ALERT RUSSIA INVADES UKRAINE - Consolidated Thread

jward

jward

passin' thru
jward said:
Jake Hanrahan
@Jake_Hanrahan
4m

An agreement has been made between #Belarus and #Russia to deploy nuclear weapons to Belarus. Whether that actually happens or not remains to be seen, but still.
https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1661725401666789378
View: https://twitter.com/Jake_Hanrahan/status/1661725401666789378?s=20
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Russia signs deal to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus​


TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Russia and Belarus signed a deal Thursday formalizing the deployment of Moscow’s tactical nuclear weapons on the territory of its ally, although control of the weapons remains in the Kremlin.

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the deployment of the shorter-range weapons in Belarus earlier this year in a move widely seen as a warning to the West as it stepped up military support for Ukraine.
When the weapons would be deployed wasn’t announced, but Putin has said the construction of storage facilities in Belarus for them would be completed by July 1.
Also unclear is how many nuclear weapons would be kept in Belarus. The U.S. government believes Russia has about 2,000 tactical nuclear weapons, which include bombs that can be carried by aircraft, warheads for short-range missiles and artillery rounds.

Tactical nuclear weapons are intended to destroy enemy troops and weapons on the battlefield. They have a relatively short range and a much lower yield than nuclear warheads fitted to long-range strategic missiles that are capable of obliterating whole cities.
Speaking in Moscow, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko said “the movement of the nuclear weapons has begun,” but was not clear whether any actually had arrived in his country. Lukashenko, who sparked rumors of being seriously ill when he cut short a Victory Day appearance in Red Square on May 9 before resurfacing in public May 15, was attending a meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council with Putin and leaders of Armenia, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.
The signing of the deal came as Russia prepared for a counteroffensive by Ukraine. Both Russian and Belarusian officials also framed the step as driven by hostilities from the West.

“Deployment of nonstrategic nuclear weapons is an effective response to the aggressive policy of countries unfriendly to us,” Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin said in Minsk at a meeting with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Shoigu.
“In the context of an extremely sharp escalation of threats on the western borders of Russia and Belarus, a decision was made to take countermeasures in the military-nuclear sphere,” Shoigu added.
Putin has argued that by deploying its tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, Russia was following the lead of the United States, noting that the U.S. has nuclear weapons based in Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Turkey.
Exiled Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya condemned the move.
“We must do everything to prevent Putin’s plan to deploy nuclear weapons in Belarus, as this will ensure Russia’s control over Belarus for years to come,” Tsikhanouskaya told The Associated Press. “This will further jeopardize the security of Ukraine and all of Europe.”

Independent Belarusian military analyst Aliaksandr Alesin said about two-thirds of Russia’s arsenal of medium-range nuclear-tipped missiles were held in Belarus during the Cold War, adding that there are dozens of Soviet-era storage facilities that could still be used.
Soviet nuclear weapons stationed in Belarus, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan were moved to Russia in a U.S.-brokered deal after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991.

“Documents in Minsk on the return of nuclear weapons were defiantly signed just at the moment when Ukraine declared a counteroffensive and Western countries are handing over weapons to Kyiv,” Alesin told the AP.
“This Belarusian nuclear balcony should spoil the mood for politicians in the West, since nuclear missiles are capable of covering Ukraine, all of Poland, the Baltic states and parts of Germany.”
Khrenin also announced plans to “build up the combat potential of the regional grouping of Russia and Belarusian troops,” including the transfer to Minsk of the Iskander-M missile system, capable of carrying a nuclear charge, and the S-400 anti-aircraft missile system.

Russia and Belarus have an alliance agreement under which the Kremlin subsidizes the Belarusian economy, via loans and discounted Russian oil and gas. Russia used Belarusian territory as a staging ground for invading neighboring Ukraine and has maintained a contingent of troops and weapons there.
apnews.com

Russia signs deal to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus

Russia and Belarus signed a deal formalizing the deployment of Moscow’s tactical nuclear weapons on the territory of its ally, although control of the weapons remains in the Kremlin. Officials framed Thursday's step as driven by hostility from the West. It wasn't announced when the weapons would...
apnews.com apnews.com
 
Boomer Sooner

Boomer Sooner

Contributing Member
"The US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland told an audience in Kiev on Thursday that Washington has been helping plan the Ukrainian 'counteroffensive' against Russia for almost half a year.

