Breaking news: a Russian sub has been sunk in an underwater Black Sea naval battle. Reports are that it had intercepted The Titan's sister sub, The Olymp. Officials at a Ukrainian monitoring station say "the crafts collided and the Russian sub just crumpled".
Hard to tell now, is that a joke or real?
The Titan is that Plasticine & Pritt-Stik toy that sank a few days ago
I'm proud of the name I made up, The Olymp. The Olympic was Titanic's sister ship, see.
Conspiracy theorists say it is the Olympic and not the Titanic at the bottom of the Atlantic. If true, that would make Titan the poorest choice of maritime name since BoatyMcBoatface.
Breaking news: a Russian sub has been sunk in an underwater Black Sea naval battle. Reports are that it had intercepted The Titan's sister sub, The Olymp. Officials at a Ukrainian monitoring station say "the crafts collided and the Russian sub just crumpled".
If that's a gag, do please STFU. Not the time. Not funny - also distracting
If it's news, do carry on
The Titan, people. It's literally been in the news for days. It's obviously a joke and very silly too.
Tanks on the streets in Moscow and St Petersburg, also Rostov on Don
An attempted coup is clearly underway, Hard to believe that Prigrozhin can win, but equally, the damage he can do can still be fatal to the regime in a fairly short order.
“Russian channel DONTSTOPWAR reports that a 50km long Wagner-column has crossed the Novoshakhtinskaya border checkpoint into Russia reportedly heading for Novocherkassk (towards Rostov-on-Don).
The column itself has not yet been visually confirmed.”
Tanks on the streets in Moscow and St Petersburg, also Rostov on Don
An attempted coup is clearly underway, Hard to believe that Prigrozhin can win, but equally, the damage he can do can still be fatal to the regime in a fairly short order.
Even if he doesn't win, the scorpions fighting each other is hardly because the "SMO" is a success.
One telegram report has them on the road towards Rostov-on-Don, but no photos. The sun rises there at 04:25 there, less than four hours time. I'll expect there will be some firmer news with our breakfast tomorrow.
“Russian channel DONTSTOPWAR reports that a 50km long Wagner-column has crossed the Novoshakhtinskaya border checkpoint into Russia reportedly heading for Novocherkassk (towards Rostov-on-Don).
The column itself has not yet been visually confirmed.”
“Russian channel DONTSTOPWAR reports that a 50km long Wagner-column has crossed the Novoshakhtinskaya border checkpoint into Russia reportedly heading for Novocherkassk (towards Rostov-on-Don).
The column itself has not yet been visually confirmed.”
Tanks on the streets in Moscow and St Petersburg, also Rostov on Don
An attempted coup is clearly underway, Hard to believe that Prigrozhin can win, but equally, the damage he can do can still be fatal to the regime in a fairly short order.
Even if he doesn't win, the scorpions fighting each other is hardly because the "SMO" is a success.
Well quite, but that has been true since the retreat from Kyiv.
Rumours that Lukashenka and his family are on a plane to Moscow. He is the nominal head of the "Union State of Russia and Belarus". I think we are in a new phase of Russian politics.
Tanks on the streets in Moscow and St Petersburg, also Rostov on Don
An attempted coup is clearly underway, Hard to believe that Prigrozhin can win, but equally, the damage he can do can still be fatal to the regime in a fairly short order.
Even if he doesn't win, the scorpions fighting each other is hardly because the "SMO" is a success.
Well quite, but that has been true since the retreat from Kyiv.
I believe their official line is that that was all just a feint or a goodwill gesture. Right.
“Russian channel DONTSTOPWAR reports that a 50km long Wagner-column has crossed the Novoshakhtinskaya border checkpoint into Russia reportedly heading for Novocherkassk (towards Rostov-on-Don).
The column itself has not yet been visually confirmed.”
