Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia |
Ukrainian Perspective: Invasion of Ukraine: August 25, 2024 |
2024-08-26 |
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. Worth noting, korrespondent.net has compiled its Invasion of Ukraine series into separate months, beginning May 9th, 2023. Linked in the title. [Korrespondent] 22:12 The Ukrainian Armed Forces have advanced in the Kursk region from one to three kilometers and taken control of two more settlements, Zelensky said following a conversation with Syrsky. "Active actions continue in relation to another settlement. There is a replenishment of the exchange fund... We also discussed our Donbas separately - our defensive actions. The most attention is on Novogrodovka, Vodyanoye. The most assaults," the president noted in an evening video address. ![]() 20:45 The Foreign Ministry stated that Belarus, under the guise of exercises, is concentrating a significant number of personnel and military equipment in the Gomel region near the northern borders of Ukraine. The presence of mercenaries from the former Wagner PMC has also been recorded. "Conducting exercises in the border zone and in close proximity to a nuclear power facility, the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, creates threats to the national security of Ukraine and global security in general. We call on officials of the Republic of Belarus not to make tragic mistakes for their own country under pressure from Moscow, and its armed forces to stop unfriendly actions and withdraw troops from the state border of Ukraine," the statement said. The agency also emphasizes that Ukraine "has never taken and is not going to take any unfriendly actions against the Belarusian people," and in the event of a violation of the state border, "it will take all necessary measures in order to implement the right to self-defense guaranteed by the UN Charter." At the same time, all troop concentrations, military facilities and supply routes to the territory of Belarus will be legitimate targets for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. 20:34 As a result of the Russian strike on Kramatorsk, one person was killed and six were injured, said OVA head Vadim Filashkin. The deceased was a British journalist born in 1984, among the injured were four journalists and two local residents. A hotel was destroyed, 17 private houses and six multi-story buildings, three enterprises, an administrative building and a cafe were damaged. 18:59 The number of people injured in the Russian strike on a hotel in Kramatorsk, Donetsk region, has risen to six, and rescuers have found a body of a deceased person under the rubble, the head of the city's military administration, Oleksandr Goncharenko, reported. All the victims are Reuters journalists, citizens of Ukraine, the United States, Latvia, Germany and Great Britain. 18:13 Pope Francis is concerned about the decision to ban the Russian church in Ukraine: "Let no Christian church be abolished, directly or indirectly: churches should not be touched." The Pontiff called for allowing people to pray "in the church they consider their own." 17:45 Zelensky said in an interview with Indian media that he is in favor of holding the second Peace Summit in one of the countries of the Global South, possibly in India: "I really believe that the second Peace Summit should be in one of the countries, preferably in the Global South. And we are very open. There are countries like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, like Turkey... But I want to be frank. This applies not only to India, but to any state that would be positive about hosting the summit - we will not be able to hold the Peace Summit in a country that has not yet joined the summit's communiqué. No one is pressuring anyone, but this is logical." 14:12 Zelensky said in an interview with Indian media that the Kursk operation is part of a "large military-political, military-diplomatic operation. Everything we do is only to force Russia to be ready for a just peace." 10:19 The Russian army struck a residential building in the Dniprovsky district of Kherson, one person was killed, reported the head of the OVA Oleksandr Prokudin. Over the past day, as a result of Russian shelling in the region, two people were killed, nine more were injured, including one child. 10:08 The Prosecutor General's Office clarified that Russian troops struck Kramatorsk on the evening of August 24, probably with an Iskander-M ballistic missile. Two foreign media journalists were injured on the territory of the destroyed hotel, and another colleague is probably under the rubble. 09:37 At night, Russians attacked Chuguev in the Kharkiv region - five people were injured, including two children aged four and 14, said OVA head Oleg Sinegubov. Also at night, Russian troops attacked the Slobodsky district of Kharkiv - eight people were injured. In the city of Balakleya, one person was injured as a result of the evening shelling. Another four people were injured as a result of yesterday's shelling of the village of Novoosinovo in the Kupyansk district and one in Kupyansk. Also in Balakleya, while extinguishing a fire, a rescue vehicle was blown up, two of them were injured. 