'Even as you plan for the counteroffensive, which we have been working on with you for some 4-5 months, we are already beginning our discussions with [the] Ukrainian government and with friends in Kiev – both on the civilian side and on the military side – about Ukraine’s long-term future,' Nuland told the Kiev Security Forum via video-link from the State Department...."[less than 50%]

[link to www.rt.com (secure)]
 
jward

jward

passin' thru
hmm.
Scholz is inviting some assistance in recalibration of his opinions and statements, I'm guessing.
That might hurt.


AFP News Agency
@AFP
26m

#BREAKING German Chancellor Olaf Scholz says he plans to speak to Russian President Vladimir Putin "in due course", holding out the prospect of resuming contact after a near-total breakdown in relations since the Ukraine war

AFP News Agency
@AFP

#UPDATE German Chancellor Olaf Scholz says he plans to speak to Russian President Vladimir Putin "in due course", holding out the prospect of resuming contact after a near-total breakdown in relations over the Ukraine war.

The leaders last spoke by telephone in early December. Since then, tensions have only escalated between Moscow and Berlin, particularly over the decision by Scholz's government in January to allow German-made heavy battle tanks to be sent to Ukraine
 
A

Abert

Veteran Member
Melodi said:
If Russia decides to up the ante by placing nukes closer to the US, they will put them in Venzuela rather than Cuba. There are several reasons for this, but they might want to point out that Maduro is now their puppet, especially after the US has made several quiet attempts to win him over in the last couple of years. Plus, the technology no longer requires the nukes to be as close to their target as it did in the early 1960s. Since Russia can already strike anywhere in the world (as can the US), placing missiles closer to Ukraine or the US will be partly symbolic. Though the tactical nukes might need closer to Ukraine to be effective, I don't know.

On the other hand, I wouldn't count on Russia sending out this sort of warning either. They might decide to hit the US straight off if they were going to "go there." I can't see how they would gain anything militarily by announcing what "we gonna do to you" if they planned actually to do it. On the other hand, if they want to give a warning in hopes of stopping World War III, placing nuclear weapons in either Venzuela or Cuba might be useful.
Click to expand...
Yes they can strike from anywhere - however it is the flight time and reaction time - with launch to hit in the 5 min range you have a very effective First Strike weapon. Russia could not allow such weapons in Ukraine. Now the "NEW" NATO members up North - could be the next red line.
Bottom line these US NeoCons are going to get us all Killed!
 
C

Cedar Lake

Connecticut Yankee
jward said:
hmm.
Scholz is inviting some assistance in recalibration of his opinions and statements, I'm guessing.
That might hurt.


AFP News Agency
@AFP
26m

#BREAKING German Chancellor Olaf Scholz says he plans to speak to Russian President Vladimir Putin "in due course", holding out the prospect of resuming contact after a near-total breakdown in relations since the Ukraine war

AFP News Agency
@AFP

#UPDATE German Chancellor Olaf Scholz says he plans to speak to Russian President Vladimir Putin "in due course", holding out the prospect of resuming contact after a near-total breakdown in relations over the Ukraine war.
Click to expand...
Hmmmm.......this conversation will be enlightening to hear.
 
O

Oreally

Veteran Member
Pregozhin may be a psychopath, but here he is speaking reality

ukraine has been 'legitimized', lol

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1661301463442702336
View: https://twitter.com/francis_scarr/status/1661301463442702336 :lkick:

www.kyivpost.com

‘We’ve Militarized Ukraine!’ - Furious Wagner Chief on How Putin’s ‘Special Operation’ Has Backfired

Yevgeny Prigozhin covered a lot of topics in his most recent interview including how he believes ‘Russia needs to live in the image of North Korea for a certain number of years.’
www.kyivpost.com www.kyivpost.com

‘We’ve Militarized Ukraine!’ - Furious Wagner Chief on How Putin’s ‘Special Operation’ Has Backfired​

Yevgeny Prigozhin covered a lot of topics in his most recent interview including how he believes ‘Russia needs to live in the image of North Korea for a certain number of years.’

In yet another spectacular rant, Wagner Chief Yevgeny Prigozhin has reignited his ongoing feud with the Kremlin, saying Putin’s efforts to “demilitarize” and “denazify” Ukraine have completely backfired and achieved exactly the opposite.