Christo Grozev @christogrozev · 27m Replying to @christogrozev Arresting Prigozhin is no trivial job. He has an almost unparalleled Pretorian guard and his security chiefs were poached from the best FSO and FSB had on offer. And they've been preparing for this moment for months. Tomorrow will be an interesting day. One way or the other.
Tanks on the streets in Moscow and St Petersburg, also Rostov on Don
An attempted coup is clearly underway, Hard to believe that Prigrozhin can win, but equally, the damage he can do can still be fatal to the regime in a fairly short order.
Even if he doesn't win, the scorpions fighting each other is hardly because the "SMO" is a success.
Well quite, but that has been true since the retreat from Kyiv.
I believe their official line is that that was all just a feint or a goodwill gesture. Right.
A declaration of "Mission Accomplished" and a "goodwill gesture" out of Crimea seems more likely than not by the end of this year now, I think.
“Russian channel DONTSTOPWAR reports that a 50km long Wagner-column has crossed the Novoshakhtinskaya border checkpoint into Russia reportedly heading for Novocherkassk (towards Rostov-on-Don).
The column itself has not yet been visually confirmed.”
If you don't control the airspace above you and you're out in the open, you spread out
Perhaps Prigozhin's statement about the regular forces bombing Wagner positions was false and intended to lower the likelihood of such an attack in the near future.
Will Prigozhin keep funding the troll armies? What will PB become if shorn of vaccine sceptics who wish Ukraine would do itself a favor and just give in?
Rumours that Lukashenka and his family are on a plane to Moscow. He is the nominal head of the "Union State of Russia and Belarus". I think we are in a new phase of Russian politics.
What???????????????????
Ukraine Front Lines @EuromaidanPR · 20m The business jet of the Belarusian President Lukashenka family took off from Minsk at 00:01 a.m., - Belarusian opposition media reports.
Will Prigozhin keep funding the troll armies? What will PB become if shorn of vaccine sceptics who wish Ukraine would do itself a favor and just give in?
And now we go over to our Moscow correspondent, Westie, do you think the above is likely?
Kasparov point out the need for caution, whatever happens.
Whoever keeps control, Putin or anyone else, will be faced with threats & instability. It is vital for the free world not to offer any lifelines to murderers. We do not expect democracy and liberty to suddenly flourish, but there can be no deals with Russian war criminals.
He is at least more nervous of waving the nuclear willy around, despite also being a brutal thug. He's also been slightly more pragmatic than Putin on all aspects of this conflict, signalling himself as more sceptical, to various interest groups, from the beginning.
Even if the "coup" fails, there has got to be a great opportunity for Ukraine to counterattack here, if drags a lot of Russian troops away from the frontline
Will Prigozhin keep funding the troll armies? What will PB become if shorn of vaccine sceptics who wish Ukraine would do itself a favor and just give in?
Can we offer to sponsor one? Sort of like a guide dog?
This is madness. True madness. Putin being brought down by his mercenaries fucking lol.
I can't imagine the poor bastards at the bottom of the Russian army have been much enamoured by their generals. If I was Prigozhin I'd be laying it all on the general staff too. Maybe the meat will turn out for a bit of revenge.
He is at least more nervous of waving the nuclear willy around, despite also being a brutal thug. He's also been slightly more pragmatic than Putin on all aspects of this conflict, from the begininng.
He's more vulnerable at home, it's one reason I assume he has to cozy up to Putin as much as he does.
Will Prigozhin keep funding the troll armies? What will PB become if shorn of vaccine sceptics who wish Ukraine would do itself a favor and just give in?
I think it will take a while before old habits die. So still plenty of fun ahead. Anyway its 1.10 here, 2.10 in Moscow and the sun will rise soon, so I should really get to bed.
The big questions are what the effect will be on Russian war-fighting and diplomacy, and on Putin.
They lose their main agent of influence in Africa, Wagner group. Unless they can kick Prigozhin out quickly and maintain Wagner structures intact that’s a big blow to control of mineral resources. Potentially an impact in Syria too.
