Tag Archives: Wagner Commander Prigozhin

Aug 29 2023

Russian Lives Matter


Armstrong Economics Blog/War Re-Posted Aug 29, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

The most influential aspect of Black Lives Matter is its name choice. Of course, black lives matter, but the messaging behind the movement itself was pure corruption and controlled civil unrest by the left. It was seen as racist to say that ALL lives matter because the focus was only on Black Americans. Then the police tried to use the term Blue Lives Matter, fueling the animosity.  The phrase has caught on, and a Danish director has come under fire for saying “Russian lives matter.”

Lars von Trier risks cancellation after commenting on a social media post featuring Denmark’s latest donation to Ukraine of extremely lethal F-16 fighter jets. “Russian lives matter also!” he stated on the Instagram post. He said his post was for Mr. Zelensky and Mr. Putin, and not least Mrs. Frederiksen (who yesterday, like someone head over heels in love, posed in the cockpit of one of the scariest killing machines of our time, grinning from ear to ear). “Russian lives matter also! Best regards, Lars.”

Ukrainian media outlets turned the post into a story of hatred. Oleksiy Danilov, the head of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, even weighed in on the situation: “The choice between the executioner and the victim becomes a tragedy when the artist chooses the side of the executioner. Ukraine doesn’t live in abstraction, but in a cruel reality in which Russians are murderers. A simple piece of advice for a famous director: imagine that it is a Russian missile that is flying into his city every day, that his father or mother was killed, his grandson was taken to Russia, and that a Russian looter raped his wife before burning down his house. In this case, the abstraction of hypocritical ‘humanism’ takes on completely different features – real, not fictional life.”

This is how wars are waged as the enemy must be dehumanized. As Danilov said, the reality Ukraine wants to portray is a “cruel reality in which Russians are murderers.” So every single person, old and young, in a large country is a ruthless murderer? This is akin to how the terrorist groups in Afghanistan painted all Americans as bloodthirsty killers. It is the same story repeated throughout history – villainize the enemy and cheer his last breath. Human nature is the same wherever you go. Fact: the majority of Russians simply want peace and are not Prigozhin clones plotting on Ukraine’s downfall.

“I was just stating the obvious: that all lives in this world matter! A forgotten phrase it seems, from a time when pacifism was a virtue,” the filmmaker replied, later mentioning he had no idea the trouble his comments would cause. But sure, cheer the image of the F-16 jet designed for mass murder of fellow human beings.

Aug 26 2023

Who Killed Wagner Boss Prigozhin?


Armstrong Economics Blog/War Re-Posted Aug 25, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin reportedly died in a plane crash on Wednesday afternoon. The plane crashed south of Kuzhenkinskoe in Russia’s Tver region, instantly killing all ten aboard. News outlets are pointing to Vladimir Putin. After all, Prigozhin did attempt to stage a coup two months ago. Other outlets claim the Wagner boss has faked his death. Russia is launching an investigation into the crash, but we may never have answers.

“An investigation of the Embraer plane crash that happened in the Tver Region this evening was initiated. According to the passenger list, first and last name of Yevgeny Prigozhin was included in this list,” Russia’s Federal Agency for Air Transport said in a statement.

So why would Putin not have had him arrested or killed after the coup on June 23 that he deemed treasonous? Some may say Putin wanted to maintain a cool head and appear unbothered as if his leadership was never questioned. But why would he choose to take out Prigozhin at this stage? The two men were personal friends. Prigozhin apologized for the attempted coup, claimed he went crazy, and allegedly met with Putin after the incident to apologize.

Prigozhin was allegedly in Belarus with his eyes on Poland. Yet, Russia has not been concerned about Poland. There is an ongoing proxy war between the West and Russia playing out in Niger. There we saw a coup that overthrew the government while chanting “Wagner” and raising Russian flags. He was spotted in Africa on August 21 in a video, which was his first time addressing the public since the failed coup.

“We are working. The temperature is plus 50 [Celsius]. Everything’s the way we like it. PMC Wagner is conducting reconnaissance, making Russia even greater on every continent – and Africa even freer,” Prigozhin said in the video. “Justice and happiness for the African nations,” he said. “We are messing with ISIS, Al-Qaeda and other banditos. We hire real supermen and continue working on tasks that were set to us and we promised to carry out.”

There is a long list of people who would have wanted Yevgeny Prigozhin dead. The White House and others are blaming Putin, but I do not believe it is that cut and dry, although it is mysterious that the plane crashed in Russia. Russia would retaliate against any country or organization found responsible, but they would not be so careless as to attack a NATO nation. So the question remains — who killed Wagner boss, Prigozhin?

