Ukraine

[normal rules]

It will be interesting to see if the Spanish authorities knew he was there. Not the best place to put a person/ family in hiding / protection given Poo tin himself is rumoured to have his own pad in La Zagaleta, meaning there will be plenty of Russian SVR operating in that country already.

[Bristol Red Rover]

Do you think Navalny deserved to be imprisoned? And do you think he died naturally? When a lot of Putin’s critics “fall from buildings” or are poisoned (Litvinenko), thinking Navakny was murdered is a perfectly reasonable conclusion to jump to.

I don't know the details of his guilt. I don't know who is backing him, what international connections he is entwined with. I wouldn't be surprised if the CIA and similar have been connected with him. Do you?

Chances are his death was brought about in some way by the authorities. Wait and see.

Any other deaths in prison you're concerned about? Any other incarcerations based on being politically inconvenient that concern you?

If he’d been in league with the CIA then he’d have been charged with espionage. He hasn’t. He has been charged with “fraud” and “extremism”.

Someone with such anti-establishment inclinations such as yourself should be able to see that these can be very subjective when the state in question is incredibly authoritarian.

But yeah keep comparing him to Assange who was rightly charged with espionage and given far more of a fair trial than Navalny.

You’re also free to have your rebellious opinion about Assange here because you live in a nice cosy liberal democracy. Look at those who simply laid flowers in memory of Navalny in Russia.

There is no moral equivalency. Assange leaked the names of Afghan informants to the Taliban for example. He said “Well they’re informants, so if they get killed they’ve got it coming to them. They deserved it”.

Fair enough, you know almost nothing about him. Just a vent for your opinions.

[ncRover]

An important thread for everyone to read on how Russia are getting around sanctions. Not good.

https://x.com/edconwaysky/status/1760348194741891241?s=46

[SydneyRover]

Liars and frauds at 20 paces ........

''Boris Johnson withdrew from Tucker Carlson debate after Navalny death
Johnson had agreed to debate with rightwinger, who interviewed Putin, for $1m fee which his team says would have gone to charity''

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/feb/21/boris-johnson-withdrew-from-tucker-carlson-debate-after-navalny-death

who would believe either of them ..................

[selby]

   If recent reports are true, in the last few days Russia are losing one thousand men a day in casualties for little gain just the odd small village.

[Bristol Red Rover]

   If recent reports are true, in the last few days Russia are losing one thousand men a day in casualties for little gain just the odd small village.

Where are you getting your info from?

Have you looked at Avdeevka?

[Bristol Red Rover]

Whilst Biden struggles to climb the stairs and remember what day it is, Sunak struggles to use a contact less car or wear his seat belt, we have this...
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/putin-fly-modernised-russian-supersonic-strategic-bomber-2024-02-22/

I know you all will hate this, but you have gotta laugh at how outclassed our current gang is. "crazy son of a bitch" , eh! 

[ncRover]

Putin is doing everything possible to deny Navalny getting a dignified public funeral and thus prevent a show of support from the public.

His mother was given an ultimatum to agree to a secret funeral or would be buried at the prison he was likely murdered at.

But nah let’s ogle at fighter jet propaganda like a pre-pubescent little boy.

[ncRover]

Also - I appreciate you’re getting at the fact the west is weak but you basically want it to roll over and let Russia take half of Ukraine. So why bring it up?

[Glyn_Wigley]

   If recent reports are true, in the last few days Russia are losing one thousand men a day in casualties for little gain just the odd small village.

Where are you getting your info from?

Have you looked at Avdeevka?

How about doing what you tell other people to do when you're challenged about the stuff you spout and go and Google it for yourself?

[wilts rover]

   If recent reports are true, in the last few days Russia are losing one thousand men a day in casualties for little gain just the odd small village.

3 more aircraft lost yesterday. On average they have lost $750 million of aircraft per WEEK so far this month. Looks like Putin (or one of the doubles he has doing his stunts) will be needing his flying training soon.

https://twitter.com/benmoores2

[BillyStubbsTears]

   If recent reports are true, in the last few days Russia are losing one thousand men a day in casualties for little gain just the odd small village.

3 more aircraft lost yesterday. On average they have lost $750 million of aircraft per WEEK so far this month. Looks like Putin (or one of the doubles he has doing his stunts) will be needing his flying training soon.

https://twitter.com/benmoores2

2 A50s gone this year. Out of, I think, 5-7 in the entire Russian air force. That's a massive loss at $350m a piece, and no quick way to replace them.

[SydneyRover]

spontaneous combustion ............

''On the second anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a fire erupted at the main plant of Russian steelmaker Novolipetsk Steel (NLMK), according to statements from the regional governor.

Initial reports suggest that the fire at the Novolipetsk Steel plant may have been triggered by a drone, Lipetsk regional Governor Igor Artamonov said via his official Telegram channel, refraining from attributing the incident to Ukraine''

https://kyivindependent.com/fire-reported-at-russian-steelmaker-in-lipetsk-oblast/

[Bristol Red Rover]

Also - I appreciate you’re getting at the fact the west is weak but you basically want it to roll over and let Russia take half of Ukraine. So why bring it up?

Lots of passionate assumptions there. The west getting weak is true tho.