09:26 Zelensky showed the Ukrainian drone missile Palyanitsa for the first time. According to the president, the missile's development lasted a year and a half, it is cheaper than its analogues. There are about 20 Russian airfields within the Palyanitsa's operational range. The Ukrainian missile is launched from a ground-based launcher. 09:11 Russians shelled Sumy the day before - one person was killed, six were wounded, OVA reported. Ten people were wounded in the Verkhnesyrovatskaya community, including three children. 08:35 At night, Russians attacked a hotel in Kramatorsk, Donetsk Oblast - currently, two people are known to be injured, and another person is under the rubble. All three victims are journalists, citizens of Ukraine, the United States, and Great Britain, said OVA head Vadim Filashkin. In addition to the hotel, a nearby high-rise building was also damaged. On August 24, seven people were killed in Russian shelling in the region: five in Konstantinovka, one each in Toretsk and Kotlino. Another 15 people in the region were injured in the past 24 hours. 08:23 At night, Russia launched a missile strike on the frontline regions of Ukraine with various types, the Air Force reported. The Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv and Donetsk regions were attacked. The enemy used ground-based missiles: the Iskander-K cruise missile, the Iskander-M ballistic missile and six Kh-59/Kh-69 guided air missiles. As a result of the counteraction, most of the missiles did not reach their targets. In addition, the Russians attacked with nine Shahed-type attack drones, eight of which were shot down in the Nikolaev region. 08:14 The General Staff announced the estimated losses of the Russian Federation as of the morning of August 25:
02:20 Ukraine is seeking permission from the West to use long-range Storm Shadow missiles for a "demonstration attack" on Russia, The Guardian reports, citing sources. This, according to Kiev, could force Moscow to negotiate a cessation of hostilities. According to one of the publication's sources, the idea is that Russia will only consider negotiations when it believes that Ukraine is capable of "threatening Moscow and St Petersburg." However, this strategy is associated with high risks and does not yet enjoy the support of the United States. |
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Europe |
Putin's new Nordic nightmare: How strategically crucial Baltic Sea will become 'NATO's lake' after Sweden was cleared to join the alliance in huge blow for Kremlin regime |
2024-02-28 |
[Daily Mail, where America gets its news] Russia will be the only country around the Baltic Sea not in the military alliance The strategically important Baltic Sea is being dubbed NATO's lake after Sweden was cleared to join the military alliance - strengthening its power in the region in a nightmare development for Vladimir Putin. The country's accession to the alliance adds the final puzzle piece around the shores of the sea, which is a crucial maritime gateway for Russia, making it easier for NATO to exert control and reinforce its vulnerable Baltic states. Analysts have suggested it will mean that Western allies, including the UK and United States, will be well-placed to strangle Russia's room for manoeuvre in the important shipping route if a war with Moscow ever breaks out. But Moscow will still be able to threaten undersea infrastructure and menace the region from its bases near St Petersburg and in heavily-armed exclave Kaliningrad, with experts warning that NATO must remain alert to the Russian threat. 'If you look at a map then geographically the Baltic Sea is becoming a NATO lake, yes,' said Minna Alander a research fellow at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs. 'But there is still work to do for NATO.' On Monday, Hungary became the final NATO member to approve the country's application from 2022 to join the alliance in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. It was hailed as a 'historic day' by Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, while NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg immediately welcomed Hungary's ratification. 'Sweden's membership will make us all stronger and safer,' Stoltenberg wrote on X. 'The parliaments of all NATO member states have now voted in favour of Swedish accession to NATO. Sweden stands ready to shoulder its responsibility for Euro-Atlantic security,' Kristersson said. Sweden's NATO membership was supported by 188 lawmakers in Hungarian parliament, with 6 against and no abstentions. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's government has faced pressure from NATO allies to fall in line and seal Sweden's accession to the alliance. After Finland joined last year, Sweden's membership - which cleared the final hurdle on Monday with Hungary's vote on ratification - means all the countries surrounding the Baltic Sea, except Russia, will be part of the military alliance. Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, a series of high-profile incidents involving pipelines and cables under the Baltic Sea have given NATO a wake-up call over its vulnerabilities. In September 2022 a sabotage attack hit the Nord Stream gas pipelines between Russia and Europe. Over a year on, investigators have still not publicly named those responsible. Then last October a gas pipeline and a cable from Finland and Sweden to Estonia were damaged. Finnish police say they believe a Chinese cargo ship was likely involved. NATO has bolstered its naval deployments in response and is looking to step up its monitoring capabilities, but keeping an eye on what's happening beneath the water is a major task. 'It's very difficult to have overall control of a sea as you would control territories on land,' said Julian Pawlak, a researcher at Germany's Bundeswehr University in Hamburg. 'What the Nord Stream sabotages have shown, among others, is that it remains hard to be aware exactly what is happening below the surface and on the seabed.' Sweden has long had a close partnership with NATO but its formal membership will allow it to be fully integrated into the alliance's defence plans. Beyond its long Baltic coastline, Sweden brings with it the island of Gotland which would play a central role in helping NATO impose its will. But just across the water Russia has its own vital outpost - the exclave of Kaliningrad. Wedged between Poland and Lithuania, Moscow has in recent years turned the region into one of the most militarised in Europe, with nuclear-capable missiles stationed there. Russia's Baltic fleet based in Kaliningrad is a shadow of what it was during the Cold War and the invasion of Ukraine has sapped some of its forces from the region. But John Deni, a research professor at the US Army War College, said the Kremlin has kept up investments in undersea capabilities and still has the firepower to stage small-scale landings or threaten NATO supply routes. 'In terms of artillery, indirect fires and nuclear-capable weapons they out-gun and out-range NATO allies in the region,' Deni said. 'Allies have to meet that threat and counter it.' Related: Baltic Sea: 2024-02-01 Russia cuts gasoline, diesel exports to offset refinery outages Baltic Sea: 2024-01-04 Russian Navy will be reinforced with the Arkhangelsk and Kronstadt submarines in 2024 Baltic Sea: 2023-12-17 The depth of snow cover in Moscow broke a record Related: Gotland: 2023-06-21 Like 300 years ago. Sweden is finally on the warpath with Russia Gotland: 2022-04-30 Ukrainian Perspective: Invasion of Ukraine: April 29th, 2022 Gotland: 2022-04-01 Ukrainian Perspective: Invasion of Ukraine: April 1st, 2022 Related: Kaliningrad: 2024-02-27 Putin signs a decree on the re-establishment of the Moscow and Leningrad military districts Kaliningrad: 2024-02-24 There will be no war. Russia's Western neighbors are beginning to come to their senses Kaliningrad: 2024-02-16 Ukrainian Perspective: Invasion of Ukraine: February 15, 2024 |
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Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia |
Vladimir Putin reportedly falls for London-educated 'Barbie' Katya Mizulina |
2024-02-19 |
![]() has reportedly found a new love in a London-educated woman who censors internet criticism of the Russian leader, Daily Mail reported citing reports from Ukrainian media. Ekaterina "Katya" Mizulina, 39, the daughter of a pro-Putin and anti-Ukrainian Senator Elena Mizulina, 69, is the head of Russia's Safe Internet League. However, a hangover is the wrath of grapes... recently, she has been dubbed Putin's "morality guardian" as she is seen as a web censor, attempting to suppress criticism of the dictator, particularly on the Ukraine war. ![]() Social media outlets in Russia and Ukraine have seized on claims he has found a new confidante in hardline Mizulina and that the two have "become close". Russian human rights When they're defined by the state or an NGO they don't mean much... campaigner Olga Romanova told Ukraine's Channel 24: "Katya Mizulina is completely to Putin's taste. This Barbie ***** [type] has always suited him very well." Romanov likened her to an earlier Putin lover, Svetlana Krivonogikh, a club owner and multimillionaire in St Petersburg, mother of Putin's love child Luiza, 20. According to Ukrainian media, "Russian insiders claim that Ekaterina Mizulina has the type of appearance that particularly attracts Vladimir Putin." Mizulina, a 2004 School of Oriental and African Studies graduate from the University of London with a degree in art history and Indonesian language, has worked as a translator for official Russian delegations visiting China. Her philosopher father Professor Mikhail Mizulin, 69, is a leading academic in Moscow. Mizulina advocates for internet censorship, fines, and sanctions against media and social networks. At a meeting with students this month, she demanded an apology from a student who questioned compulsory military service and threatened him with Putin's strict laws. |