Aug 24 2023

Multiple Reports of Yevgeny Prigozhin Killed in Plane Crash Returning to St Pete from Moscow


Posted originally on the CTH on August 23, 2023 | Sundance 

Obviously, we take all reports from Russian media through the prism of Suspicious Cat.  Complicating matters, we take any/all reports from Western Media through the folded and mirrored prism of multiple Suspicious Cats.  So don’t look for CTH to provide definitive analysis on this multi-geopolitical storyline; instead, look for me to share a series of possibilities that might not be discussed elsewhere.

As long-time readers know, I have a strong and reliable network in Peter (that’s the abbreviated name used in familiar Russian discussion with those who live in the Saint Petersburg region of Russia).  I have previously discussed my opinion of the western media reporting on Yevgeny Prigozhin {Go Deep}, I will not repeat.

Dubya, Putin and Yevgeny Prigozhin the caterer. 

Today, Russian media are stating that Prigozhin was killed in a plane crash after a series of meetings in Moscow, upon a return flight to Peter.  Perhaps, or perhaps not. Given the nature of a very specific background in/around the issue(s) of Wagner and Prigozhin, and with both the Russian and USA geopolitical overlays as context, here are some possible considerations:

♦ Prigozhin completed his meetings in Moscow and was heading home to Peter when an unfortunate accident led to his plane crashing.

♦ Prigozhin completed his meetings in Moscow and was heading home to Peter when the Russian military leaders decided to kill him.

♦ Prigozhin completed his meetings in Moscow and was detained by Putin allies, then the return flight destroyed to disappear him.

♦ Prigozhin completed his meetings in Moscow and was returning to Peter when a successful retaliatory CIA operation killed him.

♦ Prigozhin completed his meetings in Moscow and organizing a defensive Wagner operation against NATO under the auspices of his death.

♦ Prigozhin completed his meetings in Moscow and is now very much alive and retired with no one looking for him.

♦ Prigozhin was never in Moscow and is very much alive and retired with no one looking for him. √

I’m sure the funeral will be quite superb.

(Via Fox News) Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of Russia’s Wagner Group who challenged the rule of Vladimir Putin just months ago, was involved Wednesday in a plane crash that has left 10 people dead outside of Moscow, state media is reporting.

The business jet was traveling from the Russian capital to St. Petersburg went it went down in the Tver region, according to the TASS news agency.

“Prigozhin was listed among the passengers, according to the Federal Air Transport Agency,” read a post by TASS on Telegram. “An investigation into the crash of the Embraer aircraft has been launched, the department noted.”

It’s not immediately clear whether Prigozhin is among the 10 reported to have died in the crash. The Pentagon told Fox News Digital that it is monitoring the situation.

“We have seen the reports. If confirmed, no one should be surprised,” White House National Security Council spokesperson, Adrienne Watson, said in a statement. “The disastrous war in Ukraine led to a private army marching on Moscow, and now – it would seem — to this.”

Putin, meanwhile, has made a public appearance at a concert in Russia after the news of the crash emerged. 

In late June, Prigozhin initiated what observers called the most significant challenge to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s regime in his 23 years in power. 

After marching his 25,000-strong mercenary forces to within 125 miles of Moscow, Prigozhin abruptly ended the operation and ordered his troops to return home before heading into exile in Belarus.  (more)   lol 

Born in 1961, Prigozhin grew up as a somewhat snarky Soviet Robin Hood, a street urchin who flowed invisibly between Finland and Leningrad in a black-market social circle that, well, let’s just say I am familiar with.

When he was 20, Prigozhin was arrested for a heist and federally imprisoned for 9 years while the Soviet Union collapsed. When he exited prison Russia was different, and with St Pete now becoming a tourist destination, he joined the capitalist opportunity with a street food vending business, started a restaurant then opened a catering company.

Prigozhin is hard as nails, snarky as hell and very tricky.

He is one of the apex gremlins and very much still connected to the Peter streets, very connected. He is beloved. He was never connected to the towers of Russian politics as the West portrays. Prigozhin doesn’t have the pedigree nor the disposition for political power.

Let me put it this way, no one knows how to play gremlin mind games against the West better than Yevgeny Prigozhin. He’s a little bit like a less refined Oleg Deripaska, and much scruffier. Also remember, in February 2018, Prigozhin was one of 13 Russians indicted by Andrew Weissmann and Rod Rosenstein for interfering in the American election through the Internet Research Agency. lol

Review any definitive analysis with caution.

