Russia - threadbanned users in OP

Sure. Sure. Prigozhin getting his freedom…

Feel sorry for the people of Belarus, they must have got a taste of freedom. Now their president has even more backup

Last paragraph of the above piece sums up things nicely

"Moreover, Mr Prigozhin has also punctured Mr Putin’s rationale for war. In a video posted on June 23rd he rubbished Russian claims that Ukraine had bombed the Donbas region for eight years and that Ukraine and nato intended to attack Russia. The war, he said, was in fact launched for the benefit of Russia’s “oligarchic elite”. That might prompt unsettling questions among Russia’s rank-and-file. “Who,” asks John Foreman, British defence attaché in Moscow until recently, “would want to fight on for a Russian regime which has shown such weakness, declaring a mutiny and then rowing back within the day?"

Good to see Putin is stil, in some kind of control... the World is a bit safer compared to 24h ago

We don't really know that 25,000 armed men couldn't pull it off because Putin evidently panicked and negotiated with them, or rather their leader Prigozhin. Had that negotiation not taken place, god knows what the situation would have been.

Whatever the terms of the negotiations were, I should think they were ones which made heavy promises about Prigozhin's security, otherwise he's hardly going to agree to move to Belarus - a place where he could be picked up at any moment by Russian security forces.

The whole thing is truly bizarre. I'm sure we'll have rumours now of it being a false flag operation so Putin can show the country: it's either me or anarchy.

Who knows what the hell the truth is.

But when people yesterday were saying Putin is gone and fled to Kazakhstan I did say: let's not get too excited yet, give it a day or two. And was proved right. Things can change very quickly in the era of instant news

Guardian even suggesting Prigozhin may regroup with fighters in Belarus and attempt to attack Kyiv, that this story may not be over....

The Fighterbomber Telegram channel, which has close ties to Russia's military aviation community, claims that "Millerovo military airfield is still under complete control of Wagner PMC, as is Rostov airfield and the PKP VKS [(Russian Aerospace Forces' forward command post)]."

Where's the evidence Putin panicked? Evidence now please not heresay.

I really wonder now was it some Russian tactic. Cause panic and discord so it seems and then have prigozhin be shipped off to Belarus and probably let's be real here he could end up been in total control of Belarus when their president dies. This could of been what has been laid out. Have him as their leader then Belarus fully come into Russia proper. This might actually be worse case for Ukraine. With him there if this war drags on into next year you might see Wagner troops on the border of Ukraine or just a different name that he has set up and Ukraine hs to worry about attacks again from there. With him going to Belarus it is probably giving Ukraine a headache of what might be to come.

If you strike at the King, you must kill him.

Prigozhin was fighting a propaganda war against Russia's military leaders, particularly Shoigu and Gerasimov, for months. He was asking his "good friend" Putin to replace them but, instead, a decree was issued to induct the Wagner soldiers into the defence forces by the end of June. That would mean the end of the Wagner Group and Prigozhin suddenly understood that Putin had deserted him. Prigozhin decided to strike first and he held the incalculable advantage of surprise.

Why did he stop 150 miles from Moscow? Not because "Russian blood would be spilt". Prigozhin is a blood-thirsty monster.

My guess is that he stopped because

• (a) no one rallied to his cause, most importantly the Russian military (although ordinary Russians did not oppose him),
• (b) he couldn't get his hands on Putin who fled Moscow
• (c) he realised that Putin would use every available weapon to retain his grip on power, even nuclear weapons on Russian soil against Russians.

The deal he got looks like a nothing-burger. Putin has not confirmed it publicly so he is free to do whatever he can now to restore his authority. Shoigu and Gerasimov are keeping a low profile today, like their boss, but they are not gone. "All charges are dropped" - brilliant! And we'll wipe the penalty points on your licence, Yevgeny!. Prigozhin is in the hands of Lukashenko and we know what Lukashenko does to those to try to topple the leader. Dead man walking.

What comms system did Prigozhin use when negotiating this deal with Lukashanko? Were the Americans/Chinese/British eavesdropping? If they were, they will have learned much about Russia's bottom line for a deal in Ukraine.

In the end, it looks like a 21st. Century peasants' revolt where the King buys time with vague promises to the serfs until he can muster his army and string up their leaders. The King survives but - the good news- he has to cut back on foreign adventures.

Ukrainian LLVT destroyed 7 KAMAZ 5350 "Mustang" trucks along with ammunition of Russian invaders near the settlement of Novofedorivka, Zaporizhia region. 🔥 (+ another helicopter, reported today)

Prigozin going for Kyiv from the North would be a massive headache for Ukraine.

On the contrary, Prigozhin would be a very welcome guest in Kyiv. So welcome, they wouldn't let him leave.

Of course, he'd be on his own because his murderous mercenaries will be far away, dying from "friendly fire"