In an interview with pro-Kremlin political strategist, Konstantin Dolgov, Prigozhin complained that Ukraine was now “a nation which everybody knows around the entire world” that resembled “Greeks during the era of Greece’s prosperity.”

“Ukraine has been legitimized,” he said. “Ukraine has become a country which is known absolutely everywhere.”

Speaking specifically about Putin’s stated intention at the outset of Russia’s full-scale invasion, to “demilitarize” Ukraine, Prigozhin became even more scathing, saying: “If at the start of the special operation they had 500 tanks, hypothetically speaking, now they have 5,000 tanks. If 20,000 men were able to fight, now it’s 400,000.

(master strategist, my ass....:lkick:)
 
LightEcho

LightEcho

Has No Life - Lives on TB
vector7 said:
BREAKING: Rep. Jerry Nadler says he “wouldn’t care” if Ukraine used American F16s to strike Russian territory and “personally wouldn’t mind” if Ukraine invaded Russia.
RT 2min
https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1661819287076495363
View: https://twitter.com/greg_price11/status/1661819287076495363?s=20
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Send that fat little penguin's ass over to the trenches and let him try it for a few days... or weeks.

Notice he said they are fighting for "democracy and the world order". The WORLD ORDER... sure, that is worthy of fighting for. The organ harvesting, human trafficking, enslaving, taxing, murdering wonderful world order. They use the word "democracy" to pretend the people have power while being manipulated into believing the lies.

Talked with a neighbor yesterday and got an idea of where his head is at. He is totally oblivious, totally bamboozled by the standard news media. Could not discuss anything of import because he is so sure about how good the government is and how bad Russia & Trump are. One of those conversations that you divert into flowers and gardens and happy things. When people love the lies, they hate the truth. That is delusion. For me that means separation... subtle and gentle self-removal. Fade away. Watch from afar as Babylon burns.
 
LightEcho

LightEcho

Has No Life - Lives on TB
Oreally said:
entire russian unit of 28 men, including 3 officers surrenders outside Adivka

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1661122966334197760
View: https://twitter.com/wartranslated/status/1661122966334197760


2 min
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28 men is barely a platoon. Not a big deal. What is a big deal is the apparent mis-management of the DPR forces and Russian lack of decent logistics and support for front line troops. There is no excuse for that kind of poor leadership even in peacetime. Again we see the fatcats living in luxury and the little people sent out to suffer and die. Not cool.
 
LightEcho

LightEcho

Has No Life - Lives on TB
jward said:
hmm.
Scholz is inviting some assistance in recalibration of his opinions and statements, I'm guessing.
That might hurt.


AFP News Agency
@AFP
26m

#BREAKING German Chancellor Olaf Scholz says he plans to speak to Russian President Vladimir Putin "in due course", holding out the prospect of resuming contact after a near-total breakdown in relations since the Ukraine war

AFP News Agency
@AFP

#UPDATE German Chancellor Olaf Scholz says he plans to speak to Russian President Vladimir Putin "in due course", holding out the prospect of resuming contact after a near-total breakdown in relations over the Ukraine war.

The leaders last spoke by telephone in early December. Since then, tensions have only escalated between Moscow and Berlin, particularly over the decision by Scholz's government in January to allow German-made heavy battle tanks to be sent to Ukraine
Click to expand...
German economy is crashing. They are being destroyed by the NATO/US antics with sanctions, pipeline destruction and demand for Ukraine support.

video RT- 14:25

Beyond seems to be the new buzzword for the new world order devils. In this video a conference in Brussels, a group called "Beyond Growth" presents to the adoring crowd a narrative that hits the depopulation agenda to stop growth, climate change, white supremacy, decolonization, etc.

The non-human devils pulling this crap mean to kill us all. Never forget that.
 
Last edited:
O

Oreally

Veteran Member
LightEcho said:
28 men is barely a platoon. Not a big deal. What is a big deal is the apparent mis-management of the DPR forces and Russian lack of decent logistics and support for front line troops. There is no excuse for that kind of poor leadership even in peacetime. Again we see the fatcats living in luxury and the little people sent out to suffer and die. Not cool.
Click to expand...
and to think, it must extend not only in this one place... soon you're gonna see mutinies all over the country.
 
jward

jward

passin' thru
Victor vicktop55
@vicktop55

The United States is inciting its European satellites against Russia, believing that they can get away with everything - Sergey Lavrov.
"Washington believes that its self-preservation is ensured by the Atlantic Ocean, but this is a strong delusion," the Russian Foreign Minister added.