Even if the "coup" fails, there has got to be a great opportunity for Ukraine to counterattack here, if drags a lot of Russian troops away from the frontline
They kill Prigozhin and Putin declares this to be a sign from the heavens that the Ukrainians have repented their Nazi ways and the troops can come home.
Will Prigozhin keep funding the troll armies? What will PB become if shorn of vaccine sceptics who wish Ukraine would do itself a favor and just give in?
I think it will take a while before old habits die. So still plenty of fun ahead. Anyway its 1.10 here, 2.10 in Moscow and the sun will rise soon, so I should really get to bet.
Well you're on the right site then, we sometimes forget it but there's a bit of betting interest here.
He is at least more nervous of waving the nuclear willy around, despite also being a brutal thug. He's also been slightly more pragmatic than Putin on all aspects of this conflict, signalling himself as more sceptical, to various interest groups, from the beginning.
Breaking news: a Russian sub has been sunk in an underwater Black Sea naval battle. Reports are that it had intercepted The Titan's sister sub, The Olymp. Officials at a Ukrainian monitoring station say "the crafts collided and the Russian sub just crumpled".
Hard to tell now, is that a joke or real?
The Titan is that Plasticine & Pritt-Stik toy that sank a few days ago
I'm proud of the name I made up, The Olymp. The Olympic was Titanic's sister ship, see.
I thought it was the Britannic. I don't know where I picked that up from.
Will Prigozhin keep funding the troll armies? What will PB become if shorn of vaccine sceptics who wish Ukraine would do itself a favor and just give in?
I think it will take a while before old habits die. So still plenty of fun ahead. Anyway its 1.10 here, 2.10 in Moscow and the sun will rise soon, so I should really get to bet.
Well you're on the right site then, we sometimes forget it but there's a bit of betting interest here.
Indeed, an autocorrect that is pretty appropriate.
He is at least more nervous of waving the nuclear willy around, despite also being a brutal thug. He's also been slightly more pragmatic than Putin on all aspects of this conflict, signalling himself as more sceptical, to various interest groups, from the beginning.
WTF are you smoking?
Lukashenko quite possibly stopped Putin from using nuclear weapons last year.
He's a thug, but of a different stripe from Putin, less prone to historical dreaming about Imperial Russia , and more atuned to brute-power calculations in the present day.
Breaking news: a Russian sub has been sunk in an underwater Black Sea naval battle. Reports are that it had intercepted The Titan's sister sub, The Olymp. Officials at a Ukrainian monitoring station say "the crafts collided and the Russian sub just crumpled".
Hard to tell now, is that a joke or real?
The Titan is that Plasticine & Pritt-Stik toy that sank a few days ago
I'm proud of the name I made up, The Olymp. The Olympic was Titanic's sister ship, see.
I thought it was the Britannic. I don't know where I picked that up from.
Breaking news: a Russian sub has been sunk in an underwater Black Sea naval battle. Reports are that it had intercepted The Titan's sister sub, The Olymp. Officials at a Ukrainian monitoring station say "the crafts collided and the Russian sub just crumpled".
Hard to tell now, is that a joke or real?
The Titan is that Plasticine & Pritt-Stik toy that sank a few days ago
I'm proud of the name I made up, The Olymp. The Olympic was Titanic's sister ship, see.
I thought it was the Britannic. I don't know where I picked that up from.
There were three: Olympic (1911), Titanic (1912) and Britannic (1914).
Breaking news: a Russian sub has been sunk in an underwater Black Sea naval battle. Reports are that it had intercepted The Titan's sister sub, The Olymp. Officials at a Ukrainian monitoring station say "the crafts collided and the Russian sub just crumpled".
Hard to tell now, is that a joke or real?
The Titan is that Plasticine & Pritt-Stik toy that sank a few days ago
I'm proud of the name I made up, The Olymp. The Olympic was Titanic's sister ship, see.
I thought it was the Britannic. I don't know where I picked that up from.
Like king Lear’s daughters there were three sisters, Britannic, Olympic and Titanic. Olympic was the Cordelia of the family who survived but didn’t have a great life in the end.