Aug 18 2023

Stunningly Low Prices – A Visit to an Average Russian Supermarket


Posted originally on the CTH on August 17, 2023 | Sundance 

I wouldn’t normally write a post like this, but WE ARE NOT going to find this level of ground reporting anywhere in U.S. media.   As you might be aware, I have been doing extensive research on the Russian economy specifically with the outcome of western sanctions.

In his video a Youtuber I follow visited a local supermarket, similar to a WalMart Super Center to share information for his USA followers.

Dima Dear, a remarkably nice young man, lives in St Petersburg, Russia (formerly Leningrad), and he shares various experiences with his audience at their request.  There is a lot of U.S interest as people following his story are starting to realize life in Russia is not what western media portray.

If you are familiar with USA grocery prices, what Dima shares in this ground report is stunning from a U.S. perspective.  If you watch this livestream, keep in mind that 100 rubles equals $1.00.  350 rubles is $3.50.  Additionally for weighted products 1kg equals 2.2 lbs.   So generally speaking, if something is 100 rubles/kg it is $1 for two pounds.

Example from the video:

•Lean ground beef at 329 rubles/kg is less than $1.65/lb.
•Bacon at 250 rubles/kg is less than $1.25/lb.
•20 eggs are 139 rubles or $1.39.
•Boneless skinless chicken breast $4 for 4lbs.
•Typical Bagged salad mixes .79¢ each. etc.

The wild part is that in Russia they are getting worried these prices are too high.  

The average rent for a nicely furnished 2-bedroom modern apartment in St Pete Russia is around $500/month.  Something akin to downtown Manhattan. Including rent, utilities, food, transportation, personal items and purchases, a Russian citizen can live very comfortably, remarkably comfortably, on an income of around $1,200 to $1,500/month.  In downtown St Pete which is considered a more expensive place to live.

Put that into a USA middle-class perspective and evaluate the impact of western sanctions against the average Russian cost of living.

100 rubles = $1.00

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Aug 2 2023

The Russia-Africa Summit


Armstrong Economics Blog/World Trade Re-Posted Aug 2, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

https://youtube.com/watch?v=67uohQkVZdM%3Ffeature%3Doembed

Putin invited numerous African leaders to St. Petersburg, where they discussed strengthening their alliance. The Russia-Africa summit gave Moscow a platform to show that it has not been isolated by all its allies. The biggest bargaining chip on the table was reimplementing of the grain deal. The UN has all but promised food shortages and famine in Africa caused by the war. Putin has now promised to begin shipping 25,000 to 50,000 tons of grain, free of charge, over the next three or four months.

Only 17 of 54 African leaders attended the conference, compared to the 43 who attended in 2019. The West is touting this as a win, but Moscow said many are afraid to enter the conflict. African nations simply want their people to prosper. Despite having valuable national resources, the continent is deeply indebted to the world. Russia agreed to cancel $23 billion in debt to African nations and hinted that their allies (i.e., India and China) may also offer aid.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said, “We are not here to plead for donations for the African continent.” Instead, they are looking to become a respected trading partner. President of Chad Mahamat called out Russia for failing to improve trade. “Putin vowed to double Russia’s trade with the continent within five years. Instead, it has stalled at around $18 billion a year,” he stated. African nations want a seat at the table, shedding its colonist past that still indebts their people.

Putin has promised that the grain harvest will exceed expectations this year. African countries have a large bargaining chip here. The West provides Africa with more aid than Russia, but at what cost? Africa receives the vast majority of its grain directly from Russia and would certainly face food shortages without their help. Putin will need to offer African nations an opportunity to become a valued trading partner and get his other main global allies on board with the idea too.

Jul 17 2023

Depleted Uraniun Shells Explode in Ukraine


Armstrong Economics Blog/War Re-Posted Jul 17, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

The interesting issue concerning radiation detection in Ukraine is that after stating that radiation was detected, the West claims there is none. Russia claims to have bombed an ammunition depot containing depleted Uranium shells, which will contaminate the landscape. Britain supplied these shells to Ukraine – that must we know.  Russia claims that a radioactive cloud is now drifting toward Western Europe, and the EU denies it. As I have said, the first casualty of war is always the truth. The EU will certainly not admit such a thing, for that would confirm that they gave Ukraine illegal weapons. On the other hand, denying that means people, crops, and animals can get sick, and then what, we blamed another virus?