Victor vicktop55
 
jward

jward

passin' thru
yup. lookie what happened last time he didn't toe the line. Great hubris, great folly, or great balls o' fire to already be colouring outside it once again eh? :hmm:

LightEcho said:
German economy is crashing. They are being destroyed by the NATO/US antics with sanctions, pipeline destruction and demand for Ukraine support.
Click to expand...

jward said:
hmm.
Scholz is inviting some assistance in recalibration of his opinions and statements, I'm guessing.
That might hurt.
Click to expand...
 
D

DuckandCover

Proud Sheeple
I don't fully believe either sides statements on how effective the Russian hypersonic missiles are (or aren't), including this one. However, here is an article that says that they have been ineffective since the Patriots have been deployed to Ukraine. Most interesting to me is the argument that these types of missiles aren't really anything new and that the US had tested missiles even faster back in the 50's and 60's.


Anyway, since we are posting all viewpoints, here goes..............


www.yahoo.com

Russia’s 'invincible' hypersonic missiles prove anything but, as Ukraine utilizes U.S. Patriot defenses

The "Kinzhal" was meant to be the Russian “wonder weapon,” but it turned out to be another example of President Vladimir Putin’s military over-promising and under-delivering — particularly after Ukraine received U.S.-manufactured Patriot PAC-2 and PAC-3 air defense systems in April.
www.yahoo.com www.yahoo.com

1.1k
Michael Weiss and James Rushton
Thu, May 25, 2023 at 4:40 PM CDT



It was meant to be the Russian “wonder weapon,” but it turned out to be just another example of Vladimir Putin’s military over-promising and under-delivering.
The Kh-47M2 “Kinzhal” — which means “dagger” in Russian — was billed as a state-of-the-art hypersonic missile, “invincible,” in Putin’s words, to Western air defenses. For the early months of Russia’s full-scale war on Ukraine, it seemed to be just that. The missile had been used in the first year of the war to successfully strike several targets across Ukraine, no doubt causing significant damage.

Turning point​


Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder addresses a news briefing at the Pentagon on Wednesday in Arlington, Va. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
That all changed when Ukraine received U.S.-manufactured Patriot PAC-2 and PAC-3 air defense systems in April. The PAC-3, the latest version of the venerable American system, was originally developed as part of America’s Strategic Defense Initiative, nicknamed “Star Wars” by its critics, first introduced in the early 1980s by President Ronald Reagan to counter ballistic missiles.

<<< more at link >>>
 
LightEcho

LightEcho

Has No Life - Lives on TB
Oreally said:
and to think, it must extend not only in this one place... soon you're gonna see mutinies all over the country.
Click to expand...
If that were the case, Zelensky would have been hanging from a pole or balcony 6 months ago.

Just because you want something, does not make it so.
 
O

Oreally

Veteran Member
LightEcho said:
If that were the case, Zelensky would have been hanging from a pole or balcony 6 months ago.

Just because you want something, does not make it so.
Click to expand...
i don't know why that would be so.

the morale here actually in ukraine is very high. as far as i can tell, people are standing with him, despite some setbacks, which are being blamed on subordinates or literal traitors.

everyone expects the counter offensive to be successful, so why change horses? i have several friends in the army and they are concerned but not at all mutinous.
 
jward

jward

passin' thru
this may be the better translation, (not that it is much less concerning):

mecoastie said:
Has this even been on the table?
Click to expand...
Victor vicktop55
@vicktop55

If the West provides Ukraine with nuclear weapons, "it will be necessary to launch a preemptive strike," Medvedev said. According to him, the West is not fully aware of this and believes that it will not come to this: "It will come, under certain conditions."
Victor vicktop55
https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1662069296271446020
View: https://twitter.com/vicktop55/status/1662069296271446020?s=20
 
naegling62

naegling62

Veteran Member
LightEcho said:
Send that fat little penguin's ass over to the trenches and let him try it for a few days... or weeks.

Notice he said they are fighting for "democracy and the world order". The WORLD ORDER... sure, that is worthy of fighting for. The organ harvesting, human trafficking, enslaving, taxing, murdering wonderful world order. They use the word "democracy" to pretend the people have power while being manipulated into believing the lies.