He is at least more nervous of waving the nuclear willy around, despite also being a brutal thug. He's also been slightly more pragmatic than Putin on all aspects of this conflict, signalling himself as more sceptical, to various interest groups, from the beginning.
WTF are you smoking?
Lukashenko quite possibly stopped Putin from using nuclear weapons last year.
He's a thug, but of a different type from Putin, less prone to historical dreaming about Imperial Russia , and more atuned to brute-power calculations in the present day.
They won't bring in an outsider. Putin probably (p=0.75?) won't fall in the next six months, but clearly things are changing quickly so he may. If he does and in the unlikely event the top job doesn't go to a silovik, someone like Medvedev is surely available. But it would be likely to go to a silovik. The backbone of the Russian state remains the FSB.
Breaking news: a Russian sub has been sunk in an underwater Black Sea naval battle. Reports are that it had intercepted The Titan's sister sub, The Olymp. Officials at a Ukrainian monitoring station say "the crafts collided and the Russian sub just crumpled".
Hard to tell now, is that a joke or real?
The Titan is that Plasticine & Pritt-Stik toy that sank a few days ago
I'm proud of the name I made up, The Olymp. The Olympic was Titanic's sister ship, see.
I thought it was the Britannic. I don't know where I picked that up from.
He is at least more nervous of waving the nuclear willy around, despite also being a brutal thug. He's also been slightly more pragmatic than Putin on all aspects of this conflict, signalling himself as more sceptical, to various interest groups, from the beginning.
WTF are you smoking?
Lukashenko quite possibly stopped Putin from using nuclear weapons last year.
He's a thug, but of a different stripe from Putin, less prone to historical dreaming about Imperial Russia , and more atuned to brute-power calculations in the present day.
Looks like Russia may declare a state of emergency. The Army has failed to stop Wagner entering Russia, and they seem to be in at least three separate groups: One to Rostov, one to Moscow and one to Belgorod.
Will Prigozhin keep funding the troll armies? What will PB become if shorn of vaccine sceptics who wish Ukraine would do itself a favor and just give in?
Can we offer to sponsor one? Sort of like a guide dog?
More like junkyard dog. With fleas, ticks, mange AND rabies.
Unless Putin comes out of hiding and speaks, then he may not be able to survive this. Russian social media is in meltdown.
Putin is secure enough that he doesn't need to confront this directly - his subordinates can handle it (I think). It's notable that nobody outside of Wagner has declared support, or sympathy, for Prigozhin and Wagner. The state apparatus has rallied around the status quo.
Prigozhin is going to be crushed. The only doubt in my mind is the number of Wagner fighters who will be willing to fight for him to the end.
The Russians have way more faith in the British than we do in ourselves.
Markov, Russian propagandist, calls the events of tonight "provocations of British intelligence.
His post is translated below:
"For the time being, I suggest to all reasonable people at work that the the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine or the Security Service of Ukraine or even the damned British intelligence attacked the Wagner PMC camps in order to provoke a conflict between the leadership of the Wagner PMC and the leadership of the Russian Ministry of Defense. And they succeeded. This caused an emotional reaction from the combat commanders of the PMC Wagner, who had recently withdrawn from the fighting. British intelligence provocations will not work!" https://twitter.com/Gerashchenko_en/status/1672326507442700290?cxt=HHwWhIC8iaSGprUuAAAA
Their opinion of our diabolical brilliance really is quite remarkable. If only we could turn our fiendish plotting grey matter to getting inflation below 10%.
It’s all part of Rishi’s clever plan Lucky. Don’t be despondent- we are selling our amazing services for billions after this free advert which will allow for ginormous tax cuts before the election.
No need for anything clever, the government is planning to fund ginormous tax cuts the usual way. Tomorrow's Times front page;
The obvious downsides (the strikes will continue and there simply won't be enough bodies to keep services going because why would you sign up to work in the public sector at these rates) are as obvious as ever, but the government seems keen to continue ignoring them.