The United States in April wired Ukraine so they could identify any nuclear attack. We do know that the British defense ministry confirmed it would provide Ukraine with armor-piercing rounds containing depleted uranium. The U.S. developed these during the Cold War to destroy Soviet tanks.

Putin did accuse London of proliferating “weapons with a nuclear component,” while the British called this “disinformation.” Depleted uranium is based on the isotope U-235 which is extracted from natural uranium ore and this is even used as fuel for reactors and in nuclear weapons. This process is called enrichment. But the content of the “useful” isotope in the ore is about 10%. The remaining 90% of the isotope contains negligible amounts of U-235, which consist mainly of the slightly radioactive U-238. This is the depleted uranium which can be described as waste from the enrichment process.

This depleted uranium is very dense. This means that it is much heavier than, for example, steel shells of the same size. Consequently, the force of energy upon impact is very strong which enables it to penetrate armor. The depleted uranium does not explode, but small fragments that can penetrate armor can easily be ignited. Therefore, a projectile made of this material is an armor-piercing incendiary material. The US has also been using it in shells of high-speed smaller caliber guns of 25-30mm used on Infantry-Fighting Vehicles (IFV) and attack aircraft.

The US first used them during Operation Desert Storm in 1991. Literally, hundreds of thousands of such shells were used in Iraq. The Pentagon also acknowledged that they used these shells in the former Yugoslavia, Iraq, and Syria. These depleted uranium shells are not subject to nuclear non-proliferation rules. Therefore, in terms of international law, they have yet to be classified separately. Nor are there any international agreements that would regulate the supply of them specifically. Thus, the West argues Russia cannot object to their use. They are not party to any treaty and they are outside of any consideration being nuclear weapons.

What we do know is that depleted uranium shells have a radioactive component. Prior to firing, such projectiles are safe whereby the weak radiation is unable to penetrate skin and clothing. However, if such a shell penetrates armor, a cloud of tiny fragments or dust is produced. It is this radioactive and toxic dust that presents a danger both to the crew of the affected vehicle, as the dust can enter the lungs and digestive tract, and to civilians, as it can enter the soil and water in the area.

There were secret studies on the dangers of uranium dust following Desert Storm given the high volume of their use. The only people anyone was concerned about were approximately 170 Americans who came in contact with this dust. The conclusion was that they could NOT rule out that depleted uranium might be one of the causes of “Gulf War Syndrome” – the chronic, poorly-explained varied ailments of ex-soldiers. This matched similar findings from Yugoslavia where it was called “Balkan syndrome” where once again depleted uranium was cited. Tens of thousands of aircraft rounds were left in equipment debris and soil. Then, soldiers from several European countries also fell ill. Many died of Leukaemia – in the Belgian contingent alone, five died rather abruptly.

Only when these strange diseases were emerging in the Balkans during the mid-1990s were finally uncovered in 2001, did we find European protests. Belgium, Germany, Italy, and France all approached Washington and were demanding explanations. The military just insisted that the shells were safe. However, it was also in 2001 when the USA finally conducted research involving military veterans. They concluded at that time that depleted uranium in a quantity that they considered dangerous had not been found in the bodies of wounded soldiers. Germany conducted its own research not trusting the United States. Tests were carried out on 120 soldiers who had served in Kosovo and showed no deviations from the age norm.

In 2009, an Italian court ordered the country’s defense ministry to pay a hefty compensation – €1.4 million – to the family of a soldier who fell ill with cancer and died after serving in Somalia in the early 1990s. The death was attributed to depleted uranium. In truth, a number of organizations have been calling for a ban or restriction on the use of depleted uranium projectiles since the early 2000s. The military seems unmoved to conduct any study on the possible long-term effects on civilians who return to the land where the battle was fought. Rumors of cancers in Iraq get no press time.

Naturally, those in the military claim that the danger of depleted uranium projectiles is exaggerated. Of course, we have no idea if the use of these shells is polluting the environment whereby Ukraine has been the bread basket of Europe. Nobody knows if this will have any impact on the food supply of Europe in the decades ahead.

Jul 17 2023

Prigozhin: “I Went Crazy”


Armstrong Economics Blog/War Re-Posted Jul 17, 2023 by Martin Armstrong

Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin has offered an explanation for the attempted coup—“I went crazy.” An article by Proekt says Yevgeny Prigozhin was at St. Petersburg’s Konstantinovsky Palace in 2011 when then-prime minister Putin announced plans for the presidency. “Great hairstyle,” the Russian leader said, pointing to Prigozhin’s bald head. The two were friendly and Prigozhin has supported Putin throughout his career. Prigozhin began his career under the guise of a hot dog salesman at a car dealership before he became the feared mercenary leader. Imagine asking this man for ketchup or mustard?