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-Lurid Crime Tales- |
Naked customer allegedly threatens convenience store staff with veggie peeler, masturbates in front of cops |
2024-02-01 |
![]() She sounds like a fun date. Self-motivated is a good thing Celia Barrett, 35, went to the RaceTrac at 2551 54th Ave. in St Petersburg on Sunday evening after downing about six shots of liquor and waved a "sharp-edged peeler-corer," Fox 35 Orlando reported, citing an affidavit. ... and then, when I brought her home to meet Mom... She complained about having been previously trespassed from the gas station and began to bang the veggie tool on the counter as she hurled obscenities at the cashier, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office. I hate it when women do that. My mother never banged a veggie tool in her life! Barrett also threatened the general manager with the peeler-corer, which she waved in a threatening manner as if she was going to stab him, according to the affidavit. "I'm gonna peel and core you!" "Spare me!" She yelled that she was "going to kill him" before putting the weapon down and walking away. "I'll murderlize youse, general!" The unhinged woman then allegedly took out her frustrations on a display of about 50 Red Bull drinks, which she toppled, and tore open a carton of cigarettes in her fit of fury. When police arrived, she was still out of control and allegedly gave them an X-rated show. "Hey! You can't do that!" "I'm doing it! Watch me!" "I am!" “Prior to being taken into custody [Barrett] began masturbating in front of deputies,” a deputy reported, according to The Smoking Gun, which cited the affidavit. "Cheeze! Lookit the size of that thing!" "Those are some major callouses!" "Stop it! You're scaring the K9!" "It's okay, Otto! You can come out from under there now! Here boy!... Now look what you've done! Poor Otto!" Her lengthy rap sheet includes convictions for battery, prostitution, criminal mischief and narcotics possession, according to the outlet. Wotta surprise. |
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Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia |
Russians deploy S-300 air defence systems to St. Petersburg; video surfaces online |
2024-01-24 |
[Yahoo] Russian authorities have begun installing S-300 air defence systems around St. Petersburg, after Ukrainian drones successfully struck military targets in the surrounding Leningrad Oblast. Source: ASTRA Telegram channel Details: ASTRA reports that after drones attacked Leningrad Oblast for the first time since the beginning of the war, residents noticed the deployment of the S-300 air defence missile system in the region. A resident recorded the anti-aircraft missile system on video, with a vehicle carrying one of the systems obstructing a roadway while attempting to manoeuvre. Background: On 18 January 2024, drones attacked the St Petersburg Oil Terminal, and on 21 January, the terminal of the Novatek company in the Ust-Luga port was targeted. Ukrainska Pravda sources say that Ukrainian intelligence services are behind these attacks. |
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Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia |
Panic as huge fire destroys vast online shopping warehouse in Russia used as location for recruiting migrant workers for Putin's war in Ukraine amid suspicions of arson |
2024-01-13 |
[Daily Mail, where America gets its news] A huge fire ignited early today at a giant online shopping warehouse in St Petersburg used as a location for recruiting migrant workers for Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine. There was panic as 1,000-plus staff fled the inferno at the Wildberries facility in the Shushary district. The massive blaze dominated the skyline and was seen by passengers in planes taking off from St Petersburg airport. Eyewitnesses said it spread at 'lightning speed' in the 1,076,391 square feet facility. 