Talked with a neighbor yesterday and got an idea of where his head is at. He is totally oblivious, totally bamboozled by the standard news media. Could not discuss anything of import because he is so sure about how good the government is and how bad Russia & Trump are. One of those conversations that you divert into flowers and gardens and happy things. When people love the lies, they hate the truth. That is delusion. For me that means separation... subtle and gentle self-removal. Fade away. Watch from afar as Babylon burns.
Click to expand...
You are a very enlightened fellow. Although I have diverged from my traditional view point on this Russian/UKR-NATO war, that conversation must have been maddening for you. Most of us on this board, including you, are so far past the average citizen in their understanding of what's really going on it's like talking to children.
 
naegling62

naegling62

Veteran Member
jward said:
this may be the better translation, (not that it is much less concerning):


Victor vicktop55
@vicktop55

If the West provides Ukraine with nuclear weapons, "it will be necessary to launch a preemptive strike," Medvedev said. According to him, the West is not fully aware of this and believes that it will not come to this: "It will come, under certain conditions."
Victor vicktop55
https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1662069296271446020
View: https://twitter.com/vicktop55/status/1662069296271446020?s=20
Click to expand...
I'm gonna have to vote Medvedev as the craziest madman threatening nuclear war since Nikita Khrushchev.
 
jward

jward

passin' thru
naegling62 said:
You are a very enlightened fellow. Although I have diverged from my traditional view point on this Russian/UKR-NATO war, that conversation must have been maddening for you. Most of us on this board, including you, are so far past the average citizen in their understanding of what's really going on it's like talking to children.
Click to expand...
On the other hand, many smart folks are grey out there, and parrot the prevailing sentiments as a matter o' avoiding kraykraykaren encounters. No one really knows- or probably cares- what I know or think of what is going on: I make an effort to keep my commentary the same vacuous, ill informed and unconcerned platitudes as the stereotypical Americans', when not adroit enough to avoid the subjects altogether.
 
jward

jward

passin' thru
Faytuks News Δ
@Faytuks
·
2h
BREAKING: The Netherlands will likely send F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine after pilot training, according to two people familiar with the matter - Bloomberg
The Dutch government has been spearheading discussions with US officials in the past weeks to press President Joe Biden’s administration to give a green light to delivering the aircraft, the people said - Bloomberg
https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1662027849816068096
View: https://twitter.com/Faytuks/status/1662027849816068096?s=20
 
jward

jward

passin' thru
Excerpt from the following report:


Implication 6.1: Congress should ensure timely funding for U.S. Army LRPF.


“Long-range” is relative when considering different platforms and theater geographies. HIMARS, Ukraine’s “long-range” capability, is not long compared to the Army’s anticipated LRPF suite (Figure 3). For example, the Army’s long-range hypersonic weapon, due to be fielded in Fiscal Year 2023, has a range of 1,725 miles. These survivable ground-based LRPF, alongside LRPF from the air and sea domains, provide complementary options to joint force commanders and pose multiple dilemmas for adversaries.40 LRPF is especially vital for the Indo-Pacific’s vast distances.

Army Long-Range Precision Fires




Implication 6.2: Even with greater precision, DoD should increase the quantity of massed conventional munitions.


While precision fires are more efficient than unguided munitions, Western nations cannot produce enough of them due to financial and production constraints. The Army can employ massed conventional fires against close-in massed formations of troops and weapons to offset shortfalls in precision munitions, reserving precision fires for long-range, high-payoff targets. DoD should not sacrifice massed fires on the assumption that precision munitions will be sufficient by themselves.
 
S

Slydersan

Veteran Member
naegling62 said:
I'm gonna have to vote Medvedev as the craziest madman threatening nuclear war since Nikita Khrushchev.
Click to expand...

No that would have been the Russian lawmaker from late 90's-early 2000's, Vladimir Zhirinovsky. He was the older guy that ran for president at times and wanted to nuke everyone, even when we were all somewhat friendly! Take the worst of Putin and Medvedev's dreams of "restoring Mother Russia" and go exponential - that was Zhirinovsky.
 
jward

jward

passin' thru

Yevgeny Prigozhin for president?​


Stephen Bryen​



Many people are wondering about Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner Group. In the middle of the battle for Bakhmut, Prigozhin started a campaign against Russia’s military leadership, right up to and including the minister of defense, Sergei Shoighu.