Navalny was a US stooge. Why would Russia allow a US sponsored funeral? Of course you, like most here, believe he was just a "lovely maaan".

[BessieBlue]

The peddling of Putin guff continues I see - you just can't help yourself BRR - have you managed to recruit many to your cause?

[Bristol Red Rover]

The peddling of Putin guff continues I see - you just can't help yourself BRR - have you managed to recruit many to your cause?

Have you said anything yet? 

[Bristol Red Rover]

For some time tjere has been blockading of Ukraine exports going into Poland, mainly by Polish farmers. This situation has been gradually hotting up. 160 tons of grain destroyed on the border on 25 Feb.
https://www.rferl.org/a/ukrainian-grain-destroyed-poland-farmers-protest-border/32834662.html

[ncRover]

Also - I appreciate you’re getting at the fact the west is weak but you basically want it to roll over and let Russia take half of Ukraine. So why bring it up?

Lots of passionate assumptions there. The west getting weak is true tho.

Navalny was a US stooge. Why would Russia allow a US sponsored funeral? Of course you, like most here, believe he was just a "lovely maaan".

Can you prove he was?

[Bristol Red Rover]

What have you found out about him? Have you looked?

[BillyStubbsTears]

Those who won't face up to what Russia is.

This is from the Russian Senator for the invaded Ukrainian oblast of Zaphphorizha.

https://x.com/JimmySecUK/status/1761778775753118126?s=20

[BillyStubbsTears]

And apparently the Special Military Operation is aimed at de-Nazifying Ukraine...

[ncRover]

What have you found out about him? Have you looked?

I’ve looked in to him and I can’t find evidence of that, so i’m asking you

[SydneyRover]

''Russia’s descent into totalitarianism: How it happened''

''It is difficult to pin down the exact moment that Russia began morphing into a totalitarian state, but the transformation didn’t take long.

For over a decade, the Kremlin was taking away civil liberties and feeding the population a revamped and increasingly more aggressive version of nationalism. For nearly a decade, most Russians didn't seem to care.

In 2012, the Kremlin ruthlessly ended the wave of demonstrations known as the Bolotnaya protests. Named for the square in Moscow where demonstrators gathered, the rallies began in December 2011, when thousands of Russians flooded the streets to protest against election fraud.

Among key protest leaders were charismatic opposition politicians such as Boris Nemtsov and Alexei Navalny. Many believed Russia could see its own pro-democracy revolution inspired by the bubbling tail-end of the Arab Spring.

That dream, however, never materialized. Russian President Vladimir Putin was reelected as president for the third time, methodically decreasing the space for dissent.

"Afterwards, (Putin) became fully invested in this narrative that Russia is surrounded by enemies. That's when the regime fundamentally changed the basis of its legitimacy from electoral and economic performance to a national fight against the West in the name of Russian civilization," says Graeme B. Robertson, director of the Center for Slavic, Eurasian and East European Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill'' .............. cont

https://kyivindependent.com/russias-decade-long-fall-into-totalitarianism-explained/

[ncRover]

Russia’s default setting is authoritarianism and imperialism.

Pre-Soviet era the Tsars ruled the vast empire with an iron fist.

Then of course the Soviet era. The horrors of which are well-known.

Russia only had democracy between 1991-1999 and it was a period of weakness for them. Even still, Russian parliament was created in 1991 but then dissolved in 1993 by Yeltsin and replaced with a “super-presedential system” that could not be overruled effectively.

They are taught in school that a strong leader is required or the country would see a return to the “Time of Troubles” (1598-1613) where there was widespread famine and invasions from neighbouring countries.

[Bristol Red Rover]

What have you found out about him? Have you looked?

I’ve looked in to him and I can’t find evidence of that, so i’m asking you

You haven't looked them.

[Bristol Red Rover]

And apparently the Special Military Operation is aimed at de-Nazifying Ukraine...

Yes,  that's very bad, he should be dismissed immediately.

I note that you class this alongside the out and out murderous Nazis of Ukraine. Pretty pathetic is that BST.

[silent majority]

The first step in a fascist movement is the combination under an energetic leader of a number of men who possess more than the average share of leisure, brutality, and stupidity. The next step is to fascinate fools and muzzle the intelligent, by emotional excitement on the one hand and terrorism on the other.

[Colin C No.3]

Also - I appreciate you’re getting at the fact the west is weak but you basically want it to roll over and let Russia take half of Ukraine. So why bring it up?

Lots of passionate assumptions there. The west getting weak is true tho.

Navalny was a US stooge. Why would Russia allow a US sponsored funeral? Of course you, like most here, believe he was just a "lovely maaan".

Just read that last paragraph back to yourself….slowly.

An opponent of Putin dies at the age of 47 in a Russian prison the day after he was shown on film ‘attending’ yet another court hearing (where his easy manner & wit while standing handcuffed with guards stood either side of him) had even his prosecutor’s smiling & all you can do is mock him.

I wouldn’t normally wish ill on anyone, but for you I’d make the exception.

[Bristol Red Rover]

What a twotty comment.

Try reading what I said again. And tell me he was independent. And then take your twotty head for a much needed break.

[Colin C No.3]

I think you’ve said it all there….about the kind of person you are.

I trust you one day get to feel the pain & grief & despair that Navalny’s mother will be feeling now.