Ukraine Watch...

[PS_RalphW]

Wagner leader claims to have marched his troops into the Russian city of Rostov, presumably so that state forces will be forced to bomb their own city in order to arrest or kill him. Interesting to see how loyal his forces remain whilst facing overwhelming odds.

Either way, Ukraine will breath a little easier tonight

[UndercoverElephant]

This is still escalating. There are reports of Wagner shooting down two helicopters and now there are Wagner forces heading towards Moscow. Also reports that 10 generals and one division of the Russian army having backed Prigozhin.

Surely there must be some way for Ukraine to capitalise on this.

[PS_RalphW]

I don't think Ukraine needs to change tactics just yet. Better to keep steady pressure up and let the Russian forces fight among themselves. If Wagner stay put in Rostov on Don, they will need to be evicted by force. The city is the command centre of the invasion, and any fighting there will paralise the Russian command structures. Best bet is to encourage partisan activity and let Wagner take the blame.

Wagner claims 25000 troops. Real figure will be lower and only half are well trained, but they are better than most Russian soldiers and will be digging in at what must be a very well stocked logistical hub.

Putin's best chance is probably to send the Chechens. They have a reputation for brutality and will happily kill Russians. They will struggle though, without massive air power and artillery, and that is desperately needed in Ukraine.

Putin has been put in check, this is the equivalent of the nationist coup Gorborchov faced in 1988? That was a damp squib but it finished him politically. Putin will be gone by years end. His replacement may be worse.

[UndercoverElephant]

Reports now that Putin has fled Moscow, and a Wagner column is rapidly heading north from Rostov to Moscow. Also reports the Russians are bombing oil/fuel depots on their own soil to prevent Wagner getting access to them. I think it is possible this war might be over sooner than anybody thought.

[Vortex2]

I suspect that the USA has its sticky fingers involved in this.

As I have suggested before, I expect to see the Russian oil & gas fields to be 'administered' by US corporations to pay for 'reparations'.

Follow the money ... and oil and gas.

A US controlled Russia will be a major problem for China.

I suppose Iran wil be the next target in the Never Ending War.

Also, the UK had better stay nice and polite to the US ... otherwise ....

All those people waving their little Ukraine flags and parroting the phrase"Putin's"illegal und unprovoked war" have been well and truly conned.

I bet Noam Chomsky will have something to say about all this.

[PS_RalphW]

Vortex you are way off base here. I can just about conceive that the CIA have been doing quiet deals with Wagner's leader, who has shown himself to be a true mercinary who puts his own ambition above all else, but in that he is a true member of the Russian elite, who will kill hundreds of thousands of people of any nationality for personal gain.

Putin is reaping what he has sown. However, the immediate future is looking very dangerous for the whole world, infrastructure attacks and even nuclear cannot be ruled out by a cornered Putin and his faction.

[UndercoverElephant]

Reports coming in now that Wagner units are withdrawing from the front line in Luhansk. Also reports that the column advancing north is getting larger, though it is not clear whether these are Wagner forces joining from the west or regular Russian forces joining the coup. Meanwhile the chechens are heading for Rostov.

It feels like the beginning of the end for Putin.

[clv101]

I think any talk of coup is misplaced, Putin's popularity in Russia is high. This is a power move, politics from Prigozhin which is unlikely to end well for him. This *isn't* the end, or even the start of the end for Putin. Just my opinion, we'll find out eventually.

[UndercoverElephant]

Reports coming in now that Ukrainian forces have crossed the Dnipro near the destroyed dam.

[PS_RalphW]

Prigozhin has u turned and ordered troops back to base after failing to get backing from mid level Russian commanders. Reports that troops are packing to depart Rostov as well. Prigozhin's life expectancy must now be quite short. However, Putin must have been politically weakened, and the ultra nationalists will be plotting ever more furvently.

Ukraine will not have long to exploit any weaknesses in the Russian lines, and Russian tactics may become even more brutal.

[Potemkin Villager]

Welsh wizard John Cale expressed it well many years ago.

https://www.google.com/search?client=fi ... Oj3ZXGSs4Q

[johnny]

I suspect that the USA has its sticky fingers involved in this.

Oh geez. Like the US wants anything to do with more nation building after the last 2 debacles. Old World conspiracy thinking Vortex, please! Wasn't it enough that when we wanted oil and gas we did the Happy McPeakster claimed impossible and became the world's largest oil and gas producer? Again? World's largest LNG exporter? Like Old World / Happy McPeakster conspiracy thinking makes any sense when applied to the New World and how they go about doing all that exceptionally stuff.

[Vortex2]

Hi,

The US may not need or want to interfere .. but its just what they do.

There are 1000s of spooks in offices who need to do something to justify their salaries.

[BritDownUnder]

Putin has shown to be a bit less secure than he was supposed to be.
Maybe he will sleep a little bit less easily knowing that his soldiers might not protect him from a rival.

CIA could be involved but outside of South America their record in provoking regime change has been a bit spotty.

I wonder if any more Novichuck is being cooked up at the moment. Ready to be painted on Byelorussian door knobs perhaps?

[UndercoverElephant]

Putin has shown to be a bit less secure than he was supposed to be.
Maybe he will sleep a little bit less easily knowing that his soldiers might not protect him from a rival.

Yes. Nobody was all that interested in stopping Wagner, and the people welcome them like liberating heroes. That combined with the speed with which he ran from Moscow has made him look weak and probably feel weak.

I wonder if any more Novichuck is being cooked up at the moment. Ready to be painted on Byelorussian door knobs perhaps?

He'll now try to make sure Prigozhin is assassinated, but I don't think he can recover from this in the long run. His days are numbered.