'In just 20 minutes…there was no warehouse,' one witness said. Videos show the terror as workers seek to exit the burning structure belonging to Wildberries, Russia's largest online market place. Wildberries said in a statement that all its staff had been evacuated. Nobody was reported to have been hurt. Nearly 300 firefighters and dozens of fire engines, as well as helicopters, were battling to put out the fire, the Ministry of Emergency Situations said. Firefighters brought the blaze under control but were still working on extinguishing it. Overall damage from the fire, which began at 7.42am local time, including lost stock could amount to £98 million, it was reported. According to employees, the fire extinguishing system did not work when the fire began to flare up on shelves holding household chemicals. Reports say there were at least 1,200 people in the warehouse, and there were frantic scenes as a main exit was closed and people were forced to file through a small door. There have been several false fire alarms over recent days and staff initially suspected this to be the case today. Arson or sabotage is suspected at the sprawling £27 million warehouse, where many staff are migrant workers from ex-Soviet Central Asian republics who military enlistment recruiters have been dragooning to the war, often under threat of being detained or sent back to their homelands for immigration violations. Police and the Russian National Guard have been carrying out raids at the warehouse over the past two days, say reports. As one raid took place, a water pipe burst in a suspected sabotage attack. A 'massive fight' broke out at the warehouse on the night of January 10 between ethnic groups working there. A 33-year-old citizen of Azerbaijan and a 35-year-old citizen of Tajikistan were taken to the hospital with stab wounds. Fire ignited on racks holding household chemicals, located on the sixth level of the warehouse. |
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Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia |
Putin ally 'falls to his death from third-floor window' |
2023-12-28 |
![]() The Tobolsk City Duma dropped to his death from the third-floor window of a home on Kedrovaya Street in Tobolsk in the Tyumen Oblast, Russian Telegram channel Baza, which has links to Russian security services, reported. Egorov, who was a member of Vladimir Putin's ruling United Russia party, was found dead on Wednesday, according to Russian state media. One source said there was 'no visible sign of a criminal death on the [politician's] body'. Pathologists are to examine the cause of death. His corpse was found in the yard of his house, according to reports. The body of pro-Putin regional politician Vladimir Egorov, 46, has been found after a suspected fall from a third-floor window. The Tobolsk City Duma dropped to his death from the third-floor window of a home on Kedrovaya Street in Tobolsk in the Tyumen Oblast, Russian Telegram channel Baza, which has links to Russian security services, reported. Egorov, who was a member of Vladimir Putin's ruling United Russia party, was found dead on Wednesday, according to Russian state media. One source said there was 'no visible sign of a criminal death on the [politician's] body'. Pathologists are to examine the cause of death. His corpse was found in the yard of his house, according to reports. Egorov was a prominent and wealthy politician in oil-rich Tobolsk in western Siberia. According to the 72 news outlet, Egorov may have suffered from heart problems. 'One of the most likely reasons is heart problems,' a source told the publication. Heart issues are frequently given as the explanation of multiple untimely or suspicious deaths among prominent people in Russia since the start of the war against Ukraine. How this related to falling around 30ft from a third-floor window is unclear. The report said: 'In the near future pathologists will conduct an autopsy to establish the true cause of Egorov's death.' News outlet Baza reported: 'Police are now investigating what exactly caused his fall.' Egorov was a trained lawyer with business interests. He had earlier been forced to leave the city administration in 2016 after a corruption scandal for which he was ultimately not convicted. He returned to politics and was the wealthiest local deputy in Tobolsk. He leaves behind a wife and two children. One video shows him meeting his son after his return from army conscription. He is not the only high-ranking figure in Russia whose death from falling out of a window has aroused suspicion since the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. In June, the glamorous vice-president of a Russian bank reportedly plunged to her death after falling from the window of her Moscow apartment. Kristina Baikova, 28, an executive at Loko-Bank, allegedly fell from her 11th floor apartment on the Khodynsky Boulevard in the early hours. She died instantly at the scene. The bank executive was with a 34-year-old friend, thought to be named Andrei, at the time of the incident after inviting him over to her home for drink. In February, a top Russian defence official was found dead after plunging 160ft from a tower block window. Marina Yankina, 58, was discovered by a passerby at the entrance of a house on Zamshina Street in St Petersburg. She is believed to have fallen from the 16th floor to her death. Related: United Russia party: 2023-09-08 Ukrainian Perspective: Invasion of Ukraine: September 7th, 2023 United Russia party: 2023-03-30 Members of the Russian elite have been criticised by many Russians for enabling their sons to evade mobilisation or war service. They have reportedly found an ingenious solution. United Russia party: 2023-02-25 Ukrainian Perspective: Invasion of Ukraine: February 24th, 2023 |
