Russia - threadbanned users in OP

Think if the mafia ran a country. 7 or 8 "bosses" are part of the inner circle, Putin is their decision-maker.

They run everything and take a cut of everything, from business to oil to the media. On the plus side for them, everything is corrupt, on the negative side, everything is corrupt. Step out of line? Get thrown out of a window.

They pissed off one of the bosses, the one with a private army of 25,000. He decided to shake them up. The snakes ran and had to cut a deal with him. They'll probably "take care" of him later, but for now they need to shore up and make sure something like that never happens again.

Josip, I've spent many years working in war torn country's, more than I care to remember, all over the world. And what I think about them is they have all without exception two things in common. One, corruption has been the root cause of each and everyone of them. Two, don't make the mistake of tarnishing each and ever one of the people who live in these Country's as being the same as the monsters who commit atrocities. Because they're not.

After the news, there was a program discussing the days events. And plenty of laughing and sniggering on that. No, their news readers are professional, but were definitely smiling, whether that was normal or due to the content, I don't know. Have to watch it again tomorrow night.

The West may not have to have been involved to have picked up advance notice of it though.

Whatever happened on Saturday; whatever deal was struck, Putin is in a weakened state at best. For the first time in this conflict the failed reasons for the invasion and so the cause of the war was laid squarely with Putin.

A genuine rival for control of Russia appeared, someone who was cheered by Russian people, his army happily accepted to replace the Russians in Rostov, nothing like this has happened on Putin's watch before. Putin was made to look weak and ineffective inside Russia, roadblocks in Moscow?? This is completely new territory.

The only person that has a positive tale to tell in the Ukraine conflict, one that has laid the trail for withdrawal from Ukraine by his statements that the reasons for the conflict were wrong, were lies, and is sitting waiting in the wings, smiling.

Apparently when the uprising was ongoing, there was very few denouncing Prig's actions, that really says people in power didn't know how this was going to shake out, they were waiting to see before committing.

Putin has always stayed above squabbles between his underlings, leaves them fight among themselves all the while stabbing each other to get the big bosses attention, now he has been directly challenged. Things are definitely changing.

Read the thread. I said the Americans knew before any other Western power that the Russians would invade,

I was answering Nacho Libra’s suggestion the Americans have a source close to the top of the Russian MoD. If they did, they would have tipped off the Ukrainians and the Russians would never have got to the Presidential Palace or taken Hostomel Airport. (The lines of tanks on the road to Kyiv happened because the Russians lost the airport.)

There were lots of stories of 20 to 25 thousand wagnerites involved , could that be grossly exaggerated? , Definitely a small number on the charge to moscow ,

And honestly the push on Moscow seems an afterthought ,

Its all very odd - in one push Wagner had their boot on the neck of the Russian Army , by controlling the main RU supply lines into Ukraine ,

Then they pushed to moscow , and seemed to give up ( obviously didnt get the support they needed/ expected )

And then just gave it all up -

I read somewhere on Twitter that there closer to 10k than 25k as claimed by prigo. Some say he didn't get required support for a coup, some say his family was threatened.

What was the talk about rus-belarus union in pre-putin days? Luka as president? Can this be all lukas idea to get wagner on his side in the end and stop being putins puppet? I know its silly, but all this press cancelation at the last minute and he did kinda become a hero of russia in the end. Aaand.... He has nukes now!

Many international analysts think this is the beginning of the end for Putin. His prestige and power took a hammering on Saturday - he already looks a much weaker figure and far from secure in his role. It is noted that there was no show of support for Putin in Russia or outrage that someone might launch a coup against him. People were looking on passively and not even that pushed that he might be deposed.

I have a whacky theory about the weekends drama.

I consider you a very knowledged poster.

Do you think this could happen

The folling is my whacky theory:

Prigozhin may topple Lukashenko to get back to budding up to Putin, seen as Lukashenko was not so keen as to having Putins nukes in his country.

Maybe this was the contex of whole drama by Prigozhin and Putin that they schemed up together.

Operation Mincemeat.....Russian style

A decorated Russian pillar of society, this is the reason no one can ever civilise this bastard state.

A true Russian nazi

Everyone seems to be getting their crystal ball out but if the last year and a half have shown one thing repeatedly, it's that really no one has a clue what will happen and what all this really means. All that seems certain is more drama is assured

Getting a bit Game of Thrones there but thats how mad things are in Russia... like something from Rome or medieval times.