Soviet army officer Andrey Bakonin came to the car dealership in 1991, where he met the future Wagner leader. He was always involved in “other” activities and hustled where he could. “Prigozhin is a tough guy,” recalls a reputable St. Petersburg businessman who personally knew many of the heroes of the 90s in St. Petersburg. “Besides, he is Jewish, which may have played a role in the fact that Mirilashvili and Spektor (prominent members of the Jewish community in St. Petersburg) hired him.” He made important connections on the ground and opened a restaurant that attracted the elite, funded by Mirilashvili. When Putin became president, he arranged a number of meetings at the restaurant. The likes of President George W. Bush and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori ate at the establishment.

He allegedly had staff eavesdrop on important meetings held at his restaurant and reported back to the man in power. Prigozhin’s associates say he has always been prone to violence. They alleged he hired a man called the “Teacher” who would brutally beat his staff, who often doubled as spies. He had a keen interest in war and reportedly sat over huge world maps, outlining where friends and foes resided. Wagner PMC first began around 2014 as a detachment from Lieutenant Colonel Dmitry Utkin’s command. He was fighting for Putin. PMC became involved in fights in Syria and Africa and took it extremely personally. He contracted cancer at one point and is said to be hyper-conscious of his health. He has quite an interesting story.

But what this all entails is an apology to Putin. Claiming he had a psychological break paints Putin as the strong leader, while Prigozhin remains the unstable grunt with no intentions of taking over Russia. Some outlets state that his medical history caused him to act erratically. His associates are using every excuse to explain why he staged a coup and dared to oppose Putin. Wagner has begun to hand over weapons to Russia. Is Prigozhin in exile in Belarus or back in Russia? Is he alive? Many do not believe he actually met with Putin after the event on June 23. No one is quite sure, but his plea of insanity is a final attempt to ask for forgiveness and tell the world that he is subservient to the Russian government.

Jul 11 2023

Russian President Vladimir Putin Met Personally with Wagner Commander Prigozhin on June 29th


Posted originally on the CTH on July 10, 2023 | Sundance 

Apparently, the western media narrative about Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin leading a revolt against Russian President Putin was, well, shall we say a little overstated. According to recent news reports, President Putin met with Wagner mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin a few days after the “march on Moscow,” the Kremlin has said.

Putin invited Prigozhin – and a number of his commanders – to a meeting in Moscow so Wagner could air their grievances. Prigozhin was upset that his forces were seemingly overexposed to excessive risks in the Ukraine combat operations. “The president gave an assessment of the company’s actions on the front,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said of the three hour meeting on 29 June. “Putin listened to the commanders’ explanations and suggested variants of their future employment and their future use in combat,” Mr Peskov added.

This meeting undermines the western narrative as promoted by the U.S State Department and CIA through their official media stenographers.

This meeting aligns exactly as we had mentioned, and is bolstered by Yevgeny Prigozhin being in his hometown of St Petersburg a little over a week ago, which we have independently confirmed. There is no “exile from Russia” as western media have claimed.

(Fox News) Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, leader of the attempted mutiny against the Kremlin last month, just days after the march on Moscow was thwarted.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Monday the meeting lasted some three hours on June 29, just five days after the attempted mutiny. Peskov released few details on the hours-long meeting but said that Putin provided an “assessment” of Wagner’s actions on the battlefield as well as “the events of June 24.”

“The commanders themselves presented their version of what happened. They underscored that they are staunch supporters and soldiers of the head of state and the commander-in-chief, and also said that they are ready to continue to fight for their homeland,” the spokesman said.

[…] Prigozhin has repeatedly claimed he was not rebelling against Putin but against his top military commanders, including Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff Gen.Valery Gerasimov, who he says mistreated Wagner forces in Ukraine.

[…] It was originally believed that Prigozhin agreed to end his mutiny even as his men rapidly approached Moscow and reversed course just 125 miles out from the capital city after he and his men were granted safe haven in Belarus in exchange for their exile from Russia.

However, this agreement appears to either not have been the case or has yet to be realized, as sources have told Fox News Digital that Prigozhin was spotted in his hometown of St. Petersburg earlier this month – reports that were echoed by Lukashenko Thursday. (read more)