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Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia |
Russians forced to live alongside murderers as Wagner ex-convicts return home |
2023-09-12 |
[Telegraph UK] When Anya Pekareva heard that an 85-year-old woman had been murdered in Vyatskiye Polyany, a small town over 500 miles from Moscow that is home to some of her relatives, she thought it an odd coincidence. Two days later, her parents told her that the woman was her grandmother, who had been murdered by an ex-convict who returned home to the village after fighting in Ukraine with the notorious Wagner mercenary group. Ms Peskareva, a 36-year-old nurse from St Petersburg, reacted to the news so strongly that her parents feared she would stage a protest against the war, risking arrest and criminal charges. "After Grandma’s killing, I just drew the line with friends. I said: ’Everyone who supports the war is guilty of my Grandma’s murder’," she told The Telegraph. The murder of Yulia Buiskikh in March was the first of many carried out by ex-convict fighters returning home to Russia. "It was the first case of its kind. But now I’m tired of reposting news about other cases," said Ms Pekareva. Across the country, Russians are now living with convicted murderers and rapists in their midsts — a disastrous consequence of Vladimir Putin’s decision to replenish his forces by recruiting fighters from prisons. Four days before Ms Pekareva’s grandmother was killed, local television ran a six-minute news bulletin saying that a local man, previously sentenced to 14 years for killing another woman, had returned home to the nearby village of Novy Burets and "a quiet life". The villagers, mostly elderly women wrapped in shawls and winter coats, packed a local community centre at which the police chief tried to address their concerns. The young man made his presence known in the village early on, staggering through the streets with "a bottle of beer in one hand, a pitchfork in another" and yelling: "I’m going to kill you all." |
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Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia |
Salisbury poisoning commander under suspicion over death of Yevgeny Prigozhin, intelligence sources say |
2023-08-29 |
[iNews UK] ExclusiveIntelligence sources in the UK and Ukraine have told i that Major General Andrey Averyanov was being discussed in connection with the downing of Prigozhin’s jet A Russian intelligence chief responsible for the unit that is believed to have carried out the 2018 Salisbury poisonings is under suspicion after the death of Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin, intelligence sources have said. Intelligence sources in the UK and Ukraine have told i that Major General Andrey Averyanov is being discussed in connection with the downing of Prigozhin’s jet. The Kremlin on Friday issued a firm denial to suggestions the warlord was killed on the orders of Vladimir Putin. But Western officials believe the Russian President was most likely to have been responsible, with US President Joe Biden saying "there’s not much that happens in Russia that Putin’s not behind." UK intelligence agencies investigating the wreckage are still open minded about the events and individuals behind them and believe it’s too early to confirm anything for certain, i has been told. Mr Averyanov heads Unit 29155 of the GRU — Russian military intelligence — which carries out operations on foreign soil at the orders of Putin. The unit has been linked to multiple assassinations and interference campaigns abroad, including the poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury in 2018, according to the New York Times and Bellingcat. One former and one current UK intelligence sources with vast experience of Russian espionage efforts told i Mr Averyanov was being named in connection with the crash, adding that Russian General, who is tipped to take over the Africa operation of the Wagner group, had been in a "long grudge" with Prigozhin. A Russian former intelligence source added: "Averyanov oversaw the operation which was carried out. Averyanov has also been in charge of replacing Wagner in Africa with 20,000 Russian military." Mr Averyanov was seen introducing himself to African leaders in St Petersburg during last month’s Russia-Africa summit — leading to the view that the Russian intelligence chief has been groomed by Vladimir Putin to take over Wagner’s activity on the continent following the death of Prigozhin. Since the crash of the private jet, speculation has grown about the GRU commander’s ascendance into this role., which is crucial to the Russian economy. Channels on social media site Telegram linked to Wagner claimed the introduction was part of a Kremlin-planned "displacement operation" to oust Prigozhin’s entities in Africa and replace them with a private company controlled by General Averyanov’s GRU. |