He complained about the lack of ammunition for his forces, then about the failure of Russia’s army to protect his flanks as his forces operated inside Bakhmut, then complained about Vladimir Putin, using his nickname in Russia, the Grandfather.
And now he has expanded his attacks saying that the entire Ukraine war was a big mistake and a disaster for Russia.
Prigozhin is not, despite his pretensions, a trained military leader. The battle of Bakhmut was actually led by two highly experienced and tough Russian generals, Sergey Surovikin and Mikhail Mizintsev.

Even so, the Kremlin has been quiet about Prigozhin’s outbursts, and so far he has not been fired or disciplined.
This is strange, particularly since Russians are being thrown in jail for criticizing the military. How can that general crackdown happen while Prigozhin, the bad-mouther-in-chief, is not arrested or punished at all?
In his latest interview, Prigozhin (right) talks to Konstantin Dolgov. Prigozhin revealed that Wagner had lost 15,000 men in Bakhmut of whom 10,000 were convicts he recruited.
(A video of his latest statements can be found here.)

In Russia, politics can be very brutal. Regime critics often wind up dead – they fall out of windows, are poisoned or shot, become suspiciously sudden victims of heart attacks or other maladies. Prigozhin has so far escaped all that.
So what is really going on? Russia has an upcoming presidential election in March 2024. Current President Putin, who is now 70 years old, needs to decide if he will stand in the upcoming election.
There has been an inordinate amount of speculation about Putin’s health problems, and while no one can say for sure, there is physical evidence that supports the argument about his ill health. Quite possibly, Putin may have early-onset Parkinson’s disease. Perhaps Putin will decide not to run in the coming election.

That leaves a number of candidates in the field, including Nikolai Patrushev, the former head of Russia’s security service, the FSB, and now secretary (head) of Russia’s Security Council. Another possible candidate is Dmitry Medvedev, who served as president of Russia from 2008-2012 and is currently deputy head of the Security Council. Both Patrushev and Medvedev are Putin loyalists.
But Prigozhin also is known as a Putin loyalist, although his most recent rants suggest he is no longer. It is possible Prigozhin is positioning himself to run for president, if Putin steps down. He would style himself the successful commander and the peace candidate.

Emulating retired General Dwight Eisenhower, who won the US presidency during the darkest period of the Korean war after campaigning on the promise that he would go to Korea and, presumably, bring an end to the Korean war (which he did by agreeing to split the country into two), Prigozhin could campaign on a platform of going to Ukraine and making a deal with Zelensky.
Prigozhin can only pull off a run for the presidency of Russia if the security apparatus in the country wants him to do so and to be successful It is doubtful they would let him run in an election if the outcome would undermine the security establishment and the military. Indeed, the possibility that Prigozhin might run carries with it considerable angst and doubt in the Russian establishment about the army and its performance in Ukraine.

Would the army stand by and let Prigozhin win such an election? While the Russian army in recent times on only one occasion revolted against state leadership – in the case of the failed coup d’état against Gorbachev – from the army’s point of view an anti-military president poses a much more significant threat.
But Prigozhin may not get as far as actually running for office. Putin could decide to run again, which would short-circuit Prigozhin. Or, Putin could fire Prigozhin or find other ways to silence him.
Putin has yet to act, but surely he was waiting for the Bakhmut battle to end. Now that Russia has won its second major military victory in Ukraine, after Mariupol, there is less need to suffer Prigozhin. It isn’t clear what kind of support Prigozhin may have in Russia, but he is clearly one of Putin’s men, or at least was until recently.

An aerial view shows smoke rising from the devastated city of Bakhmut during a Russian attack. Image: Screengrab / 93rd Mechanized Brigade ‘Kholodnyi Yar video / Handout
An alternative scenario is that Putin will give Wagner forces and Prigozhin medals for their victory, already hinted at by the Kremlin, and ship Prigozhin off elsewhere, preferably outside of Russia.
Wagner forces are operating in Sudan, Libya, and perhaps still in Syria, so there are places where Russia has interests that can make use of Prigozhin’s talents. Re-deploying Prigozhin would not end any threat he might pose, but it would take him out of the limelight.

Should Prigozhin keep up his running rants against Russia’s leadership, it is hard to see him surviving for very long.
asiatimes.com

Yevgeny Prigozhin for president?

Many people are wondering about Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner Group. In the middle of the battle for Bakhmut, Prigozhin started a campaign against Russia’s military leadershi…
asiatimes.com asiatimes.com
 
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