The Russia-Ukraine War has begun

[detrius]

One important part of Prigozhin's plan failed then. Seems he wanted to keep Putin as head of state and only replace the people under him.

That's just what he said.

In reality, Putin probably would have ended up dead. "Murdered by an assassin sponsored by Western countries", or something like that.

 

[detrius]

The Wagner group is not one grain better than Vlad Putin and his puppets IMHO. Maybe even worse.
I was hoping for people with a bit more common sense to start a rebellion in Moscow.

Yeah, that would have been nice - but I was just talking about the general expectation of internal chaos and collapse inside of Russia since the beginning of the war.

 

[Sid]

That's just what he said.

In reality, Putin probably would have ended up dead. "Murdered by an assassin sponsored by Western countries", or something like that.

Open windows have been unhealthy for a few decades already in Russia.

 

[Noodles]

Isn't this what we all have been waiting for since the start of the invasion a year ago?

Its basically the only way theninvasion could even end. They still must return the occupied territories and pay to revuild Ukraine, though I don't know what they would pay with.

 

[Isabeau]

In any case, less troops going after Ukraine.

 

[Sid]

Ukraine has to go after the Russian troops left behind now very fiercely if they can manage that IMHO.

 

[Sid]

From the Dutch paper De Volkskrant. Behind a paywall, so yet another Google translation:

Wagner sighted north of Voronezh
By Joram Bolle

Wagner's troops seem to have moved one step closer to Moscow.
The BBC has verified footage of a mercenary army convoy traveling north of Voronezh, in the Lipetsk region, on the M4 highway towards Moscow. Lipetsk is located about 450 kilometers (280 miles) from the Russian capital.

The governor of Lipetsk has urged citizens to stay indoors. In addition, bus transport in the region has been suspended until further notice.

Further south at the M4 near Voronezh, a Russian helicopter is said to have fired on a Wagner convoy. That's what eyewitnesses say to Reuters news agency. It is unclear whether it concerns the same convoy.
Wagner boss Prigozhin says his troops have been bombarded with artillery and helicopters.

In Moscow, meanwhile, the authorities are preparing for the possible arrival of Wagner, although the M4 has been closed. According to the Russian newspaper Vedomosti, machine gun positions have been built in southwest Moscow. There is a heavy police presence at the point where the M4 reaches Moscow.

 

[Innula Zenovka]

If Kadyrov's Chechens are badly mauled by Wagner's fighters (as seems very likely), that could have considerable repercussions back in Chechnya, where Putin's ally Kadyrov is hated almost as much as he's feared, and holds power only because of his Kadyrovtsy .

 

[Innula Zenovka]

 

[Isabeau]

Just like a narcissist, brings every subject back to them.

 

[Cindy Claveau]

The Wagner group is not one grain better than Vlad Putin and his puppets IMHO. Maybe even worse.
I was hoping for people with a bit more common sense to start a rebellion in Moscow.

I saw one report on Prigozhin that pointed out he is a merciless killer. If his troops desert and are recaptured, he crushes their skulls with a sledgehammer. As the journalist says, "Between Prigozhin and Putin, there are no good guys."

 

[Cindy Claveau]

Putin urgently leaves Moscow for bunker in Valdai – Ukrainian intelligence

Ukrainian intelligence has information that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has urgently left Moscow for his residence in Valdai, while Putin’s press secretary has denied this.


Source: high-ranking sources of UP in the Ukrainian special services; Dmitry Peskov, the Press Secretary of the President of the Russian Federation, in a comment to Russian state-controlled media outlet RIA Novosti; Secretariat of Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of Russia’s Security Council, in a comment to Kremlin-aligned news agency TASS
[...]

Ukrainian special services are also receiving information that there is panic in Moscow and preparations are being made to mine bridges in the Russian capital.

 

[Cindy Claveau]

Today's news cycle seems to be all Russia all the time (and rightfully so). We are witnessing history. Hopefully surviving it too.

Rebel Russian mercenaries barrel towards Moscow

ROSTOV-ON-DON/VORONEZH, Russia, June 24 (Reuters) - Mutinous Russian mercenary fighters barrelled towards Moscow on Saturday after seizing a southern city overnight, with Russia's military firing on them from the air but seemingly incapable of slowing their lightning advance.

Facing the first serious challenge to his grip on power of his 23-year rule, President Vladimir Putin vowed to crush an armed mutiny he compared to Russia's Civil War a century ago.

The fighters of the Wagner private army run by former Putin ally Yevgeny Prigozhin were already most of the way to the capital, having captured the city of Rostov and set off on an 1,100 km (680 mile) race to Moscow.

 

[Cindy Claveau]

Thread by @ChrisO_wiki on Thread Reader App

The security forces in Moscow are reported to be utterly incapable of resisting a heavily armed force like Wagner. Police generals are said to considering which side to back, while forces on the ground are already defecting to Wagner. (Twitter thread)

 

[Cindy Claveau]

I'm sorry for flooding this thread with links. But this is a very fast-moving and major story going on as I type.

Russia's security forces are reported to be in disarray following the attempted mutiny by the Wagner Group.

 

[Cindy Claveau]

Dewagnerization is in full swing.

 

[Veritable Quandry]

I recall a recent post somewhere that said in 2021, Russia had the second best military in the world. In 2022 Russia had the second best military in Ukraine. In 2023 Russia has the second best military in Russia.

 

[Cindy Claveau]

Hold on! There seems to be a little confusion.

Russia coup latest: Kremlin denies Putin has fled Moscow

Maybe he's not as smart as expected?

A Kremlin spokesman has denied reports that Vladimir Putin has fled Moscow by plane.

One of several planes that Putin uses for official visits took off from Moscow at 2.15 pm local time, according to Flight Radar, which tracks aircraft in real-time.

Less than half an hour later, it went off radar about 150 kilometres from Mr Putin’s official residence.

“Putin is working at the Kremlin,” his spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the Tass news agency when asked about reports of Putin going to the northwest, possibly St Petersburg.

 

[Cindy Claveau]

I recall a recent post somewhere that said in 2021, Russia had the second best military in the world. In 2022 Russia had the second best military in Ukraine. In 2023 Russia has the second best military in Russia.

Reminds me of when the Iraqi military went from the 2nd largest (or so) military in the world to something like the 418th. US military posted signs to that effect.

 

[Essence Lumin]

What is going on here? I don't follow the news that closely but my intuition button sad as it is, says something major is happening.