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Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia |
Russian Authorities Recover 10 Bodies, Flight Recorders From Wagner Chief's Plane Crash Site |
2023-08-27 |
![]() According to officials on Friday, an investigative committee is carrying out molecular genetic testing to identify the bodies from the crash site. The jet crashed soon after taking off from Moscow for St Petersburg. It was believed to be carrying the powerful mercenary group’s chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, six other Wagner members, and a crew of three, Russia’s civil aviation authority said. Rescue workers found 10 bodies at the spot of the jet’s remains, the Russian media reported citing anonymous sources from Wagner group which confirmed that their top leader was dead. The officials have not confirmed the identities of the 10 bodies recovered from the wreckage. Russian Sherlocks have opened a probe into what happened. However, facts are stubborn; statistics are more pliable... they have not yet said what was the suspected cause that led to the plane’s sudden fall from the sky. A video of the crash showed the plane spinning and falling from several metres high altitude as smoke emanated from it. Prigozhin was also listed among those aboard the private plane flying northwest of Moscow. The crash has no survivors and comes exactly two months after Prigozhin led a failed mutiny against army chiefs. While there has been no official confirmation of Prigozhin’s death, he has been eulogised by president Vladimir Putin ![]() who sent his condolences to the families of those killed in the crash on Thursday and spoke of Prigozhin in the past tense. Citing preliminary information, the Russian president condoled the death of Prigozhin and his top Wagner associates. While praising Prigozhin, Mr Putin said he also made some "serious mistakes" without elaborating on them. Western politicians and commentators have suggested, without presenting evidence, that the Russian leader ordered Prigozhin to be killed to punish him for launching the June mutiny against the army’s leadership which also represented the biggest challenge to Mr Putin’s rule since he came to power in 1999. British military intelligence said on Friday there was not yet definitive proof that Prigozhin had been onboard but that it was "highly likely" he was dead. Related: Prigozhin: 2023-08-26 WSJ - 'The Godfather in the Kremlin' Prigozhin: 2023-08-26 Kremlin commander who orchestrated the Salisbury poisoning 'had a role in the assassination of Yevgeny Prigozhin', British spies believe Prigozhin: 2023-08-26 Russia says accusations of killing Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin are 'absolute lie' |
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Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia |
Kremlin commander who orchestrated the Salisbury poisoning 'had a role in the assassination of Yevgeny Prigozhin', British spies believe |
2023-08-26 |
Major General Andrey Averyanov is said to have borne the former Wagner mercenary chief a long-held grudge. Averyanov, who was in charge of the spies sent to Britain in 2018 to kill double agent Sergei Skripal, is tipped to take over the North African section of the force. A UK intelligence source told the i newspaper: ’Many, including me, thought his [Prigozhin’s] days were numbered. There is a lot of discussion around the name mentioned [Averyanov].’ Averyanov runs a covert operations unit that carries out overseas missions such as the attempted assassination of Mr Skripal and his daughter Yulia. He was seen introducing himself to African leaders at a summit in St Petersburg last month, prompting claims that Vladimir Putin will appoint him to lead Wagner’s activities in Africa. Channels linked to Wagner on the social media site Telegram said the meetings were part of a Kremlin ’displacement operation’ to oust Prigozhin. Related: Salisbury: 2023-08-11 Home Office ‘knew Afghan murderer was terror threat’ year before he killed aspiring Marine Salisbury: 2023-04-08 Ukrainian Perspective: Invasion of Ukraine: April 7th, 2023 Salisbury: 2023-03-10 Ukrainian Perspective: Invasion of Ukraine: March 9th, 2023 Related: Sergei Skripal: 2022-11-18 Ex-Russian spy flees to the NATO country that captured him, delivering another embarrassing blow to Moscow Sergei Skripal: 2021-10-19 Russia closes NATO missions as ties plunge to new low Sergei Skripal: 2020-10-20 US Charges 6 Russian GRU Officers in Global Hacking Operation |
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-Obits- | ||
Prigozhin Dead? UPDATED | ||
2023-08-23 | ||
Someone can find a better source, this is what's being reported on Twitter. Looks like they used a traditional method.