But considering overruling the pay review bodies... Brave, Prime Minister. Very brave.
You'd sign up because you care. You don't need food. You don't need a reliable roof over your head. You're part of The Big Society. Aren't you?
You die young in the service of your nation. Daily Mail readers commend you for it. In their own way. As long as you are attractive and set up an onlyfans. JRM serves you 'Work From Office' memos while in his morning suit as he leans back in a green leather bench and demands modernisation in the public sector.
And if you don't - you're basically a small-boat Frenchie people smuggler hell bent on stealing their buy-to-let income by betraying brexit.
Looks like Russia may declare a state of emergency. The Army has failed to stop Wagner entering Russia, and they seem to be in at least three separate groups: One to Rostov, one to Moscow and one to Belgorod.
One of those is the odd man out. Prigozhin needs friends. Failing that, he needs a nuclear power station or leverage over one. Ain't going to happen.
Ukrinform are just getting the story from TASS about the FSB wanting Prigozhin's arse on a plate:
Well, we're currently at Istanbul 2016 on the threat scale. More than USA 2021 but less than Egypt 2013.
I would say we're not quite at Istanbul 2016 yet... Then you F16s flying over the capital, and you had the President away from the capital pleading for people to come into the streets and to fight the coup.
Here, we don't (yet) have evidence that it's reached that stage. Yes, the Wagner group is revolting. And yes, Russia's armed forced are stretched thin. But fighting your fellow countryman to put another man in the President's chair... I don't think we're quite there yet.
That may change in the morning. If there really are three columns of Wagner troops heading into Russia, and if a Divisional Commander or two decides that the grass may be greener on the Prizoghin side of the fence, then it could all change extremely quickly.
Unless Putin comes out of hiding and speaks, then he may not be able to survive this. Russian social media is in meltdown.
Putin is secure enough that he doesn't need to confront this directly - his subordinates can handle it (I think). It's notable that nobody outside of Wagner has declared support, or sympathy, for Prigozhin and Wagner. The state apparatus has rallied around the status quo.
Prigozhin is going to be crushed. The only doubt in my mind is the number of Wagner fighters who will be willing to fight for him to the end.
But, well, I may be completely wrong.
Ah have you also backed Putin to win the next Russian election at even money ?
The Russian News Agency, TASS, claims that Progozhin's statement "is equivalent to a call for a start of an armed conflict on Russian territory, and that he must refrain from such actions".
Hmm. This doesn't altogether look too good, I think.
Comments
@PjotrSauer
·
11m
Surovikin’a message implies that Wagner’s columns are moving somewhere
https://twitter.com/PjotrSauer
An attempted coup is clearly underway, Hard to believe that Prigrozhin can win, but equally, the damage he can do can still be fatal to the regime in a fairly short order.
The column itself has not yet been visually confirmed.”
https://twitter.com/noelreports/status/1672353798231080961?s=46&t=bulOICNH15U6kB0MwE6Lfw
Pretty spread out then?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-66005256
If they're going to take on Putin they need to win pretty quickly.
If it exists.
(Less funny when similar things happen in the reverse direction)
@christogrozev
·
27m
Replying to
@christogrozev
Arresting Prigozhin is no trivial job. He has an almost unparalleled Pretorian guard and his security chiefs were poached from the best FSO and FSB had on offer. And they've been preparing for this moment for months.
Tomorrow will be an interesting day. One way or the other.
Will Prigozhin keep funding the troll armies? What will PB become if shorn of vaccine sceptics who wish Ukraine would do itself a favor and just give in?
@EuromaidanPR
·
20m
The business jet of the Belarusian President Lukashenka family took off from Minsk at 00:01 a.m., - Belarusian opposition media reports.
