Putin's War Part 2.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-62286017

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has stated, in contrast to earlier statements, that Russia is seeking the overthrow of the Ukrainian government. "We will definitely help the Ukrainian people to free themselves from the regime that is absolutely anti-people and anti-history," Lavrov said in Cairo on Sunday. The Russian and Ukrainian people would live together in the future.

With his announcement that he wants to change the political leadership in Kiev, Lavrov also contradicts his own statements in April. "We have no plans to change the regime in Ukraine," the Russian chief diplomat said at the time in an interview with the television channel India Today. It was up to Ukrainians to decide under which leadership they wanted to live, Lavrov asserted at the time.

In recent days, the Russian leadership has publicly toughened its position in the Ukraine war. On Wednesday, Lavrov threatened to occupy more territories outside the Donbass.

Russia wants to charge more than 200 Ukrainian soldiers with crimes against humanity before a new international tribunal. More than 220 people, including representatives of the high command of the Ukrainian armed forces as well as commanders, had attacked the civilian population, the Russian daily "Rossiyskaya Gazeta" quotes Alexander Bastrykin, the head of the Russian investigative committee. The Ukrainians were involved in "crimes against peace and the security of mankind, which are not subject to a statute of limitations". Russia has indicted 92 commanders and their subordinates and put 96 other people on the wanted list. The tribunal is supported by countries such as Bolivia, Iran and Syria, according to Russia. The United States and more than 40 other countries agreed earlier this month to coordinate investigations into alleged war crimes in Ukraine.

More than 1300 criminal proceedings have already been initiated against more than 400 people for crimes against the civilian population in the Donbass. In the preliminary investigations, a good 220 people were convicted of crimes against humanity and peace - charges that are not subject to the statute of limitations. "Ninety-two commanders and their subordinates have been indicted, and 96 others, including 51 Ukrainian officers, have been put on the wanted list," said Bastrykin, the head of the Russian Investigative Committee. He also reported investigations against British, US, Canadian, Dutch and Georgians for mercenarism.


It should be remembered that after WWII the Soviet Union created already own war crimes tribunals, concurrent to the Nuremberg Trials, widely regarded to function as political propaganda vehicles.

Russia to pull out of the International Space Station

Nigeria, Niger and Algeria have just signed a memorandum of agreement to build a gaspipline from Nigeria to Algeria through Niger.

This will allow Nigerian gas to be sent to Algeria and from there direct to Europe.

Record numbers of Russian holiday makers have rushed back from Crimea after a series of mysterious explosions has rocked the peninsula.

The Ukrainians have been dropping hints and the Russians have blamed it on "sabotage."

Four "Islamist terrorist" suspects have been picked up by Russian security forces.

I don't buy it, it's a bit soon for arrests. I think they picked up a few likely looking lads to stitch up.

Blaming it on Islamists looks like they're trying yo wrongfoot the west, and discredit Ukraine by linking them with Al Qaida.

It also makes complaints about the treatment of prisoners problematic what with Guantanamo and all.

I don't think it's Islamists at all. I'm not saying jihadists don't have an axe to grind with Putin over Syria, but it seems a lot for very little.

Groups like IS are now focussing their efforts in areas where they can make territorial gains, and that's Africa.

Affiliated groups like Boko Haram are in charge of huge swathes of sub Saharan Africa. A lot of that is funded by Al Qaida and the like.

That's where the money is going.

There is no territory to be gained here, and the planning and logistics would have been considerable.


Considering Biden just too out the head of Al Qaida, if a grand gesture is to be made by Jihadists it would more likely be directed towards Western targets.

Since the invasion of Ukraine about 20,500 Jewish people from a population of 165,000 have left Russia and moved to Israel.

The figures given only concern those moving to Israel, so the real exodus is higher.

The reason is a fear of persecution, so much for Russian lies about fighting Nazis.

On Saturday night/Sunday morning, Darya Dugina, the daughter of pro Putin Russian intellectual Alexanda Dugin, was blown up in a car bombing outside of Moscow.

That is the only thing that can be vetified, evetything else is opaque.

First of all whether or not she, her father, or both were the intended target is not clear.

Ukraine denies responsibility, but the FSB have named a suspect they claim carried out the assassination.

She is a Ukrainian national who, along with her twelve year old daughter, moved into the same complex as Dugina in July. She then went to the festival and blew up the car before escaping oved the border to Estonia.

That's what the FSB said, but there are lots of holes in the story. It's very neat, a suspect with id cards photos and various number plates for a mini clubman, allegedly used to escape to Estonia.

And id for her 12 year old daughter, all this in just over a day from the attack itself.

A former Russian MP, now living in Ukraine has said Russian partisans were responsible. A group called the NRA, (National Resitance Army) carried out the attack, and have been responsible for lots of acts of sabotage in Russia since the invasion.

This also lacks credibility, the group is obscure, and trying to get some publicity, but the FSB wouldn't want to admit Russian partisan activity.

It could be internecine, Dugin may have enemies in the FSB. Wednesday is Ukraine's independence day, and Kyiv had already cancelled large meetings for fear that Russia would do something 'ugly.'

This assasination gives a pretext.

Clear as mud.

Belarusian SU-24 fighter jets have been modified to be armed with nuclear weapons, according to President Lukashenko.

Hmmm, barely survived a revolution in his own country, now he is telling people he is involving them in a nuclear standoff. Doesn't seem very intelligent.

You are referring to the 2020 protests?

Belarus is still the "last dictatorship of Europe". And at the end of February 2022, Lukashenko took further steps to secure his power by means of a referendum: by amending the constitution, he can now (if "re-elected") remain in power until 2035. And according to the constitution, he is also guaranteed immunity from prosecution for the time after his presidency.

Yes. Barely survived it probably an exaggeration but when you call Putin for help, it gives that impression.

I wouldn't be so dismissive, with Putin's support he is pretty secure, and giving him nuclear capability has made the world a more dangerous place.

There is a lot of opposition to his rule, but the same came be said of Putin, and as long as the security forces are standing behind him he's not going anywhere.

There was a story in the paper today about an ex FSB informer who spied on Navalny, who is now living in the Netherlands.

He was a Navalny supporter pulled over by the FSB and told he would be sent to prison if he didn't inform.

There are so many things they be charged with, and most informers are young and impressionable, and it looks like they're in most organisations.

Both Russia and Belarus are police states, Putin is no stranger to controlling a population after his KGB years, propaganda and fear, plus neither country has any real experience of democracy.

Pleasure Trips from Moscow
How Putin's Daughter Traveled Unnoticed to Germany

Over the course of several years, Katerina Tikhonova made numerous trips to Bavaria together with an entourage of bodyguards. DER SPIEGEL reporting has revealed that the German authorities knew nothing of the excursions.

The Russian head of oil firm Lukoil, Ravil Maganov has been defenestrated in a Moscow hospital.

He is the latest Russian oligarch to die in mysterious circumstances.

Sergei Protensenya's body was found with that of his wife in their Spanish villa in April. He was a millionaire and former manager of Novatek.

The former president of Gazprombank, Vladislav Avayev was found dead along with his wife and daughter in their Mocow flat, also in April.

And in May another Lukoil tycoon, Alexander Subbotin died of heart failure after apparently trying to get help from a "shaman."

In addition, more than a dozen managers of Russian energy companies have been found dead since the beginning of the war.
According to the official interpretation, they also committed suicide.

Yes, I read something (NYT?) about the mysterious and suspicious deaths of many of those oligarchs in various vacation properties, etc. I'm guessing they weren't Putineskies.

This last one was had called for an end to the Ukraine war, that it was bad for business, this last June.