saying-

Moscow is preparing in the event of a potential siege of the Russian capital by Yevgeny Prigozhin’s mercenary group, the Wagner Group, Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate reported.

According to Ukrainian intelligence, Russian military and law enforcement have restricted movement in and out of Moscow, and additional military vehicles are being brought to the capital.

AFU liberate territory near Krasnohorivka. AFU troops liberated territory near Krasnohorivka, Donetsk Oblast, which had been occupied since Russia’s initial invasion in 2014, the Ukrainian military’s Tavria group reported.
The news was reportedly intentionally delayed a week for “tactical considerations.”

Latvia has bolstered its border security and is turning away Russians leaving the country amid the Wagner Group’s Civil War. “Latvia is closely following the developing situation in Russia and exchanging information with allies,” Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkēvičs said, adding there is no “direct threat” to Latvia for now.

Voronezh Oblast Governor Aleksandr Gusev said that a burning fuel tank at an oil depot is being extinguished and that more than 100 firefighters and 30 vehicles are on the scene. The M-4 highway is blocked off and Gusev urged people to use regional and local roads as detours. Videos have surfaced online that allegedly show Wagner forces near the highway.

[Suranis]

Apparently Al Jezeera is doing excellent coverage.

[Volkonski]

United24 Media, which is operated by the Government of Ukraine reports-

Russian aviation is gathering in the Moscow region

According to BBC, people in Moscow are en masse being evacuated from shopping malls and museums. Videos gathered by the BBC that are circulating online show people being asked to leave various locations.

The Internet will be turned off in Moscow and the Moscow region if necessary and by order of the leadership of the counter-terrorist operation, — Russian media.

Russians massively buy tickets for flights abroad. There are no direct tickets from Moscow to Istanbul, Astana and Tbilisi.

Several more business jets fly to St. Petersburg, including Mishustin‘s one.

Putin's plane took off from Moscow towards St. Petersburg?

President Andrzej Duda ordered the Polish army to be on high alert.

The column of PMC "Wagner" is 2 km from Buturlinovka, where they are preparing to occupy the airfield. One cannot fail to notice that the mercenaries are actively using the Pantsir missile system. In each column, there is a fighter on a car ready to fire.

The plane of the Lukashenko family landed in Turkey at 5 am. The government business jet EW-301PJ, which took off from MSQ at 00:01, landed in Bodrum, Turkey at 5:15 in the morning.

The bridge in the south of the Moscow region across the Oka is blocked. The strategic crossing was closed with dump trucks full of sand and sprinklers filled with water.

[Volkonski]

Kyiv Post-

Russian oligarchs and politicians are leaving Moscow on private planes. Among them are oligarchs Arkady Rotenberg, Vladimir Potanin, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov, and other Russian media "Important Stories" reported.

The Kremlin is preparing to declare martial law, Russian media reported.

[Volkonski]

Prigozhin declared a retreat from Moscow:
"The Wagner PMC wanted to disband. We were left 200 kilometers to Moscow. During this time we have not shed a single drop of blood of our soldiers. Now comes the moment, when the blood may be spilled. Therefore, realizing all the responsibility that Russian blood will be spilled on one side, we are turning our columns around and going back to the field camps as planned."

[Volkonski]

Russians Snap Up Overseas Plane Tickets As Mercenaries Head Toward Moscow

https://www.rferl.org/a/russians-overse ... 74029.html

Russians snapped up plane tickets to leave the country this weekend as mercenaries from the Wagner Group head toward Moscow, the capital, in a possible power grab. The prices for flights departing on June 24 from Moscow to neighboring countries, such as Turkey, climbed as much as fivefold and there were almost no tickets left as of evening, Kommersant reported. The situation is similar for flights leaving on June 25. Prices for Monday, June 26, were average, the paper said. Wagner troops were 400 kilometers from Moscow as of June 24.

[Volkonski]

Russian Su-25 fighter jet shot down after firing at “Wagner" convoy

[RTH10260]

Ukraine will not mind that Russia loses a few fighter jets this way

[Phoenix520]

As they often do ( responding to Suranis)

[Ben-Prime]

As they often do ( responding to Suranis)

One of my earlier mentors in the Foreign Service was, if not a full-on Kool Aid-drinking Trumpista, at least a TFG-sympathizer, and this was during the man's presidency. At that time, we worked in an office with a limited television channel choice -- he would not watch CNN or MSNBC or BBC, and I would not watch Fox, so we settled on the English language Al Jazeera channel as a mutual compromise. His wife was Egyptian and he acknowledged that Al Jazeera's English language coverage was reasonable and responsible, so it became our go-to.

Al Jazeera as a compromise channel. It still makes me chuckle to think of.

[Volkonski]

Putin's spokesman: Criminal case against Prigozhin will be closed. The criminal case against Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin will be closed, and he will move to Belarus, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.