Whoever keeps control, Putin or anyone else, will be faced with threats & instability. It is vital for the free world not to offer any lifelines to murderers. We do not expect democracy and liberty to suddenly flourish, but there can be no deals with Russian war criminals.
https://twitter.com/Kasparov63/status/1672364498261245953?s=20
Prigozhin is f*cked, is my judgement. Kadyrov probably won't join him. This is from 3 weeks ago:
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/stop-yelling-top-chechen-fighter-scolds-russias-wagner-mercenary-chief-2023-06-01/
The big questions are what the effect will be on Russian war-fighting and diplomacy, and on Putin.
He is at least more nervous of waving the nuclear willy around, despite also being a brutal thug. He's also been slightly more pragmatic than Putin on all aspects of this conflict, signalling himself as more sceptical, to various interest groups, from the beginning.
Jason Jay Smart
@officejjsmart
·
6m
CENTER OF MOSCOW NOW
Prigozhin has called on the Russian National Guard to join his side to fight against the Russian Army.
https://twitter.com/officejjsmart/status/1672363660834897920
I ain't good looking, but
I have extremely blue eyes.
It's got me the home run more than once.
Whoever did their re-brand deserves a medal.
I can't imagine the poor bastards at the bottom of the Russian army have been much enamoured by their generals. If I was Prigozhin I'd be laying it all on the general staff too. Maybe the meat will turn out for a bit of revenge.
Sadly not, but one can dream.
Anton Gerashchenko
@Gerashchenko_en
·
4m
Russian First TV channel announces an emergency news release soon.
Will Putin address his people?
He's a thug, but of a different stripe from Putin, less prone to historical dreaming about Imperial Russia , and more atuned to brute-power calculations in the present day.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMHS_Britannic
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RMS_Olympic
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titanic
Olympic actually made it intact till 1935.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympic-class_ocean_liner
Ours is not to accept any of Putin's shit.
And in the meantime it's better for Ukraine if Russians are fighting Russians in Russia, and not fighting Ukrainians in Ukraine.
Right now, he's using the current tragedy to spread his name around global media more widely than SS Titanic debris field.
Pedantic, in fact
Ah, my coat, so kind
"A military base is on fire in Moscow region - a video was shared on social media."
https://twitter.com/Gerashchenko_en/status/1672368126938292225?s=20
Update: The Russian internet seems to be being taken offline, lots of disruptions.
That wouldn't necessarily be a good thing, in the case of Russia, as many of us have been warning.
Prigozhin is going to be crushed. The only doubt in my mind is the number of Wagner fighters who will be willing to fight for him to the end.
But, well, I may be completely wrong.
You die young in the service of your nation. Daily Mail readers commend you for it. In their own way. As long as you are attractive and set up an onlyfans. JRM serves you 'Work From Office' memos while in his morning suit as he leans back in a green leather bench and demands modernisation in the public sector.
And if you don't - you're basically a small-boat Frenchie people smuggler hell bent on stealing their buy-to-let income by betraying brexit.
Commie.
Prigozhin needs friends.
Failing that, he needs a nuclear power station or leverage over one. Ain't going to happen.
Ukrinform are just getting the story from TASS about the FSB wanting Prigozhin's arse on a plate:
https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-ato/3727018-russias-fsb-opens-criminal-case-against-wagner-groups-prigozhin-over-armed-rebellion-call.html
Here, we don't (yet) have evidence that it's reached that stage. Yes, the Wagner group is revolting. And yes, Russia's armed forced are stretched thin. But fighting your fellow countryman to put another man in the President's chair... I don't think we're quite there yet.
That may change in the morning. If there really are three columns of Wagner troops heading into Russia, and if a Divisional Commander or two decides that the grass may be greener on the Prizoghin side of the fence, then it could all change extremely quickly.
But for now, it's not yet 2016 in Turkey.
Twitter Expert Back In Hospital After Pivoting Too Aggressively From Ukraine Defence Spending To Deep-Sea Rescue Techniques
https://twitter.com/LeChouNews/status/1671505457825849347
Tristan da Cunha instead.
Hmm. This doesn't altogether look too good, I think.