[i24News] Wagner chief Prigozhin among 10 dead in Russia jet crash A private jet belonging to the Wagner mercenary chief Evgeny Prigozhin crashed in Tver region in Russia on Wednesday evening with 10 people dead including Prigozhin himself. According to the Russian Aviation agency, three crew members and seven passengers were on board. Several Telegram channels reported that the jet was show down by air defense system. This is a developing story.
[FT] An aircraft said to be carrying notorious warlord Yevgeny Prigozhin, whose Wagner group launched a failed mutiny in June, has crashed on a flight from Moscow to St Petersburg, according to Russian officials. All 10 people on the plane, including three crew members, died in the crash, Russia’s emergency ministry said, according to state newswire RIA Novosti. Russian officials said that a man with Prigozhin’s name was among the passengers, without elaborating further. If confirmed, Prigozhin’s death would mark a spectacular end to the warlord’s meteoric career nearly a year and a half into president Vladimir Putin ![]() ’s invasion of Ukraine, two months after he led his paramilitary force on a historic, abortive mutiny march on Moscow. A post by Grey Zone, a Wagner-connected social media channel, claimed that Russian anti-aircraft defences had shot down the plane in the Tver region near the village of Kuzhenkino. It said that residents heard "two bursts of characteristic air defence fire" before the fall of the plane, "and this is confirmed by inversion traces in the sky in one of the videos", it said, adding that the information was preliminary. Mash, a news outlet on social media app Telegram, said locals had heard two loud bangs before the crash. A former Kremlin caterer known as "Putin’s chef", Prigozhin emerged as one of the most important leaders of Russia’s war effort before souring on the military’s leadership so much that he launched a coup against them in late June. Although Wagner’s men effectively seized control of two major cities in southern Russia, killing at least 13 soldiers as they downed two helicopters and a plane on their march to Moscow, Putin had appeared to forgive them. Under an agreement with the Kremlin, Wagner decamped for exile in neighbouring Belarus, whose leader Alexander Lukashenko brokered the truce. Prigozhin said last month that Wagner’s men would eventually redeploy to Africa, where the group continues to fight as mercenaries in several conflicts. He appeared in a video on Monday saying that he was in Africa on a mission to "make Russia even greater on all continents". Although Prigozhin appeared to have been reintegrated into the Russian security establishment, American officials had said they expected that he was likely to face retribution. "Putin is someone who generally thinks that Dire Revenge is a dish best served cold," William Burns, CIA director, said while speaking at the Aspen Security Forum last month. "In my experience Putin is the ultimate apostle of payback so I would be surprised if Prigozhin escapes further retribution for this." The aircraft, an Embraer Legacy, was the same that Prigozhin had regularly used to travel around Russia and as far away as Africa, according to flight tracking site Flightradar24. When it last broadcast its position, it was at 28,000ft and moving at a ground speed of 513 knots. The route appears to be the aircraft’s normal flight path to St Petersburg, a run it last made on July 6. Video of the crash and its aftermath posted by social media with ties to Russian security services showed the plane rapidly descending from the sky, accompanied by a plume resembling shots fired from anti-aircraft defences, before crashing to the ground in a ball of flame. However, Caliphornia hasn't yet slid into the ocean, no matter how hard it's tried... Mash also reported that security services were investigating the possibility of a "terrorist attack on board" as another potential cause of the blast. | ||
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